How To Make Your School Shoes Last Longer

So, what happens after choosing the right pair of school shoes for your kids?

TLC! Tender, Loving Care for your shoes is just as important as choosing the right fitting.

With all the Physical Education (PE) classes and all the fun your child is having, it may feel like the new shoes you just got for them wear and tear easily which results in you having to replace them frequently but fear not as we got your back!

In this blog, we will be helping you save up that few dollars by sharing with you some tips and tricks on how to make your school shoes last longer, so you don’t have to keep buying new pairs every now and then.

Putting On and Removing Shoes Properly

Photo by Wckiw on Adobe Stock

Putting on and removing school shoes properly is crucial in making sure you can slide your feet in and out freely while maintaining the shape of the shoes.

It is best to teach and encourage your child on how to wear and remove their shoes correctly to increase the longevity of the school shoes.

Here are some things you can take note of when your child is wearing their shoes.

Photo by Jeep Sing Fashion

1. Place your finger or thumb in the back of the shoe and do not take them out until your whole foot is inside the shoe.

This is to avoid squashing the back heel counter, ruining the support provided.

Photo by Jeep Sing Fashion

2. Always remember to loosen the Velcro/ laces first before placing your foot in.

As this is to prevent the top line of the shoe from stretching, making it out of shape and having a loose fit around the ankle. For shoes with laces, pull the shoelaces firmly, starting from the bottom (toe cap) and work your way up to the top of the shoe then tie your bow. Similarly, for Velcro shoes, pull and tighten the Velcro after putting your foot in. The same goes for when removing your shoes, always loosen everything before removing them every time.

* If your shoes come off easily without undoing and loosening the Velcro/ laces, it means they are too loose and may come off easily when your child is running around.

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Waterproofing Spray

Photo by Zarina Lukash on Adobe Stock

Spraying your school shoes with waterproofing spray as soon as you get them is the key to helping you keep elements out of it, making sure your shoes look their best for a longer period.

However before you start shielding up your shoes, do consider the type of spray you use as there are sprays that are better than the others. For instance, we would recommend you to look for a per and poly-fluorinated chemicals (PFC) free and fluorine-free waterproof spray. These chemicals mentioned are persistent, thus they are also known as forever chemicals which accumulate in the environment, making them harmful to humans and animals. If you are interested to find out more about what issues PFC may bring, feel free to read up on a report produced by Greenpeace Germany.

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Dry Wet Shoes

Photo by Pannarai on Adobe Stock

Rainy days are unavoidable, thus it is no surprise if your child ever comes home with wet, soggy shoes and socks. When that does happen, do not try to dry them on any heat source or throw them into the dryer as it could damage the shoe’s construction or cause them to shrink.

Here’s another tip you can try with the supplies around your house to dry your shoes without damaging them.

Photo by Orlando Bellini on Adobe Stock

Newspapers! They fit into the shoes easily and help to soak up water efficiently.

Here are the steps.

Photo by Jacob Fox on Better Homes & Gardens

1. Make sure your shoes are clean and not covered in dirt or mud.

If they are, here’s a video on how you can clean your shoes.

Photo on SHEIN

2. Remove insoles to dry separately.

3. Remove or loosen Velcro/ laces, allowing it to breathe.

Photo by Jeep Sing Fashion

4. Crumple and stuff the newspaper all the way into the shoes.

Photo by Kwok Kar Peng on AsiaOne

5. Dry the outer area of the shoes by wrapping a soft and absorbent towel or sheet around them.

6. Place them in a dry and well-ventilated area indoors, away from direct sunlight.

7. Wait for about 12 hours (more or less depending on how wet your shoes are) to dry and replace newspapers whenever needed for more absorption.

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Get Rid of Nasty Odour

Photo Eskay Lim on Adobe Stock

Shoes tend to have a bad-smelling odour but you don’t have to worry as we too have a tip to tackle these nasty scents naturally through the use of bicarbonate soda.

1. Sprinkle bicarbonate soda enough to cover the insole of the shoes.

2. Leave it in overnight.

3. Empty it the next day and your shoes are all good to go!

* To further maintain and make sure your shoes stay odourless, air them out frequently and clean them whenever it is dirty.

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Summary

With a little bit of TLC, your kid’s school shoes can actually last longer than you expect! Furthermore, these tips not only apply to your little one’s school shoes but almost any shoes that you may have on your shoe rack right now.

Lastly, if you have yet to get your child a pair of school shoes, we got you covered on that as well! Feel free to view our Velcro and laced school shoes on our website or in-store. And if you are unsure of how you can pick the right pair of school shoes, we got a blog to help you make up your choice! Now that you got these tricks up your sleeves, go on and save another pair of shoes by sharing this with your fellow family and friends.

Hope these tips helped you through your child’s school years. See you in our next blog!