After handbags, I have an obsession with shoes. I love how they make me feel when I shop for them. Well, all year long, as a matter of fact.
Buying shoes has a special effect on me simply because you can be having a bad hair day, a bad outfit day or you need to be loosing weight or more body toning but shoes... they always make you feel great. My only issue though is that some of the shoes I love I can’t wear.
You see, I am not a heel girl. Firstly, when I wear heels, I am often the tallest person in the room and that makes me really self-conscious. I am also not good at walking in heels. So, yes, you will rarely see me in towering high heels.
That said, I do have some heels in my collection. In case of a breakout on my face I go and try shoes or wear the most funky ones I have so it distracts me and whomever I am meeting from the war zone happening on my face and yes, it gives me the extra confidence.
Whatever is your relationship with shoes I am sure you can relate in one way or the other.
The fact that I splurge on shoes also means that I take care of my shoes because as the saying goes “Good shoes take you to good places” and I truly believe that you should always splurge on good shoes. No one likes blisters and no one likes to pretend that "yeah, those shoes are not killing me" when in fact, they are.
So how do you take care of your shoes? Well, here are my pro-tips mixed with my personal experiences below...
You are going to need:
- Time on your hand
-A good podcast or good playlist
- Floor space
- 2 x The famous blue Ikea bags
- Wipes (choose some with no alcohol)
- Paper Towel
- Tissue paper or shoe trees
- Silica bags
- Q-tips
You'll also need.
- A shoe care kit: I like to keep this in a shoe box. Inside, I have waterproof spray for suede shoes, a suede cleaning rubber, a good leather cream, a shoe brush and few shoe dustbags that I use for polishing and applying the leather cream.
- And, yes, labelling machine
LET'S START
First, take all your shoes out - and yes, sport shoes included, and even those that seem to have disappeared deep inside your closet. Now time to organise them by type of shoes.
Flats, heels, sandals, sport shoes etc… this will give you a good idea of what you already have and maybe what you are lacking in your collection. It will also instantly show you that you have maybe went overboard with heel shopping for someone who barely wears heels (yes, I am referring to myself here but I’m certain I am not the only one).
You are also going to notice the ones you have never worn, the ones that you have overworked, and the ones that you have purchased on sale but that are still two sizes too small.
Now, time to take out to the Ikea bags - one for the shoes you will be donating or selling, and the other for that trip to the cobbler.
Now, you finally know what you are left with. So, time to show your shoes some love.