Spring cleaning: when should we get rid of our worn-out shoes?
March 2nd, 2020
With the arrival of beautiful days and the chirping of birds, comes the great spring cleaning. It’s the perfect time to take a look at your shoe collection and identify those that should be discarded.
How do we know when our shoes are too worn out?
Their exterior appearance
The first thing to do is to inspect their exterior. Are there any holes or stains that seem indelible? Some types of wear can be repaired by a good shoemaker, but in this area as in many others, prevention is key.
Your shoes that are too badly worn or have a gaping hole will probably not be salvageable, even by the best shoemaker. It is better to think about preventive maintenance than to wait until it is too late. To prevent wear and tear on the outer covering, it is important to choose the appropriate care products depending on the material that covers your shoe: leather, canvas, suede, etc. Also, make sure to choose the right shoe for the type of activity or temperature, this will avoid premature wear and deterioration of their appearance.
Heel and outsole
Heel wear is a very important aspect of the shoe to check, not only does it betray the wear of a shoe, but it can throw you off balance and induce injury. You should therefore check that the heels are not too worn on one side compared to the other. It is essential not to damage them to a point of no return. Unbalanced heels could accentuate pronation and supination problems, which are problems with the position of the foot and ankle, affecting the walking and running mechanism. Pronation will result in an inwardly tilting foot, while supination has the opposite effect.
The outsole should also be inspected, as a worn out one could damage your feet, let water in and force you to walk with wet feet or be cold in winter.
Indelible stains
Some stains can be removed, but others are difficult to remove. Salt and lime must be removed quickly, otherwise the material of the shoes will be irreversibly damaged. It is all the more important to protect the shoes with a suitable product, which will prevent them from being damaged by water, salt, oil or fat. A suitable cleaning product will also allow you to keep your shoes for a longer period of time.
In any case, if you have avoided the cobbler for too long or have neglected to care for a shoe properly, it is better to get rid of it rather than risk an injury.
What about you? Are you planning to spring clean your shoe closet?