HUSH clothing

Oh my cherished boot collection how I love you so! There is nothing that can cure the ‘boo hoo winter is coming’ blues like unpacking pair after pair of suede, leather, short, long, flat and heeled boots. The only icy chill? Seeing the damage last year’s winter has reeked on my cherished gems. Salt stains, worn out heels, scuffed up toes. No wardrobe item should suffer such abuse! So before it really gets nasty out there, prep your boots and have them ready to fight the worst of the season.

Essentially, caring for your boots is a dirty and tedious job that I would say is best left to the professionals. Normally I am a total do-it-yourselfer, but the “How to List” for caring for leather and suede boots is a mile long and involves a long and arduous process that would take away from valuable fashion time (i.e. shopping, organizing your wardrobe, reading fashion magazines…) I have created my own condensed version that will help you protect your boots and your manicure!

1) Unpack boots from seasonal storage.
2) Wipe off boots with soft cloth.
3) Assess boots for damage. Check soles, heels and toes.
4) Take boots to shoemaker! Have them weatherproofed. Have broken heels fixed and thinned soles replaced.
5) Maintain boots for remainder of season. Here’s how:
a. Leather: Remove dirt or salt as it happens. When necessary use a half water half vinegar solution. Apply with a soft cloth. When dry, reapply leather protector spray.
b. Suede: Use a nylon bristle brush for suede boots to remove salt or other stains. The vinegar/water solution will also work on suede for removing tough salt streaks.
c. Pleather: Although I am not a great fan of this synthetic ‘faux leather’, it has sadly become the ‘norm’ in franchise footwear. Apparently a great product for cleaning this imposter is saddle soap (available in the shoe care aisle). It contains lanolin which helps to moisturize.
6) Make sure to protect them. Pick up a few good sprays and use throughout the season.

There is no greater fashion faux pas than dirty un-kept boots. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration (which anyone who knows me knows I’m prone to) but salt stained, off kilter dirty boots are an absolute NO-NO! Make sure to leave room in your budget for boot maintenance. It’s worth the investment!