Why Are Cars and Shoes Similar?

At the Klasyczne Buty store, we enjoy making comparisons to the automotive world, which, in our opinion, has a lot in common with shoes, particularly when it comes to their care and maintenance. We often make such analogies that at first glance don’t seem to have much in common, but actually do. The founder and creator of Klasyczne Buty, Zbigniew Famuła, used to say that shoes are nothing more than a means of transport that allows us to move from point A to point B. Expanding on this idea, it's up to us whether we reach our destination: with class, safely, attracting attention, or remaining completely unnoticed.

In this post about shoe care, I’d like to tell you about the “chassis” of shoes – that is, the soles. How to care for them? What can we do to extend their lifespan? What negatively affects the condition of the sole?

What Are the Types of Shoe Soles?

As is well known, classic shoes most often have leather soles. The leather sole bend is considered the most elegant and classic. Nevertheless, for some time now, classic uppers have been paired with soles made of materials other than leather, a combination that has many enthusiasts. The most common is a rubber sole in the style of Dainite soles (the most famous manufacturer). Equally popular is the York-style or, in other words, combination sole (rubber and leather). There are also typical commando soles of military origin, which look great on shoes with a slightly more casual edge. We also find soles made of crepe, which go perfectly with suede boots in the style of desert boots.

In this post, I will primarily discuss leather soles, but I will also give some attention to the others.

Leather Soles: How to Care for Them?

Let's start with a few words about so-called passive sole care, or in short, caring without actual care. What does that mean? The way we use our shoes, including their soles, affects how they wear out.

Why Use a Doormat?

A good example of passive sole care is using doormats, now called entry mats, which are found at the entrances of buildings. Often, in a rush to enter a building, we don't even notice that we walk over quite a large mat designed to catch the dirt brought in on shoes. The building owner maintains its cleanliness, but we should also take care of our shoes, more precisely the soles. Leather soles do not handle contact with sand and gravel well. These microscopic grains can cause considerable damage to leather soles, especially if they embed themselves in the sole and continue to dig deeper with each step. To avoid such unnecessary damage, it’s worth developing the habit of wiping your shoes whenever you pass a doormat, not just when returning home, but also when entering a store, office, or government building. It's important to actually use the doormat and rub your soles on it, not just walk over it. This way, we extend the life of the sole and also ensure our safety, as the risk of slipping on a leather sole loaded with tiny sand grains is very high.

I also encourage you to add a quick inspection of the sole’s condition to the routine tasks you perform after taking off your shoes, such as inserting shoe trees and wiping them with a cloth, and manually removing sand grains that have embedded themselves in the sole if necessary.

How to Dry Leather Soles?

The leather used for the sole bend is relatively hard and resistant to weather conditions or abrasion. The leather used for soles is made through a special tanning process designed to harden it and prepare it for contact with the ground, which is quite harsh—urban sidewalks made of concrete and cobblestones can take a toll on our soles. Some manufacturers, such as Rendenbach, pride themselves on the long process of preparing leather for sole bends using a special method involving oak leaves. However, there is one factor that causes even the best-tanned leather soles to eventually lose their properties: water. Therefore, it's important to properly dry shoes that have had prolonged contact with water. What do I mean by "properly dry"? The most important thing is time. The water should evaporate from the shoes without the use of heat. Shoes should not be dried near heat sources. Room temperature is appropriate. If we soak our shoes or notice that the soles are wet, lay the shoes on their side to ensure proper air circulation. It’s best to insert shoe trees after some time (30–60 minutes) to allow the moisture inside the shoes to evaporate. It's also important to allow the shoes to dry in conditions of good air circulation. We shouldn't store them in a cabinet but let them rest in an open space. If the shoes have soaked through the uppers, you can place newspaper inside, which has better hygroscopic properties (absorbs water) than wooden shoe trees.

What Is Shoe Rotation?

Rotation is one of those elements of passive shoe care that best embodies the concept of this kind of care. It boils down to a very simple rule—give your shoes at least one day off. During this time, the shoes, including the soles, will have a chance to recover. Leather needs rest so its fibers can return to their original shape. If possible, and circumstances do not require us to wear the same pair of shoes twice in a row, we should give our shoes a day off.

How to Clean Leather Soles?

When cleaning shoes, performing so-called active care, we should remember the soles. Cleaning the shoe uppers is quite obvious, but often the waist, edge of the sole along with the heel, and the sole itself are neglected during cleaning. When you bring your shoes in for servicing at Klasyczne Buty, our specialists clean not only the uppers but also the soles and check their condition. If they notice anything concerning, they pass this information along so the owner is aware that their shoes need additional repairs or special attention.

How do you care for the sole, specifically the parts that come into contact with the ground? First, we need to accept that leather soles wear out. At first contact with shoes that have leather soles, we may be surprised at how quickly the sole loses its original appearance. This process initially seems to progress very quickly. We say that the shoe is adapting to the user's feet and walking style. After a few uses, the shoe adjusts to us, and the sole's wear no longer progresses as quickly. Of course, situations may occur where, due to individual characteristics of the shoe wearer, the soles wear out faster or in an unusual way, resulting from the gait. If you suspect your soles are wearing out unusually, it’s worth consulting with us. We will certainly help.

So, how do you care for the soles? Do we need to stock up on additional products, brushes, etc.? The best way to care for soles is as mentioned above—wipe the shoes and remove any grains of sand embedded in the sole. For this purpose, I recommend a brush with hard synthetic bristles, known as a "mud brush." It effectively removes mud and stones from the sole, and its handle with sharp edges helps remove more stubborn dirt and embedded sand grains.

Do You Need Products for Sole Impregnation?

Shoe care product manufacturers offer special products for impregnating leather soles. But before I talk about them, I’d like to say a few words about what not to use on leather soles. We often get inquiries about whether leather greases, such as dubbin or mink oil, are suitable for use on soles. These are certainly not products meant for caring for leather soles. Sole leather is made through a special tanning process aimed at hardening it as much as possible while maintaining sufficient flexibility so the sole can bend while walking without cracking. Manufacturers have put considerable skill and years of experience into achieving this result. Dubbin or mink oil would effectively undo these efforts. These products overly soften the sole bend and make it too flexible. A softened, or supple, leather sole is more susceptible to wear. It absorbs water more quickly through its open pores, and as a result, wears out faster.

There are special products on the market for impregnating leather soles. These are special oils that need to be skillfully applied to the sole. Care should be taken not to stain the upper with such oil, as it is very difficult to remove. It's not just about accidentally staining the upper. These products are meant to deeply penetrate the sole, and if applied incorrectly, they can seep through the stitching channel to the waist and then to the upper. Therefore, one must be careful and do this with caution. We recommend Swiss brand Siegol oil.

How to Apply Leather Sole Oil?

You can use a cloth or brush for this purpose, but more important than the method is moderation in application. Again, less is more. For better results, we recommend doing two applications 2-3 hours apart and leaving the shoes after the second application for one night (8-10 hours) lying "on their side."

If you enjoy cleaning, caring for, and maintaining your shoes and want to further protect leather soles from excessive wear, you can purchase these products. You can also entrust your shoes to us and request a sole impregnation service along with shoe cleaning, which we will do for you.

How to Clean Rubber Soles?

I mentioned that the sole of a shoe can be made from materials other than leather. A rubber sole does not require special products. However, if you’re cleaning the uppers, it’s worth wiping rubber soles with a damp cloth, especially the edge of the sole, as rubber tends to attract and hold onto dust. It’s also worthwhile, as with leather soles, to check after removing your shoes whether any small or large stones have embedded themselves in.

Rubber is certainly more resistant to sand and gravel, but it's still worth checking. I also want to point out that shoes with rubber soles are joined to the upper in the same way as shoes with leather soles—via the so-called waist. The waist is made of leather, so during care, don't forget to nourish it with cream and protect it with wax as well. If you have shoes with a combination rubber-leather sole, you can also nourish the leather part of the sole with cream and protect it with wax during care.

Conclusion

The topic of sole care is quite extensive. I have tried to convey the essential principles concerning this part of the shoe in a concise manner. I hope this information was useful and you learned something new. Of course, feel free to contact us. Call us at 790507208 or email us at sklep@klasycznebuty.pl. We will be happy to answer all your questions.

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