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Loving Your Choos - A Guide to Caring For Designer Shoes

by Judith Crane (RSS feed) — Mar 13th 2010 3:02PM

Perhaps you, like me, are an avid collector of shoes and have experienced moments similar to Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw's "Hello, lover!" greeting upon being magnetically drawn to a pair of shoes in a store window. Perhaps you are lucky enough to possess several pairs of these beautiful objets d'art. Whether you own one pair or 150 (seriously), like any great relationship, you are going to make the one with your shoes last by giving them lots of care. Let's consider what happens once the moment of initial attraction has subsided. You move from the fantasy of imagining the shoes in your life to the reality of commitment and all the related costs and benefits that entails. How to make this love last?

Pre-newshoewear Agreement-- From the outset, a serious plan for preventative shoe care is in order. First, examine your new beauties (quickly, don't get Carrie-d away). Look at the materials used - are they suede, leather or fabric? Match the type of material to the recommended protective spray. Be sure to hold the can at least six inches away from the shoe and spray lightly moving steadily over the entire shoe. Leather shoes should be polished before wearing them and afterward on a regular basis. A helpful source for these products is www.kiwishoeshine.com.