A beautiful pair of shoes can take you to wonderful places, and most Americans are quick to splurge on a comfortable pair of shoes that goes well with their outfit. In fact, a recent study has found that the average woman owns 20 pairs of shoes despite only wearing a quarter of them. If you have way too many shoes to store at home, consider keeping them in a climate-controlled self-storage unit instead to save space. Keeping your shoes looking just as new as when you got them is easy with the following 3 tips.
Stuff Tissue Paper Into the Shoes to Retain Original Shape
Most shoes are made from leather, which is a great material that will conform to the shape of your feet with time for a more comfortable fit. Unfortunately, this quality may also cause the design and shape of your shoes to warp if they are kept in storage for prolonged periods of time. To ensure the original shape is retained, stuff tissue paper into your shoes – especially, if you own a pair of tall boots. Substitute tissue paper with boot trees for tall boots for a better effect.
Make sure you choose white or neutral-colored tissue paper. Don't go for any fancy colors because those colors may end transferring onto your shoes. Stuffing tissue paper into your shoes is also a good way of making sure you don't find small insects making a home for themselves there.
Condition the Leather or Wipe Suede Before Storing
If your shoes are made from leather, condition them before throwing them into storage. By conditioning the leather, you ensure it stays supple during storage and resistant to cracking or warping. Conditioning the leather will also ensure it stays resistant to water penetration.
On the other hand, if your shoes are made from suede, make sure you take the time to brush off any dirt or dust sitting on the surface before storing them. If you don't, the dirt and dust sitting there can become permanently engrained into the suede, and you will never be able to get rid of the hideous staining.
Storing shoes is tricky business because you need to familiar with the type of material you have, and learn how to properly care for it. At the very least, make sure you wipe the surface of the shoes with a wet cloth.
Protect Your Shoes By Placing Them in Protective Cloth Bags, Shoeboxes, Etc.
To prevent your shoes from getting damaged during the moving process or from accumulating dirt and dust in a storage locker, make sure you place them in protective cloth bags, shoeboxes or other types of containers. Protective cloth bags are perfect for shoes made from natural leather or rawhide because air can circulate freely. On the other hand, shoeboxes are more secure and can offer better protection from scratches, dents and other types of damages.
If you're a stickler for being organized, you can even purchase your own shoe rack. The shoe rack will make sure you can easily see which shoes are being stored, and will allow you to easily access your shoes at any given time without having to dig through bag after bag or box after box.
Conclusion
Take care of your 'sole-mate' so to speak by making sure you implement the tips mentioned above. If you decide to store your shoes in a storage unit, make sure you find a facility with climate-control features to prevent temporal fluctuations and high humidity levels. If you take good care of your shoes, they'll take good care of your feet and also last for decades. Click here for more info.
