Leather Shoes: How to Clean Your Brogues

Step by Step Guide to Achieve Best Results

- Remove the laces so you can reach all parts of the shoe 

- Using a damp cloth or brush, clean the shoes, paying particular attention to removing dirt and salt from within the lace holes and indentations (use a toothpick if necessary)

- Once dry, use shoe trees to hold shape and offer support (or alternatively use dry newspaper.

Handy tips:

- Use an old toothbrush to clean around the welts (strip of leather/rubber that runs along the perimeter of the outer sole)

- If the shoes are damp, place newspaper in to draw moisture out.

- Ensure shoes are completely dry before treating them

- Apply leather conditioner to the shoes - use circular motions to work into the leather

- Allow the conditioner to work into the leather for approximately 30 minutes

- Remove any excess product with a dry cloth.

Handy tips:

- Leather conditioners are great for softening stiff shoes (usually a result of leather drying out)

- Applying conditioner to the leather should not change the appearance of the shoes (although a test on an inconspicuous area should be carried out first) 

- Don’t worry if some of the product goes into the holes - this can be removed later on

- Apply wax polish to the shoes to ‘revive’ the leather - wax acts as a water repellent to protect the shoes

- Apply in circular motions, ensuring you do not use too much product as it will not sink in and will go to waste

- Allow wax polish to seep into the leather for at least a couple of hours, before ‘buffing up’.

Handy tips:

- Wax may discolour the shoes as it seeps into the leather so always test a small unobtrusive area first

- Concentrate on the front and back of the shoes, as these areas get the most wear

-  If you find conditioner and wax has got into the holes, remove with a toothpick.

- Once the Wax or Polish has worked into the leather (approx. 2 hours minimum or over night if more convenient), buff to a shine using a soft shoe brush or cotton cloth 

- Polish briskly to get a glossy shine!

Handy tips:

- Always allow the shoes to dry fully before wearing (use the newspaper in the shoe trick if in doubt!).

Some points to remember:

The key factors to remember are:

- Allow your brogue shoes to dry out fully before cleaning and protecting them

- Try not to wear the same pair of shoes day in, day out 

- Test a small section before applying wax to check for colour change

- Clean the brogue’s leather holes and indentations with a toothpick

- Buff with a clean cloth to achieve a glossy shine.

Look and feel stylish and comfortable in your brogues - look after them and they’ll certainly look after you. Enjoy!