How to take care of your footwear

New Delhi: If you want to ensure longevity of your favourite footwear, make sure you store them right and use the best ways to keep them clean, suggests an expert.

Danish Bajaj, Fashion Consultant at ladies footwear brand La Briza, has shared a few tips:

* Regular dusting: Always brush or clean your shoes before putting them in to the shoe rack. When you remove the dirt and dust after the use, it prevents dirt particles from entering the leather surface. 

Never leave dirty shoes in your closet because once the dirt settles, it completely spoils the texture and the shoe loses its shine and structure. 

Baby wipes is a good shoe cleaning alternative. Mild detergent for cleaning textile and PU shoes is also helpful.

* Right product: The right choice of brush and cleaner also plays a major role in shoe care; there are many products available in market which specializes in shoe care. These products range from brushes, shoe creams and sprays. 

* Replace heel caps, top lift: Replace the heel cap when it cracks or wears off because a bad heel cap can be a major spoiler to your walking comfort. 

Heel caps are placed at the end of the heels and act like a platform for stable walking.

* Weatherproof spray: Weatherproof spray is the shoe antibiotic which prevents them from weather changes. The spray comes in two variants, specific to the kind of leather used in the shoes or a universal spray that can be used on multiple materials. 

* Avoid heat: Always keep your shoes away from direct sunlight or any place with high temperature.

Excess of direct contact with sunlight causes the colour to fade. Drying your shoes is important but make sure you don't over dry them because that makes them stiff and bristle.