SHOE CARE GUIDE

Our shoes are all about style and comfort and we want them (and you!) to look and feel great every time you wear them.

 To enjoy your Harrys to the utmost, please take a look at our pointers below.

 And if you have any queries about shoe care, please feel free to contact us at customerservice@harrysoflondon.com and ask away!

LEATHER SHOES

General Care

1. To start, wear your new leather shoes for no more than a few hours a day to allow your feet to gradually become accustomed to them without any discomfort.

2. Leather shoes should always look smart, so use a pair of shoe trees after wear to keep them crease-free and in perfect shape.

3. Once your shoes are worn in, try to avoid wearing them for more than a day at time to allow them to breathe and air properly and, with the help your shoe trees, recover their shape.

4. If your shoes get caught in the rain, wipe them with a clean, dry cloth, slip some crumpled balls of absorbent cloth or paper inside them, and leave them to dry at room temperature. Any white salt stains can then be removed with a reputable salt stain remover. We recommend Saphir products.

5. Re-sole and re-heel your dress shoes as needed when obvious wear appears. We offer a re-soling service at our London and New York stores for our Downing and Basel styles. If you’re having a different style of your dress shoes re-soled or re-heeled, use a reputable shoe repairer. In London we recommend Classic Shoe Repairs (LINK) and in New York our repairer of choice is Jim’s (LINK).
Cleaning

1. Always make sure your shoes are dry before you clean them. Start by using a small brush to remove any dirt from between the welt or sole and uppers. Then remove any dirt and dust from the uppers with a clean dry cloth. If you want to give your dress shoes a really thorough clean, remove the laces before you start.

2. Apply a small amount of shoe cream or polish to your shoes in a circular motion with a clean cloth or shoe brush. If you have time, leave it for thirty minutes so it properly moisturises and nourishes the leather, keeps it soft, and prevents it from cracking. Don’t use too much cream or polish – less is more.

3. Buff your dress shoes with a shoe brush or clean cloth to get the required shine. We recommend using a microfibre cloth.

4. Use a good protector spray such as Saphir Invulner to guard your shoes from water, snow, stains and grease.

5. Clean your patent leather shoes by removing any dust and dirt with a damp cloth and, if necessary, a little soap. Then dry them with a microfibre cloth. We also recommend Saphir Vernis Rife patent leather restorer.
SUEDE SHOES

General Care

1. Wear your new suede shoes for no more than a few hours a day to start with to allow them to stretch naturally while your feet gradually become accustomed to them.

2. When you’re not wearing them, keep your suede shoes in shape with a pair of cedar shoe trees.

3. Some of our suede shoes are made from aquasuede, which is treated in the tanning process to give it a showerproof finish. But if you get caught in a downpour in any suede shoes, let them dry naturally and then give them a brush with a light suede brush to restore the plushness of the nap.

4. We recommend that you apply a good protector spray such as Saphir Invulner to all of your suede shoes to guard against snow, water, stains and grease.

Cleaning

1. Start by removing any dirt or dust from between the uppers and the welt or sole of your suede shoes with a small soft brush. Then, remove any dirt or marks from the uppers and restore the plushness of the suede by brushing briskly in both directions with a specialist suede brush. End by gently brushing in the direction of the nap for a smooth finish. The general rule with regards to selecting a suede brush is, the longer the nap of the suede the softer the brush. Remove any laces before cleaning to get the best results.

2. Remove any tough stains or marks with a reputable suede stain eraser or cleaner.

SNEAKERS

General Care

1. Try and avoid wearing your sneakers for more than one day at a time to help them keep their shape and stay fresh and odour-free.

2. If your sneakers are caught in the rain, quickly soak up any excess moisture with a clean cloth and leave them to dry at room temperature. When suede sneakers have dried, give them a brush with a light suede brush to restore the plushness of the nap. This advice also applies to our shower-proof aquasuede sbeakers. Remove white salt stains from our leather sneakers with a reputable salt stain remover, such as Saphir Hiver.

3. Keep your suede shoes fresh by spritzing the insides with Liquiproof Freshener (LINK) after each wear.




Cleaning

1. Clean any dirt or dust from the uppers of your sneakers with a hog hair brush or clean cloth. A soft bristle brush works very well with perforated and mesh uppers.

2. Clean any marks from the uppers of your leather and tech leather sneakers with a microfibre cloth. We also recommend Saphir Sneaker Cleaner. With suede sneakers, remove any dirt or marks from the uppers and restore the plushness of the suede by brushing briskly in both directions with a specialist suede brush. End by brushing in the direction of the nap for a smooth finish. The general rule with regards to selecting a suede brush is, the longer the nap of the suede the softer the brush. Remove any laces before cleaning to get the best results.

3. Use Saphir Invulner to protect your knitted-upper sneakers and refrain from putting them in the washing machine.
Shop Collection