Polish with a good quality wax or cream polish and buff. If you have an unusual color, a neutral color wax will give the shoe protection.

If [...]]]> I’m always surprised when someone asks how to take care of their new boots and slippers. We use the same kind of materials that any good shoe manufacturer uses. So:

Polish with a good quality wax or cream polish and buff. If you have an unusual color, a neutral color wax will give the shoe protection.

If you will be wearing them in situations where water or snow will be an issue, spray on a waterproof protector.

To keep the insides nice, wear hose or socks if it fits your persona. If not consider a thin terry cloth or fabric covered insert that can be taken out and cleaned. When it gets nasty, toss and replace it. If you do a lot of off-roading in them, clean the dirt and grass out of them paying attention to the edges. The debris will work it’s way under the insole and break down the glue.

Use shoe and boot trees. The Container Store and Bed Bath and Beyond both carry an assortment. Boot trees are also called boot shapers. They adjust to keep the tops of your boots looking their best. If you have tall ones, you can stack two in the boot. Stack  boot trees on top of a shoe tree at the bottom so the boot stands on it’s own. Some shapers come with a hanger so you can hang them on a closet pole.

If they need new soles, any good shoe repair shop can resole them.