Buying quality shoes is something we all should do if we want them to last over time. The thing with good craftsmanship and quality is that they actually get better with age if we take care of them the way we should. There are certainly different ways of doing that but we have decided to give you our best tips on how to take care of the classic 1461 from Dr. Martens. If you do so, you might be able to pass it on to the next generation.
How to Take Care of Your Shoes
Step 1
Before digging into how we actually clean the shoes we need to start with the essential, an important matter that many of us forget. When we not using our leather or suede shoes we must have shoe trees in them since they help to smooth out the creases from wear and dry the shoes up. When shoe leather gets wet it can cause the shoe to lose its form, and even accrue lasting damage. Shoe trees also help to retain the original shape of the shoe which comes in handy if you want them to look and feel good over time.
Step 2
Let's continue on how to clean the shoe. We normally start by cleaning the shoe with a brush or cloth to remove dust and dirt. This is because we want the shoe as clean as possible so we don't put products on top which will make it harder to remove later on.
Step 3
After cleaning the shoe we add the Dr. Martens Wonder Balsam that is both caring, colouring and allows us to add shine to the surface of the whole shoe. We use a cloth to add a small amount in several steps and rubbing it in round motions. Make sure that you apply it to all parts of the leather.
Step 4
Now it's time to use the brush, we would prefer one in horsehair which gives the best result. The brush is used to remove all redundant shoe cream and give the leather a nice shine, the more you brush the shinier result you will get. Make sure to brush the whole leather area of the shoe and add more time to a certain area(such as the toe) if you want a more polished result there.
Step 5
Normally for us, the first 4 steps get the job done. But if you might be interested in getting a spit shine/mirror you would need to use vax as well. This technique is mostly used on formal shoes on the toe area, giving an almost mirrored look and takes some time to achieve. Use a clean cloth, apply vax on the cloth and do round motions on the toe area. Apply a small ounce of water and repeat the action a few times before using the brush again to get hold of the spit shine. This takes some practice so don't feel bad if you won't make it the first time around, there are tons of videos online on how to make the perfect spit shine.
Step 6
Last but not least we are going to talk about the sole. This is normally an area of the shoe that needs some work but since all Dr. Martens shoes come with the iconic durable sole you won't need to do any work more than cleaning it with a wet rag and some washing-up liquid(if needed). If you use washing-up liquid, do it carefully and make sure you won't get anything on the leather.
Hope you enjoyed this guide and make sure to read more about the 1461:s at drmartens.com.