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Feet and Health

Our ancestors originally walked on all fours (we think!), with their weight supported on four legs. Since man has learned to walk upright, some 6,000 years ago, our two feet have had to adjust to support the full weight of the body. Feet have adapted pretty well to this new function but still have to take a lot of strain.

Until a century ago, people nearly always walked everywhere on foot. Their feet were well used and remained fit. In the last century that has changed. Trains, cars, airplanes and escalators all save us time and effort, but give our feet less work to do. At the same time, we still spend much of our time on our feet. The average person walks some 160,000 kilometres in their lifetime which is the equivalent of circumnavigating the world four times. Whereas in the past we walked on natural ground, today we live in a world of concrete, asphalt, tiles, hard wooden floors, offices and streets and we hardly ever walk barefoot to relax our feet.

Our feet live in a world where they can no longer exercise their original function. Subjected to the pressures of modern living, our feet more than ever need good fitting shoes expertly constructed from the best available materials to help protect them from the excesses of our modern environment.

Shoes and the Personality

Most people consciously or subconsciously judge other by the shoes they wear. Shoes that not only look good, but properly and comfortably fitted give the wearer the confidence of feeling good, allowing them to project the right image of themselves and their lifestyle. Therefore it is important to pick the right shoe for the occasion. Just as patent leather shoes are out for day-time use, it's unacceptable to wear safety shoes or deck shoes to the office or loafers at a construction site. If in doubt, consult our sales staff for advice.

Shoe Maintenance

General Advice

On the first few occasions, try to wear your new shoes in dry conditions as far as possible. Thereafter try to avoid wearing the same pair of shoes day in and day out. Shoes that have not dried out completely tend to wear out faster. Wearing a pair of shoes on alternate days prolongs its life and helps keep it looking smart and feeling comfortable. Keep fine shoes on a pair of shoe trees whenever you're not wearing them and always use a shoe horn when you put them on. Good cream or wax polish is essential to preserve the leather uppers and to keep shoes looking good. Polishing once a week is sufficient.

Wet Shoes

Never dry wet shoes in direct sunlight, fires, radiators or hot pipes. Slow natural drying at normal room temperature is best if you want to avoid your shoes shrinking or going badly out of shape. The moisture absorbed by the leather needs at least 24 hours to evaporate naturally. Stuffing the shoes with newspaper will help absorb the excess moisture and when the shoes are almost dry, put them on shoe trees. They can then be sunned.

Cleaning

Good calf, grain and kid leather (typically used by all reputable manufacturers) deserves good treatment. Always clean regularly with a brush or damp cloth to remove all traces of dirt before applying a good quality shoe cream or polish of the correct colour.

Suede Shoes

After removing all dirt while dry (with a suede brush or old toothbrush), brush up the nap (always in one direction, preferably front to back) and apply a suitably coloured suede dressing. Stains may be carefully removed with a solvent cleaner or suede shampoo. Try applying the suede dressing at night so that the shoes have time to dry out by morning. The nap has to be brushed up once again. Bald patches on suede can be restored using sandpaper or a stiff brass wire brush. Never use polish meant for normal leather on suede.

Nubuck shoes

Care tips are almost identical to that of suede shoes but they can be generally cleaned by wiping with a cloth dipped in slightly soapy warm water.

Patent Leather

Clean with a damp cloth and when completely dry, apply patent dressing. Ordinary polish cannot be used on patent leather. Shine off with a soft cloth.

Shoe Repair

Soles

Soles should be repaired well before a hole is visible. Have them repaired at a reputable repairer. The use of stick-on/add-on half soles is not recommended on brand new shoes. Instead of lengthening the life of the original sole, these add-ons, especially so if fitted to new shoes might upset the balance, flexibility and weight of the soles resulting in pre-mature failure or discomfort. Such add-on soles are to be considered only toward the end of the serviceable life of the original soles.

Heels

Heels should be replaced as soon they're worn out. Failure to replace worn heels might irreversibly damage the heel stack and look unsightly forever. Most shoes today use rubber heels for durability and non-slip properties.

Uppers

Fine leather uppers, if not properly taken care of, will crack prematurely. Cracks and tears cannot be repaired. Most importantly, let your shoes dry out naturally by not wearing them daily and keeping the uppers nourished by polishing them with shoe cream regularly.

Linings and insoles

Linings, generally cannot be repaired and insoles are replaced only during a complete re-soling or rebuild process. However, you can add any latex or leather insole to increase the level of comfort or in some cases to make the shoes a little tighter.

 

How to Assess the Fit

Length

Is the space in front of the big toe adequate. Do not press down on or squash the toe-cap as this can cause irreversible damage to the shoe. Instead wriggle and raise you big toe and gently determine the distance from its end. Do check that the ball joint of your foot is indeed in the place intended for it in the shoe. The shoe must allow sufficient length in front of the toes to ensure that the toes have freedom to move and allow them to perform their function of controlling the movements of the foot.

Heel

Does the heel fit snugly? Will the heel pull off or slip excessively whilst taking a few test steps? The fit should not be so tight as to cause blisters. Too loose fitting a shoe will also cause blisters at the back of the heels. A slight slip will occur with new shoes, especially more with those that have thick soles. As the sole becomes more flexible due to repeated wear, this slipping will reduce.

Toplines

Are the toplines gripping the outside of the foot. They should clear the ankle bone. If the toplines are mildly stiff, our staff can season and soften them on the spot.

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