The Ultimate Shoe Care Guide

How To Get Rid Of Smelly Shoes

Okay, so this is maybe not the most attractive topic to talk about, but it is one that concerns us all. If you’re anything like me, then you’ll know that once you buy a fresh pair of shoes you basically wear them all day every day until you simply cannot anymore, sometimes even… dare I say, without… socks! (Gasp!) This causes a sweaty and bacteria-filled build-up that will leave you with a funky smell. Even though this is totally a safe space and there’s no judgement here, there comes a time in a woman’s life where she needs to admit that her shoes are just a little smellier than she’d like. Here’s how you can get rid of those unpleasant odours.

Tea Bags

Believe it or not, tea is not only a cult favourite hot drink, used to warm our insides and help us get through a rough day, it can also be used to deodourize smelly shoes. This is actually one of the easiest ways to get rid of odour, and I’m sure you or your momma have plenty of Five Roses to spare. 

Brew two tea bags in hot water for a few minutes. Once the tea bags have cooled off, place one bag in each shoe. Make sure the tea bags are still moist as they need to suck up all the funky smells and get rid of any bacteria. Don’t be afraid to add a couple of tea bags to each shoe for those extra stubborn odours. 

Remove the tea bags after an hour, or leave the bags in your shoes overnight. Your shoes will be fresh as a daisy the next morning!

Add a Little Vitamin D

After a long day of working and looking at memes on Facebook, you might wanna kick off your shoes, plop onto the couch and do a little nighttime shopping with wine. Before you get too comfy, put your shoes outside on your balcony or stoep for an hour or more. The sunlight will dry out your shoes and prevent bacteria from growing.

Shoe Tip

You can also use baking soda, essential oils and orange or lemon peels to help get rid of stubborn odours. This should make your shoes smell as good as new! (well, new-ish)

We've Got You Covered!

Matsidiso’s shoes are all lined with breathable leather lining. This slows down the growth of bacteria and the build-up of sweat. Our shoes can also be worn without socks so there’s no shame in ditching your feet warmers and going au-naturale in our shoes!

How to Make Slippery Shoes...Less Slippery

Walking in new shoes can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you’re looking ultra fierce in your new gems and on the other, you’re slipping and sliding all over the damn place! I know I’ve had my fair share of slips while walking through the mall. It’s so awkward and I always look back after it happens like “who left this banana lying around!?” When in reality, my shoes are just ridiculously slippery.

Sandpaper

A quick fix is to dig in your handy-woman kit and sand your soles down. All you have to do is take the sandpaper and sand the smoothest parts of your soles until the texture roughens. 

Use a Little Spray

There are plenty of sprays that you can use to give your soles a little more grip. Alternatively, hairspray could work too! For those who don’t have grip-spray lying around, hairspray is the perfect substitute. Just be mindful that this is only a temporary solution and you will need to constantly re-spray to keep the grip. 

How to Stretch Shoes That Are Just Too Tight

We’ve all been there. One day your shoe fits like Cinderella, and the next it fits like the ugly step-sister. There are many reasons why your shoes could feel a little too tight after fitting perfectly and these reasons are due to swollen feet from pregnancy, alcohol, the weather and injury. Whatever the reason, here are a few tips to help stretch those shoes out until they fit again!

Use Your Blow Dryer

The first thing you’ll need to do is to put your socks and shoes on. Then use your blow dryer (on the hottest setting) and blow near the tight areas of your shoes. Constantly wiggle your feet around while you blow-dry your shoes. Walking in them after blow-drying also helps stretch them out. 

Freeze Your Shoes

You heard me. This is actually a very simple method to stretch your shoes. All you have to do is fill a bag (preferably a ziplock baggie) with water and place the bags inside each shoe. Then put both shoes into a bigger bag (for safety reasons and to make sure your shoes don’t get messed up) and put them in the freezer overnight. Your shoes should fit more comfortably the next day! #goodbyeblisters

How To Keep Your Shoes Clean

If you’re like me then whenever your shoes get a little dirty, your first instinct is to throw them in the washing machine. Unfortunately, this method doesn't work on all shoes. (Bummer, I know.) Turns out there is more than one way to clean your shoes. Here are a few solutions!

Use Cleaning Solution

You can use a cleaning solution if you don't have a proper leather cleaner on hand in emergency situations to clean stains off certain shoes, like sneakers. All you have to do is mix warm water with laundry detergent and use a very lightly dampened cloth or a brush to wipe the marks off your shoes. Just don't rub too hard.

For the best option, check out our Dasco all purpose cleaner as a perfect on hand solution for your leather shoes! 

Polish Your Shoes

If you’re cleaning leather shoes, then we suggest using cream polish for a matte finish on our smooth leather. Lucky for you, we have you covered! Check out our Dasco leather cream here. Apply polish evenly using a cotton or flannel polishing cloth and allow to air dry. Remove any excess polish with a horsehair shoe brush. Check out our shoe care guide, for more tips on how to clean leather shoes.

Use a Brush

When cleaning suede or nubuck shoes, you’ll need to use a soft shoe brush to remove any stains. Gently brush the surface of the shoe to remove any stains or scuff marks. Make sure to brush in the same direction, otherwise, it can alter the colour of your shoes.

Now that you’ve read the ultimate shoe care guide, go forth with your bad self and never again question how to care for your shoes!