With a shine on your shoes...

[+ Pensant]

I have several pair of dress shoes for special occasions. Pre-pandemic, when I would visit a business client regularly, there was a shoe repair store in the lobby of the parking garage. The people there shined them the old fashioned way - lots of elbow grease and pride. $10 a pair which would last for months. When you spend $$$ on Ferragamo and Bally, they will last many years and look brand new. Rarely do quality shoes go out of style. And you know how much I love leather. ?

I have many pairs of Alden shoes and eight-eyelet boots and often wear the latter in the cool months. I shine them occasionall, but miss the $3.00 shines at my local Nordstrom (I always tip the cute boys $5 per pair).

[+ Pensant]

Can one still buy shoe trees?! I tried to find some a few years ago and salesmen gave me blank stares.

During their July Anniversary Sale, Nordstrom sells their cedar shoe trees for $15! Every shoe and boot I own has its own cedar shoe tree. I also use them for my leather sneakers.

[Becket]

Don't know why, but I always FELT better after polishing my one pair of dress shoes. They are those old fashioned shoes with the thin laces and sculpted sides. I smear on the black polish, then brush and buff till my arm aches. The result is a mirrored shine, sleek and snazzy. They dazzle only for a little while, but that's OK. I just wear them once in a while, because after a few hours my feet hurt. But don't they.....and me.....clean up nice.