Care and Cleaning Tips

Leather shoes will be more comfortable and wear longer if they are cared for properly. FSW offer the following tips for keeping leather shoes looking and wearing their best:

• Always store leather shoes with moisture-absorbing cedar shoe trees, to prevent leather cracking and permanent creasing where the toe bends.
• Always use a shoe horn when putting on shoes to prevent the back of the shoe from breaking down. Never force feet into the shoes.
• Always keep shoes away from direct heat (eg heater) to prevent the leather from drying out. Leather should always dry naturally.
• Give shoes a rest between wearing them. Leather shoes should have one full day to dry out from natural foot perspiration and should not be worn on two consecutive days.
• When polishing shoes, use only a high quality cream that will help moisturise leather and keep it from drying out.
• Never use any type of cleaner that contains an acid or a detergent. Both are damaging to fine leather, and will age the shoe.
• If shoes become heavily soiled, use a damp cloth, wipe off, and allow to dry. Then apply a quality shoe cream. This treatment should restore the original lustre without any damaging effects to the leather.

Calfskin
Leather made from the skins of young cattle, generally no older then 3-4 weeks. It is primarily used in better-grade men`s and women`s dress shoes.

Advantages

• Very lightweight yet strong
• Has a high ability to resist minor scuffing
• Beautiful grain (fine and firm)
• Highly porous
• Has excellent comfortability
• Distinctive look
• Takes and holds a shine
• Great Colour Depth

Full Grain Leather
Side leather used for shoe uppers is the most versatile leather used. It is also used for other parts including linings.
Shoe upper leather consists of the hair side of cattle hides. This is the most commonly used leather for shoe uppers.
Full grain and top grain are the same. Natural hide surface is developed with finishing from premium hides.

Advantages

• Very serviceable
• Breath-ability
• Comfortability
• Has good aesthetics
• Responds to fashion trend

A slightly buffed version of full grain leather. Split Leather or Brushed Leather. Split leather is created when thick cattle sides are machine split to obtain a desired side leather thickness. The top portion is the grain layer; the bottom or underneath is the split layer and referred to as "split".
Split leather is chrome tanned and generally comparatively lightweight. To the unpractised eye, it may be difficult to identify split leather from reverse side leather. More than likely footwear with split leather uppers will be priced lower.

Advantages

• Can be used for both insoles & out soles
• Lightweight
• Flexible
• Good colour density
• Select grain appearance

Kid-skin
Leather made from the skin of young or mature goats. Kid-skin is more expensive than full grain leather but less expensive than calf. It is primarily used on women`s better-grade dress shoes.
Kid-skin finished on the flesh side for use in footwear is commonly called SUEDE. Suede or sueding is a process of sandpapering, abrading a hide or skin. Suede kid-skin (kid-skin suede) is developed through a specially created series of treatments with natural and chemical materials and solutions.

Advantages

• Very lightweight
• Very strong
• Very soft and porous
• Very resilient
• Great latitude of design

Pigskin
Pigskin leather for use in footwear is produced from the skins of domestic pigs. Most pigskin leather in footwear is sueded or "brushed" on the grain side.
Pigskin leather`s affinity for dyes makes possible a wide range of colours that are used in volume fashion shoes and boots not only in women`s but also in men`s styles. This special signature of nature makes pigskin leather easily distinguishable as well as distinctive.

Advantages

• Durable
• Supple
• Breathable
• Flexible
• Lightweight
• Extremely porous

Patent Leather
Patent leather refers to the finish produced by covering the surface of leather with successive coats of daub and varnish. Used almost exclusively in dress shoes.

Exotic Leathers
The main types of exotic leathers are crocodile, alligator, lizard, and snake. Most skins are imported and are very expensive.

Finishes
Wax Finish: A leather with a wax finish has had wax worked into the leather to add weight. The result is a distinctive finish often used in casual styles.

Antiqued Leather: The leather is sprayed with a contrasting colour to create highlights.