Here you will find valuable tips for cleaning and care of smooth leather, suede, effect leather, textile and felt.
First things first: Never wash shoes in the washing machine – whether they are made of leather or textile. Unless they are specially marked. This can damage the upper and the sole. By the way, this doesn’t just apply to our superfit shoes.
Once shoes have become wet, they should be dried slowly and never on a radiator or in the blazing sun. Otherwise the leather can become hard and brittle. It’s best to remove the insoles and stuff the shoes with newspaper. A shoe tree has the same effect. Now let the shoes dry slowly and evenly at room temperature.
Protection against moisture: waterproofing spray
After every damp or wet cleaning, the impregnation should be renewed by spraying once. You can find out more about this in our tips on how to waterproof.
Leather shoes: clean first, then care
Before you apply shoe polish or waterproofing spray to your shoes, they must be cleaned first. You’ll find it easier if you remove the laces so that they don't get dirty unnecessarily.
Anything that can’t be removed with a brush or soft cloth can be wiped off with a damp cloth. In the case of soiling such as salt, water or snow marks, there is no way around damp treatment anyway.
To do this, clean the shoes (preferably with the help of shoe trees for better shape retention) with special cleaning foams or cleaning shampoos according to the instructions.
The right care for smooth leather
The cleaning is done, now it's time for the right care. Shoe polish should always be applied thinly to the smooth leather. Then allow the layer of shoe polish to dry and polish the leather with a particularly soft cleaning cloth. Soft brushes made of horsehair also do the job. The shoe polish gives the shoe a shine and protects it from new dirt.
Please note the special care recommendation for GORE-TEX products.
The right way to clean suede shoes
Suede and rough leathers such as nubuck are best cleaned with special brushes and cleaning rubbers. This works better if you always brush the suede first with a shoe brush before cleaning. If the suede is very dirty, it’s best to use leather shampoo or leather foam. But please use only mild cleaners. As soon as the suede is dry, it should be roughened again with a suede brush to loosen up the fibre structure.
The right care for suede
Due to their rough surface, suede leathers are particularly absorbent and require special care. An additional impregnation provides the shoes with long-lasting protection against moisture. Please follow the instructions for use on the respective care product. For articles with GORE-TEX features, we provide special GORE-TEX care recommendations.
superfit effect leathers feature special design elements, such as glitter or shimmering elements as well as prints that require special attention.
Effect leather shoes should therefore only be cared for with a damp cloth and solvent-free care products. Always try out the respective product on a small area beforehand. The applied care product must first dry completely before the shoes can be polished with a dry soft cloth.
Don’t use hard brushes on effect leather. They can scratch or damage the surface of the effect leather.
A well-cared-for shoe with textile uppers also has a much longer life. However, textile shoes don’t belong in the washing machine (see above). Cleaning them dry with a brush is often sufficient for these shoes. If dirt still can’t be removed, the textile should be cleaned with a damp cloth. Special foam cleaners with soft brushes are available for this purpose.
Functional textile shoes should also be impregnated regularly to protect them from wet feet.
Felt is best cleaned dry with a soft brush. If they are very dirty, a light soap solution or a few drops of wool detergent and lukewarm water will help. Wool felt should never be washed in a washing machine, but only by hand. It is advisable to stuff the shoes with paper after cleaning and let them dry.
