How to Care for Leather Shoes in 4 Steps

Good leather shoes last for years, but only if you look after them a little. Leather is a natural material that dries out, picks up dirt and cracks where your foot bends. If you care for leather shoes properly, it takes a few minutes each time, and after a year you’ll see the difference straight away. In this blog you will read how to clean, condition and protect smooth leather in four steps, and what to do every day to keep your shoes in shape.

In short

• Care for leather in four steps: brush, clean, condition and protect.
• Condition the leather a few times a year, or sooner if it looks dull or feels dry.
• Leather balm is for smooth leather. On suede and nubuck it changes the texture of the material.
• Put shoe trees in your shoes after wearing and give them a day’s rest.
• Dry wet leather shoes at room temperature, never on a radiator.

How do you care for leather shoes?

In four steps. You don’t have to do all of them every time. Brush after wearing, and do the rest when the shoe needs it.

Step	What you do	How often
1. Brush	Brush off loose dust and sand	After wearing
2. Clean	Remove dirt and stains with a cleaner	When the shoe is dirty
3. Condition	Apply leather balm and buff	A few times a year
4. Protect	Protector spray over the upper	After every clean

Step 1: brush

Dust and sand act like sandpaper in the creases of the leather. Brush them off before they settle in. A soft boar-hair brush, such as the Jason Markk Delicates Cleaning Brush, is firm enough for dirt and gentle enough for leather.

Step 2: clean

Don’t use washing-up liquid or all-purpose cleaner. They also strip the natural oils from the leather. A shoe cleaner for leather removes the dirt without drying out the material. Apply the cleaner to the brush rather than the shoe and work in small sections. Then wipe off the dirt with a microfibre cloth and let the shoe dry completely before moving on.

Step 3: condition

This is the step people skip most often and the one that makes the biggest difference. Wearing and cleaning take the oils out of leather. Without conditioning it turns stiff, the color loses its depth and fine cracks appear in the flex zone near your toes. The Jason Markk Leather Conditioning Balm puts those oils back. Take a small amount on a cloth, apply it in thin circular motions, leave it to soak in for five to ten minutes and buff with a clean cloth.

Step 4: protect

A protector spray lays a breathable layer over the leather, so rain and dirt bead off. Your shoe stays clean for longer and needs cleaning less often. Spray onto clean, dry shoes and let them dry for half an hour before wearing. Read more in our blog on how to waterproof shoes.

Want everything in one go? The Jason Markk Leather Care Kit contains cleaner, balm, brush and microfibre cloth, in the order you use them.

What do you do for your leather shoes every day?

The biggest gain isn’t in the care products, but in how you treat your shoes between wears.

• Use shoe trees. Put them in as soon as you take your shoes off. The leather is still warm and supple, so the shape sets best. Cedar shoe trees also absorb moisture. Read more in our blog why use shoe trees.
• Give them a day’s rest. After a day’s wear there’s moisture in the shoe. If you don’t wear the same pair two days in a row, the leather can dry out completely.
• Undo your laces. Kicking shoes on and off damages the heel counter and the lining. Undo the laces and use a shoehorn.

What do you do with wet leather shoes?

Let them dry slowly at room temperature. Take out the insole, stuff the shoe with newspaper and replace the paper after a few hours. Never put them on a radiator, next to a heater or in the sun. Leather that dries too quickly turns hard and can crack. Once the shoe is dry, condition the leather straight away, because water removes a lot of the oils.

Which laces suit leather shoes?

Smart leather shoes suit thin round laces, ideally waxed. Waxed round laces (3 mm) fit through small eyelets and give a neat finish. For leather sneakers and boots, waxed flat laces or leather laces are a nice addition. Read more in our blog which laces for dress shoes.

Read on: how to care for leather laces and how to refresh old shoes in 6 steps.

Frequently asked questions

How often should you condition leather shoes?

A few times a year is enough for most shoes. Shoes you wear often or that get wet a lot need it more often. A good indicator: if the leather feels dry or looks dull, it’s time.

Can I use leather balm on suede?

No. On suede and nubuck, balm changes the texture of the material. How to care for suede is explained in our blog on how to clean suede shoes.

Are leather shoes waterproof after protecting them?

They become highly water-repellent, but not fully waterproof. Rain and dirt bead off, but if you walk through puddles for a long time, moisture will still get through.

What can I do about creases in leather shoes?

Creases in the flex zone are part of leather and can’t be avoided completely. Shoe trees pull the toe taut while the shoe is resting, and regular conditioning keeps the leather supple, so the creases stay shallower.

Everything to care for your shoes is in shoe care.