Shoe Care

Dear ladies,

Last night while putting on lovely tango shoes, I started wondering what would be the best way to care for them as to prolong their life, maintain their beauty and most importantly to avoid the odour?

My first pair has fallen victim to food odour, as my feet tend to sweat, especially in the summer. And no matter how much I've sprayed it with Dr. Scholl's, the shoes still smell.

So how do you care for your babies?

My partner cringes every time I walk the streets in my Comme il Fauts, but they're just such great shoes and have lasted me forever. I still have my first pair. Built to last!

I buy the suede shoes, so sometimes I spray them with a suede treatment and then brush them to restore the nap. Every now and then I have the heels replaced. Other than that... that's all I do to care for them.

What style of shoe do you buy? The shoes I buy are very open, so odor has never been a problem.

When I take them off after dancing, I try to let them dry out a bit before putting them in their bags.

Other than that, I don't do much. I'll scuff the soles a bit before dancing if they're particularly dirty, but that's pretty rare. I replace the heel tips as necessary, since they wear out before anything else. Once they get stinky to the point of not being able to un-stink them, I retire them.

They're pretty indestructible, really. I've gotten mine absolutely soaked with no problem (just let them dry thoroughly, and scuff the soles). I wear mine as street shoes in addition to dancing in them. (I just make sure to scuff the soles before bringing them onto a dance floor, so I don't track anything in.) Other than that...nothing.

Me said:

What style of shoe do you buy? The shoes I buy are very open, so odor has never been a problem.

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I don't know how you don't end up with an odor problem after a while. I wear CiF's, and I've had to retire two pairs for stinkyness. (Both of my first pairs...it took a while.) Perhaps your feet just don't sweat as much as mine.

Put the shoes in a zipper-lock plastic bag and place them in the freezer overnight. The freezing temperatures will kill most odor-causing bacteria.

If odor remains after the freezing, pour baking soda into the shoes and leave it in overnight to absorb the odors.

If all else fails, go to a pet store and purchase an odor remover such as Nature's Miracle that contains enzymes or bacteria. The enzymes and bacteria in these products literally eat away the source of the bad odors. Follow the instructions carefully as you apply the product to your shoes.

DoraTheExplorer said:

Dear ladies,

Last night while putting on lovely tango shoes, I started wondering what would be the best way to care for them as to prolong their life, maintain their beauty and most importantly to avoid the odour?

My first pair has fallen victim to food odour, as my feet tend to sweat, especially in the summer. And no matter how much I've sprayed it with Dr. Scholl's, the shoes still smell.

So how do you care for your babies?

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I think everyone had good tips for you...you can also have put new leather insoles in them if they are not too tight fitting.... that'd be my last resort after trying all the other options.

I have done that with some very comfy ballroom shoes I have. I added some thin Tacco leather insoles to them (because those things are notorious for getting smelly) and it had been a really good thing.

The only other thing I might add is that I do tend to use leather cleaner (Kiwi foam cleaner works great) or suede cleaner on my shoes on a regular basis. I guess I do that often and treat it like a preventative.

Thank you everyone for the very quick replies!

My shoes are from Susanna Artesanal, and are black suede and lace. I've used them for about a year. I'll try your suggestions and get back to you which worked best!

What i do with my fabulous Silvesr Rope High Heels that I got from Your-Shoe-Store.com - they have great deals for high heels by the way, after i take them off I let them air out and then i have this old shoe box and put baking soda and then brush them out in the morning. And i never wear my shoes two days in a row.

Another thing that could lessen the odor would be taking care of your feet.

Great pair of dancing shoes... Happy Feet!