How To Take Care Of Your Shoes And Make Them Last Longer

By Simone Murdock : In order to keep your shoes in good condition, looking pristine and get many wears out of them, you must take proper care of them. Clean them after wearing and apply suitable shoe products to them, if need be.

If you want your favourite pair of high heels, sneakers or ballet flats to last a long time, you must take care of them; here are some tips to caring for your footwear:

• Give shoes a break in between wears: do not wear them for more than two days in a row. Let them get rid of moisture from your feet.
• Replace your shoe soles: if your shoes are still in good condition but the soles are worn out, replace them with non-slip rubber soles.
• Make sure your shoes are the right size: do not buy a pair in the wrong size just because you like them and they don't have your size in stock. Too small shoes make your toes squash against the shoe and can cause injures. Too big shoes will let your feet will slip out and can cause you to sprain your ankle.
• Disinfect your shoes: disinfectant spray can be purchases in store, simply spray the inside to prevent fungal infections on your feet.

How to care for different material shoes

Different material shoes require different care methods. What works on plastic will not work on suede and vice versa:

• Suede: Shoes in this material are difficult to take care of and must be done with care. Never apply wax polish to suede, use special suede cleaner with a soft lightly dampened cloth.
• Leather: These are made from animal skin and need nourishment just like human skin. Clean any dirt off leather footwear after wearing with a soft cloth. Once they are clean, apply leather cleaner with a cloth and allow to dry. Do not wax when they're new, first wear your shoes in and then wax them. Buy leather cleaner in the same color as the leather or the clear cleaner.
• Synthetic material: These shoes are fairly easy to care for. Just wipe a damp cloth gently over the material and allow to dry.
• Patent leather: These shoes are shiny and easy to clean marks off of. All you need is a damp cloth and a little bit of soap or stain remover.

Shoe Storage

Always keep footwear in a dry clean place away from moisture where bacteria grow. Shoe racks are good if you have a lot of shoes or limited space. To make shoes keep their shape, simply stuff them with newspaper, as this also soaks up any moisture.

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How to Take Care of Your Shoes in Bad Weather

By John Brasinger :  When you have to be out in bad weather, your shoes are often the only thing standing between you and total misery. While this is good for you and your feet, it's bad for the longevity and quality of your shoes. If the weather where you live is constantly putting your shoes through a hard time, or if you are simply hoping that they will survive the winter with as little damage as possible, than read on.

An Ounce of Prevention

To start off, I need to emphasize that a little care goes a long way. It doesn't take tons of time or lots of different pieces of equipment to ensure that your shoes stay in good condition. Some people don't want to spend the time on shoe care, but other people simply don't want to spend the money for the supplies they need. Well, at the end of the day it costs a lot more money to continuously have to buy new shoes when your old ones have given way to the elements. While most leather shoes can last a very long time when worn in complimentary weather, the constant damage caused by water and salt will likely shave years, if not decades, off of your shoes if you don't take care of them.

Make Sure They're Waterproof

Waterproofing your shoes is the first thing you can do to take care of them in bad weather. If your shoes aren't already waterproof, than this is a crucial preventative measure. There are a wide range of different waterproofing agents and compounds out there on the market, and the one you select isn't particularly important as long as you select one of them. What is important, however, is that you make sure the compound that you choose isn't going to change how your shoe looks. While this isn't generally a problem with black-colored shoes, it can be a real problem with shoes that feature lighter tones. Test on a small section near the back of your shoe before applying any compound liberally.

Drying and Cleaning

Provided your shoes are now waterproof if they weren't before, there are a few shoe care tips to follow after they've been out braving the elements.
When you come home with wet shoes, the first thing you need to do is shake and wipe off excess water until they are dry. You should then put some newspaper inside your shoes to draw out any water and moisture inside of them. Don't put them under a radiator while they dry, let them dry on their own. After they have dried, you can go on to clean them and treat the leather.

Cleaning shoes is relatively simple, and you don't need any specialty soaps if you don't want to get them. Using a mild solution of warm water and liquid dish soap will work in most cases. Make a weak solution of the two, unlace your shoes and buckles, and then lightly wash off any dirt or salts. You can use a rag or a soft brush, but don't use anything too harsh to apply this solution. Clean each section of the shoe, and make sure your excavate the various nooks, crannies and areas where there is stitching.

Some Care is Better than No Care

After you clean your shoe, it's a good idea to go ahead and apply polish and conditioner. Polishing and conditioning should be done at least once a week, as doing so every night is clearly inconvenient. The more you can do every night the better, though if you are pressed for time than drying and lightly cleaning your shoes every day should be enough to preserve them.

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How to Take Care of Your Shoes

By Kney Aily                We should take care of our shoes. That is one part of our life. Yet the shoes are one of the most neglected parts in people's wardrobe. When we pick up a pair of new shoes, we always know to lubricate the shoes with a nice polish before wearing them. However, this is only one thing we do for protect them. In fact, it is insufficient. Here I have some ways share with you, which I think is very useful.

When you wear your shoes, be sure that the laces and the tongues are straight and smooth. Then the tongues and the laces are likely to stay that way for the life of the shoes, or they will start off crooked.

If you have many pairs of shoes, you can take turns to wear them. The airing between wearings helps to prevent perspiration from rotting the leather.

Sometimes, the shoes need to be cleaned or washed. Wash with a moist cloth, brush or sponge, preferably using leather soap. Do not forget the heel in the cleaning process and the edge of the sole. Then your shoes must be very clean.

Besides, apply a adequate amount of shoe polish and work it well with an applicator. Rub the shoe briskly with a polishing cloth. It works the wax into the leather, hard finish, producing a dry and leaving no excess wax. For that, the luster will last for some time.

According to the scientific research, the shoes you wear have a obvious effect on your health and your enjoyment of life. Therefore, you should take care of your shoes, whatever your new shoes or old shoes.

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Fashion Tips for Shoes

By James Neo
Many women wonder how to wear their shoes in a fashionable way, indeed, with all the trends and fashions to choose from, it is sometimes easy to get lost in the vast array of choices and end up making tragic fashion mistakes. In this article, the aim is to discuss some general issues that women have when it comes to footwear fashion.

• How to wear sandals: The first thing to consider when wearing sandals is the attractiveness of your feet - you need to make sure you don't have cracked heels, easily solved with creams available at your local supermarket. Ensure your nails are clean and well kept - a pedicure is the perfect solution here.
• How to wear Espadrilles: these shoes are coming back into fashion, so it is essential to understand the kind of look they suit. They are informal shoes, so need to be worn with casual clothing. They look great with a pair of skinny jeans, or when teamed with a short skirt.
• What shoes to wear to the office: this is a complicated issue, you want to look fashionable, but you need to be careful not to cross over into the unacceptable. Choose either a shoe with a bright colour, or a shoe with plenty of flourish (such as bows, laces, buckles, frills, tassels...), but never opt for a shoe with both - doing so will draw too much attention, one or the other provides a nice balance. Alternatively, you can opt for a more conventional, yet fashionable shoe, such as brogues, court shoes, or loafers - all of which are highly fashionable, yet understated, perfect for a professional occupation.
• What shoes look best with miniskirts: There are several shoes well suited to the mini-skirt; ballerina pumps are fantastic, as are most types of flat shoe, stiletto heels are also a great choice. Women's shoes to avoid are certain types of boots, particularly ugg-style boots.
• Shoes that make you look slim: the stiletto heel is the best means to achieving a nice figure without doing any work beyond putting them on. They elongate the leg, tighten the bottom, and reduce the appearance of chunky legs and thighs. They are probably the most flattering style of women's shoes, but not so if you are not able to walk in them. If you have never worn stilettos before, make sure that you practice before going out in public! Any type of heel though, will help to slim the thighs and calves, the higher the better, but even a short heel helps.
• Fashionable shoes that are also comfortable: a balance between comfort and fashion can sometimes be hard to strike. There are ranges of shoes that can achieve just this though, flats, such as loafers and ballet pumps are great. Alternatively, you can try a pair of fur-lined boots or cowboy boots with a slight heel. When it comes to walking comfortably in heels, this needs practice and takes time for your legs to adjust, but once you have worn heels for a while, they do become comfortable. But of course, the greatest shoe for comfort and style are slippers...but you shouldn't wear these outside the house!

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2011 Fashion Trends For Children's Clothing

  

By Beverly Maniago 2010 has been an interesting year for fashion. This is the year where the press criticized celebrity baby Suri Cruise for wearing expensive designer kid's clothing. This is the year where designer brands began to actively produce clothes for children-as there seems to be a market for expensive kid's clothing. This is the year where children and adults alike explored the potentials of fashion from another culture-with Japanese and Korean fashion being in the forefront of the kid's clothing and adult clothing fashion trends. And the year has not even ended!
So what can people expect for the year 2011? It's not too early to tell: after all, designers and clothing companies release their clothing lines early. The likes of Ducci and even lesser known brands such as Ouef Eco have already shown their 2011 designs, among many others. What prominent trends can be seen from these early kid's clothing releases?
Perhaps the most prominent trend to surge for the year 2011 is the theme of practical luxury or elegance for kid's clothing. Again, this is a trend that probably stemmed from the "Suri Cruise effect," wherein children want to wear designer clothes and parents want to dress their children in design brands. However, the clothing companies are gunning for something appropriate for kids despite its designer-luxury trappings. These designer kid's clothing items will be comfortable and will steer away from styles that are inappropriate for the toddler and pre-teen set.
Of course, don't expect these "practical luxuries" to be practically priced.
The eco-conscious theme will also become prominent in 2011, sipping its way from the adult runway to the kid's clothing industry. Expect kid's clothing pieces made from highly sustainable materials such as bamboo, organic cotton, and other similar fabrics. In short: frivolous is out, environmental trends are in.
Fashion pundits are already proclaiming the year 2011 as the year when the 80s rocker look returns. Expect this influence to become apparent in kid's clothing-or at least in teen and pre-teen clothing. Don't expect kid's clothing to incorporate the leather and the highly sexualized look of 80s rock, although many will see the disgruntled, mixed and matched styles that the 80s made popular.
Because of this, Japanese-inspired kid's clothing will become a bigger hit in 2011. This fashion aesthetic somewhat adheres to the concept of 80s fashion-clothes and accessories that shouldn't match but go well together anyway, the somewhat mature Victorian-inspired dresses, the exotic Lolita-styled dresses made innocent and child-like (and therefore safe yet cute).
For girl's fashion, expect dresses with flowing fabrics. This trend, which is more apparent in countries such as Australia and United Kingdom, is likely to be incorporated in kid's clothing-a far cry from the current trend of flesh showing for women's fashion. What not to expect in kid's clothing in 2011: velvet. Many fashion journalists are already seeing velvet as a major material in some of the biggest designs for next year-but it's unlikely that this material will enter the kid's clothing scene.
It goes without saying that the year 2011 is still several months away-anything can happen in the world of kid's clothing.

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Tips in Buying Designer Shoes for Your Man

By Low Jeremy

Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde got that right when she said in the movie that real men could not careless what they wear especially in their footwear. Men are just not into the brand mumbo jumbo. As long as their footwear is comfortable and is presentable, they will not really mind what the brand is, what material was used to make it or even where it was manufactured.

Minding what they wear and putting together outfits for their everyday use are tasks where women are experts. Not only will they dissect the materials that are used for the soles and the heels but they will also research about the brand including every design in its repertoire. That is how detail-oriented women are and often, it comes out during shopping trips!
Still, no matter how great women are in shopping for their things, they can fall short when it comes to shopping for things that their men will wear. This is because men and women consider different things in terms of choosing the products that they are going to buy. Women are more into the design, the style and the fit while the men are more into... well nothing really.
Below are some tips on how to combine all these factors and shop for the perfect pair of footwear for your loved one.
Consider the need
Before buying your man a pair of shoes, first determine what his needs are when it comes to footwear. What does he need? What footwear is he most comfortable with? What footwear does he often use when at work?
Purchasing a pair of formal leather shoes for someone who is more into sports is not wise. If your man prefers rubber shoes, then go ahead and buy rubber shoes. Just because it is not shiny and formal does not mean that it is not stylish and classy.
Consider their style
Just because your man does not know the difference between a cut and a style does not mean that they will not appreciate a great looking pair of loafers or rubber shoes. Make sure though that when you do choose the design, you have already considered the preference of your partner.
Remember that not all people have the same tastes in the things that they wear. If you are in doubt, ask your man to come along with you when you are shopping. That way, you can combine both your tastes to come up with a perfect buy.

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