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Care instructions
Care that pays off – or why the right shoe care is crucial
Feb
Shoes as everyday companions – and why care is crucial
In today’s world, shoes are much more than just footwear. They not only protect the feet from injuries and moisture and cold, but are often part of the individual style of its wearer and often reflect social status or group membership.
Shoes are therefore the wearer’s long-lasting companions – or at least that’s how it should be. Because if there is no or incorrect care, you can no longer speak of longevity. The material, whether smooth leather, suede or textiles, for example, becomes not only dirty, but even brittle or cracked and the shoe is no longer wearable after a short time.
What happens without regular shoe care?
If you don’t pay attention, you end up with your shoes in the next mud puddle. Or snow and limestone edges have formed in winter, which attack the material over time. Or incorrect storage and a lot of sunlight can cause the material of leather shoes to dry out and the leather becomes brittle. If you don’t counteract this at an early stage, then sustainability is history – because shoes that would actually be wearable for a long time with the right shoe care often end up in the trash far too early and instead new shoes are bought, which, however, do not survive long either. But how can this trend be counteracted?
It’s simple – follow Tapir’s philosophy: care instead of replacement.
Shoe care as a sustainable decision – Which materials benefit most from shoe care?
At Tapir, we have the right products that are precisely tailored to you and your shoe. And here it doesn’t matter whether it’s smooth leather, suede, mesh, fabric, functional fabric or mixed material. Because a well-cared for material is the first step towards sustainable shoe care. And the best part? All of this works for us completely without chemicals! So the second step in the right direction!
In the following, we would like to introduce you to some of our products and their applications and areas.
Natural cleansing with the forces of nature
Let’s start, for example, with our classic, the leather and saddle soap. This effortlessly cleans your smooth leather shoe from the inside out. Simply put some of the soap on the damp sponge and work the foam created by crumpling into the leather properly. The foam now begins to work mildly but effectively for the material and dissolves even the most stubborn dirt. At the same time, the leather is easily cared for directly by the valuable fats and waxes it contains. After that, the dirty foam must be removed again and the shoe is ready for subsequent care.
Extra shine
It all depends on your personal preferences and needed purposes – but Tapir has the right product for everyone. If you want extra shiny leather, for example for dress shoes, we recommend Tapirs Leather Balm, for example. This is a highly glossy shoe polish for smooth leather shoes, which has both a water-repellent and slightly moisturizing effect. You can get this leather balm in three colors (colorless, brown and black), so you have just the right product for all your shoes. Simply apply the balm evenly to the shoe with a clean cotton cloth or application brush and massage it intensively into the leather. Please use the leather balm sparingly, as even a small amount will have an outstanding effect! After massaging, the shoe can be polished to a high gloss with a gloss brush. And if this wonderful shine is not enough for you and you want even more, then try our tip with vinegar or a little spit (yes, that’s serious!) to bring the shoe cap to a high-mirror shine.
Colour intensification and pronounced care
If you are more interested in intensive care, impregnation and the preservation of the natural shine, you are welcome to reach for Tapir’s leather care cream. This protects the leather from external influences such as moisture, wear and dirt and ensures that your shoes remain functional and appealing for a long time. The shoe polish is available in the following colours: colourless, brown, black, reddish brown and blue. So there should be the right one for every colour, and if not, simply reach for our leather care cream in colourless!
At best, apply the leather care cream after cleaning with the leather and saddle soap so that the shoe polish can be absorbed into the leather and take full effect. As with leather balm, it is recommended to apply in a thin layer with the help of a soft cotton cloth or an application brush. The material is then well nourished and impregnated at the same time by gently massaging it into the leather structure. In addition, natural earth colour particles in the cream ensure a refreshment and intensification of the leather colour and thus make it shine again! Then polish the leather care cream with Tapir’s gloss brush to intensify the shine and strengthen the water-repellent layer created by the leather care. This means that your shoes are not only visually refreshed, but also well equipped and protected for everyday life.
Particularly stressed leather
However, if you are looking for care for particularly stressed leather such as work shoes, motorcycle clothing, hiking boots or riding boots, you are welcome to use our leather grease! This provides optimal protection against dehydration and wear, ensures the preservation of flexibility and wearing comfort and has a particularly good dirt and water repellent effect. And by the way, of course, this extends the life of the leather.
For more detailed application examples and tips, please read our article on motorcycle clothing or take a look at our care instructions for cleaning and leather care of an old western saddle .
A special type of leather – suede
If you have special treasures, such as shoes or boots made of suede (including suede, suede or nubuck leather) in your repertoire, there are also special care products that you can use to improve the durability and comfort of your shoes.
However, the motto here is: less is more!
To clean suede, it is best to use a brass brush or the suede eraser, which gently but effectively dissolves even coarse dirt. Just brush off the dirt!
For even more sessile dirt, you can also use our Sneaker Cleaner . Simply apply the foam to the leather, work it in well with the enclosed dirt brush and let it soak in for a short time. Then remove the foam again and then work on the suede again with the brass brush or eraser to put the fibers back up.
Especially with this type of leather, good impregnation is very important after cleaning! Because if the material is well protected from moisture and dirt and your shoes will automatically last longer through proper and regular shoe care. Simply spray the leather impregnation evenly from a distance of approx. 10 cm, let it soak in for a short time and finally roughen the suede again with the brass brush or eraser.
Care that is good for sneakers and the environment
If you are looking for sustainable shoe care for your sneakers, you are of course also on the right page!
Because you can’t go wrong with Tapir’s latest development, the natural sneaker care set, consisting of Cleaner, Protector and Refresher.
You are also welcome to read our other blog articles on the topic, in which, among other things, questions about ingredients, application and other tips and tricks are explained.
For your material-specific shoe care depending on the material, Tapir recommends:
