The Science Of Shoe Trees

shoe trees set abovetheankles

I say this all the time and I will continue to mention it constantly, look after yourself, your clothes and your shoes. If you don’t care about how you look, how your clothes look and how your shoes look then you should go play on miniclip.com. The shoes you wear are so imperative towards looking dapper that they can actually ruin your whole outfit. Seeing a guy in nice fresh shoes brings a smile to everyones face. You love nice clean shoes and so does everyone else in the world. Look after your shoes and people will notice.

To be fair to some of you, I know you don’t really care what others think which is fair enough. So I’ve got another reason why you need to take care of your shoes…

Looking after your shoes means that they will last longer. Longer lasting shoes means you will buy less shoes over a period of time. Less buying of shoes means more money for you. Sounds good? Definitely.

Quality shoes are no doubt, expensive and as with everything expensive we own, we want to look after them properly. A good pair of quality shoes should ideally last you 5 years or so, some even last and look good for 10-15 years.

This is where shoe trees come into the picture nicely. If you want to look after your shoes and keep them looking fresh, there are a few different tips to do so. The most important tip that outweighs all other tips is the use of shoe trees.

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What’s The Logistics Behind It

Most shoes are made from leather and as with leather or leather lining they absorb moisture from the sweat from our feet throughout the day. They also absorb the moisture from the rain and other bad weather. Over a period of months or years you will see the quality and look of your shoe begin to fade rapidly. Generally the lining of the shoe will start to rot, your shoes might start to smell and the leather will crack over time.

The shoe trees aid in drying out the shoe correctly by forcing the shoe into its proper shape and holding it there. It keeps the leather from cracking and get rid of the moisture. 90% of shoe trees are made from wood so that they absorb the moisture from within the inside of the lining to stop them from rotting from inside the shoe.

Price

Are shoe trees expensive? Some are, some aren’t but at the end of the day a pair of shoe trees are always going to a lot cheaper than a new pair of shoes. Not to mention your shoes will just look better for much longer.

You can choose to buy cheap shoe trees or expensive shoe trees, it’s up to you really. You just need to avoid plastic shoe trees at all costs and get yourself some good cedar wood that have not been varnished. If your shoe tree looks ugly and isn’t shiny – perfect!

The better of the shoe trees will have ventilation slots at the toe and they should also have a longer heel and have more wood. Remember, the more wood the better the drying will be. If it has a knob or a handle, great, you can easily polish your shoes as well.

How Many?

You won’t need more than one pair of shoe trees realistically because you only need to put a shoe trees into shoes you just finished wearing. You should leave your pair of shoes for 24 hours after wearing them but if you only have one or two pairs of shoes then try to rotate as much as you can.

Buy These

Grab yourself a bargain by buying one of these.

1. John Lewis Sprung Shoe Tree, Amber2. John lewis Men's Medium Shoe Strether3. House Of Fraser Ecco Cedar Shoe Tree

White Shirts

white shirt above the ankles

Many people get away with this, well at least they think they do. I have fallen victim to this and have learnt the hard way and the worst thing about this problem is chances are no one will tell you about it. You’re probably thinking why wouldn’t your friends tell you, well to be honest; they probably don’t fully realise themselves. The problem with having a dis-coloured white shirt is no-one really notices consciously. However without them knowing; they probably think a lot less of your outfit thanks to your “white” shirt. Have you ever looked at someone and thought, wow his shirt is really bright? Chances are you liked the rest of his outfit too. I have had so many conversations with different people about why my shirt’s are so bright, especially in summer when the suns shining.

Now unfortunately I’m not going to tell you how to look after your shirts, I don’t use daz or any other stupidly expensive washing powder or anything like that. If you really have no idea then google how to look after white shirts. I have only two tips for you.

Open Your Wardrobe

Open your wardrobe and look at your shirts, how do they actually look. Do they look good, are they worn out. A good place to start is with your oldest shirt, compare it to your newest. Are there any rips or bits that are tethered? Chances are if you can’t remember buying the shirt then it’s probably faded and has that second-hand white/grey look.

Don’t Be Lazy

Actually make an effort to look after your shirts. Wash them when they are dirty. Get stain remover (I use vanish) and get rid of the stains the same day they happen! Don’t leave them on the floor ever! Once they are washed; hang them up. You’re not a child anymore (even if you live with your mum), it’s time to step up and look your best.

Your Image

The way you look always reflects on how you feel. When you buy a brand new white shirt and put it on fresh from the packet, you automatically feel a lot better. You feel rich, you feel like you’re ready. You can always go out and constantly buy brand new shirts, if you’re blessed with that kind of money then well done. In my case I make my shirts last between a year and 18 months. After about 18 months it’s time for me to visit the charity shop then visit the shopping centres.

Remember people are watching, if you just want to dress well and get compliments – great! If you want more from life, if you want to go places and achieve something, people are looking at the finer details. If you take care of yourself and your possessions chances are people will entrust you to take care of them.

Keep em white!

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