We all know and think that leather shoes ought to have a longer shelf life, which is why we invest on a quality pair of leather shoes.

• Don’t wear the same pair of shoes every day. I get it, you like your favourite pair a lot. Still, it’s advisable to switch it up because we sweat as we walk and that moisture isn’t good for our shoes. Give your shoes the time to air dry. Trust me, it makes a difference.

• Use a shoetree. The lining of the leather shoes will absorb the moisture from your sweat and in the long run, can cause bad odour and the leather may crack too. Shoe trees are made from absorbent wood, which can dry out the shoes’ lining. Additionally, it can keep your shoes in shape.

• Weatherproof your shoes. Waterproof sprays prevent the leather material in your shoes from absorbing moisture. Though not “waterproof”, it should leave a water-repellent coating on suede or leather. We’ve talked about waterproofing before and if you’d like to find out just how you should do that, you can read here.

• Give your shoes TLC. Your shoes need caring and you can do that with shoe creams and regular polishing. Leather cracks when it’s exposed to too much moisture but the lack of adequate moisture can dry it out too. Caring for shoes is nothing new here and you can check out our guides here and here.