The right natural shoe care – tailored to every material

How to care for smooth leather

Let’s start with smooth leather shoes. Shoes made of smooth leather are more resistant than, for example, suede boots, but they still require regular shoe care to keep the leather resistant, protect it from moisture and always keep it sufficiently nourished.
Tapir offers a variety of products that are ideal for every situation and every shoe.

For gentle but effective cleansing, Tapir recommends leather and saddle soap. Purely natural ingredients such as vegetable stearin, soda and borax clean the smooth leather effectively but gently, while valuable oils and waxes such as sunflower oil fatty acid, beeswax or sugar cane wax care for the leather evenly and give it a smooth surface.

Simply pick up some of the soap with a damp sponge and rub the soap on the leather surface until a fine foam is formed. This foam now begins to loosen and absorb the dirt in the leather. The foam must then be removed with a clean sponge. If necessary, the cleaning process can be repeated until the desired cleaning effect is achieved. Finally, the cleaned leather should dry and be polished with a polishing cloth or gloss brush. Then it is ready for the subsequent care, with Tapir again offering a diverse range of products, suitable for every occasion.

This shoe care can consist of leather oil, leather grease, leather care cream or an impregnation for smooth leather, depending on your needs.

For example, if you are looking for something for simple regular shoe care, it is best to use our leather care cream. This is available in five colours (colourless, black, brown, blue, reddish-brown) and is very easy to use. Simply apply the shoe polish to the leather with an application brush or cotton cloth. It is best to start on the seams, then continue around the edge and on the toe cap and then carefully massage the rest of the brush or cloth into the rest of the leather. After a short drying time, you can use the care cream and a shine brush to bring the shoe to a beautiful shine by rubbing it.

If you instead need care for heavily worn footwear, such as work shoes, riding boots or winter boots, our leather grease is the right choice.

The leather grease nourishes and cares for the leather deep down and offers optimal protection against moisture. It has a moisturizing effect, water-repellent effect and makes old, brittle leather soft and supple again. Simply massage the leather grease into the leather with a cotton cloth or an application brush. Excess grease that has not been absorbed by the leather should be rubbed off with an absorbent cotton cloth after some time. Be careful not to apply the fat too thickly or too often!

In our blog article Care that pays off – or why the right shoe care is crucial? you will find even more detailed descriptions of what exactly the respective natural products are best suited for.

Simply massage the respective product into the leather with the help of a cotton cloth or an application brush, depending on the instructions, and let it take effect.

How to care for suede

Ask yourself how you can treat your suede such as suede, nubuck or suede gently and naturally, so we have the right tips and products here as well! Because suede definitely needs different care than smooth leather due to its special structure. The motto here is: Less is more and too much, or the wrong shoe care is more harmful than good. To remove dirt and dust from the leather, use either a suede brush with brass bristles or the suede eraser. Rubbing over the leather surface dissolves dirt and at the same time roughens the surface again, which provides a fresh look.
After cleaning, we recommend impregnation to protect the shoe from dirt and moisture in the future. Shake them well and spray them evenly over the entire shoe from a distance of about 10 cm. If droplets form, please brush directly with a clean polishing brush and distribute it to avoid any material discoloration.

How to care for sneakers

For optimal cleaning and shoe care of your sneakers, it is best to use our latest products – the sneaker care from Tapir! Of course, consisting of purely natural and even vegan raw materials, your shoes get only the best. Use the Sneaker Cleaner for cleaning. Simply shake well and spread the foam on the shoe and sole edge. Then use the moistened brush to brush in the foam in circular motions over the shoe and the edge of the sole. The shoelaces can also be cleaned well with the foam and water. Use new water and foam regularly to remove even the last dirt.
Finally, clean the shoe with clean water and a brush and dry thoroughly with a cloth or sponge.

For the subsequent impregnation, we recommend the Sneaker Protector. Shake this well as well and spray it from a distance of about 20cm onto the previously cleaned shoe. Then spread evenly with the enclosed natural application sponge and also treat the seams carefully.
After drying, the shoe can be polished with a brush if necessary. If you have used the protector on nubuck leather, it should be roughened again with a brass brush or suede eraser.

For the final freshness kick of your sneakers, simply use the Refresher as a natural shoe deodorant. Spray evenly into the shoe from a short distance, let it dry and feel like the shoes are like new!

Are you interested in our new product line and would like to learn more about ingredients and their natural effects? So feel free to click through our other blog posts on the topic of natural sneaker care.

Proper care of textile shoes, mesh and material combinations

When it comes to textile shoes or shoes made of mesh or material mixes, you are spoilt for choice. Either you also use the products from the sneaker care range, or you can grab them from our Tapir Outdoors! series.

For a natural cleaning of your shoes made of mixed fabric or fabric, use our Out and about! Cleaner. Simply shake well and add a dash of it to a bowl of warm washing water. Moisten a sponge with it and, if necessary, apply some of the cleaner directly to the sponge. Lather well and massage the shoe thoroughly with the resulting foam. Then remove the dirty foam with a clean sponge. Repeat the process until you are satisfied with the result.

For the subsequent impregnation, there is the Out and about! Wetness protection, which can be easily applied first to the seams and then to the rest of the shoe with the enclosed application brush. Work the product in well and then let it dry. Your shoes made of fabric or material mixes are already optimally protected from moisture and dirt and ready for new adventures!

Common mistakes in material-appropriate shoe care

Material-appropriate shoe care means that each material needs its own products and treatment. The most common mistakes occur when you simply treat “everything the same” or use inappropriate means.

A common mistake, for example, is the use of too much water, unsuitable products such as washing-up liquid or soap or aggressive household cleaners. Chemical cleaning agents should also be avoided, as all this material, which is especially sensitive, can dry out and thus become brittle. For more sustainability and gentler cleansing, it’s better to use natural products instead!
Incorrect drying after cleaning is also a common mistake that can put a lot of stress on the material. Please avoid drying the shoes directly on the heater or in the sunlight, rather dry airy and gently in sheltered dark rooms.

Furthermore, a common mistake that happens quite quickly in shoe care is to use the wrong shoe polish (for example, strongly dyeing cream for light leather). So always read the manufacturer’s applications carefully before using a care product!
Not using a suitable impregnation also does more harm than good to the shoe. Because impregnation simply reliably protects the shoe from the next outdoor use. Impregnation once is also not enough, the protection must be repeated regularly so that its effect is not impaired.

So let’s summarize briefly. Every material, whether smooth leather, suede, suede, textile, needs different care products to get the best out of it and to care for and protect it in the best possible way!
When caring for your shoes, always make sure that you care for them regularly and with the products that match your shoes. Because by taking the wrong or even missing care, you are wasting valuable potential for extending the life of your shoes. But even a possible overcare can damage the shoes. Because less is often more. But with Tapir’s natural shoe care products, you’ve come to the right place! For more durability of your shoes and for a better future!