How To Stop Boots From Creasing - Leather Shoe Care Guide
Boots made from leather and other materials are often expensive, not to mention stylish and comfortable. Unfortunately, creases can quickly ruin the look and longevity of your boots. This is especially true for leather boots since the material can easily wrinkle and crease with regular use.
To maintain the beautiful appearance of your boots and prolong their lifespan, it's important to take preventive measures to stop them from creasing. Here are some tips to help you keep your boots in top condition.
Why Do Shoes and Boots Crease?
Before we dive into the ways to prevent boots from creasing, it's essential to understand why they crease in the first place.
Natural Wear and Tear
Just like any other piece of clothing, boots will eventually wear out and show signs of use. The more you wear your boots, the higher the chances of them creasing.
Poor Fitting
When a boot is too small or too big for your feet, it can cause excessive bending and folding when walking, leading to creases.
Improper storage
Leaving your boots in a pile or storing them in an awkward position can cause them to crease over time.
Material Quality
The quality of the material used to make your boots plays a significant role in how easily they crease. Lower-quality materials are more prone to wrinkling and creasing than higher-quality ones.
1. Use Shoe Trees
Constant use causes leather shoes and boots to crease over time. They're likely to crease due to the material bending when you walk. To stop leather from wrinkling, one useful tool is the shoe tree.
Shoe trees are handy items that you can put inside your boots. They help to keep your boots in their natural shape, even when you're not wearing them. This prevents creases from forming. But remember, shoe trees work best for shoes that fit well. If your boots are too big or too small, they may still end up with creases.
Here's how to use a shoe tree: gently slide it into your boots after each wear. Make sure it fits snugly. While this will not remove creases entirely, it can surely help lessen them and keep your boots looking nice longer.
Cedar shoe trees are also recommended as they absorb moisture and prevent unpleasant odors from developing inside your boots.
Read related article: How To Darken Leather Boots - 3 Effective Ways
2. Stuff Your Boots
If shoe trees are not available, don't worry, you still have options to stop leather shoes from creasing. One popular method is to stuff your boots with newspaper or other soft materials. Just like shoe trees, the newspaper helps to retain the shoe's shape, preventing leather from bending and therefore, reducing creases.
Here's how you can do it:
After wearing your boots, carefully put newspaper inside of them. Make sure it's enough to fill the boots but not too tight to avoid stretching the leather. Note that leather creases are highly likely if the boots are not filled properly.
Although newspaper won't stop all creases, it's a good and accessible way to maintain your boots' shape and let you wear your boots longer.
3. Get the Right Size
Getting boots that fit you well is key to reducing creases. Shoe creasing can be due to shoes that don't fit properly. When your boots are too tight or too loose, they are more likely to get creases. This happens especially when your feet bend as you walk or run.
Remember, you don't have to invest in expensive boots to prevent creasing. The secret is to get just the right size. Boots that fit perfectly are less likely to bend excessively and form creases.
So, make sure you try on boots before buying them. Walk around a bit to see how they feel. If they're too loose or too tight, they're not the right fit for you.
4. Rub the Creases with Alcohol
Make a 50-50 mixture of water and alcohol. Dip a clean cloth or sponge in this mixture, then gently rub the wrinkled areas of your boots with it. Don't scrub; just wipe it lightly to remove creases. Make sure that the mixture is not too strong to avoid damaging your boots.
5. Blow Dryer Method
Another infamous method to stop boots from creasing is the blow dryer method. This technique is often used on boots made of full-grain leather. As we all know, leather isn't warm by nature, but heating it up a bit can help soften the leather, making it more flexible and less prone to creasing. The blow dryer method does exactly that. Here's how to do it:
Take your hairdryer and set it to a warm (not hot) setting. Carefully pass the blow dryer over the creased areas of your boots. The warmth will help to flex the leather, making it softer and easier to reshape. While doing this, it's important to keep the blow dryer moving to avoid damaging the leather.
Once the leather is warm and flexible, you can use your hands to smooth out any creases. After that, it’s best to insert a shoe tree or stuff the boots with newspaper. This will keep the shoe's shape while the leather cools down and hardens again.
Remember, this method is more suitable for full-grain leather and wholecut styles, as these types of leather can withstand the heat better.
Tips to Keep Leather Boots Looking Great
- Apply leather conditioner regularly to protect the material from creasing.
- Don't wear your boots in wet, muddy, or snowy conditions as these elements can cause damage and creasing.
- Rotate between different pairs of boots to give them a break and allow them to rest - this will also prevent excessive creasing.
- Store your boots in a cool, dry place - avoid damp or humid environments.
- Use boot shapers, especially when traveling, to keep your boots in good shape.
- Use waterproof spray to protect your boots from the elements and potential damage.
- Avoid folding or bending your boots when storing them to prevent creasing.
Closing Thoughts
There are many ways to prevent your favourite leather shoes from creasing. Leather are prone to creasing so it is important to take preventive measures to keep them looking their best. Make sure your entire shoe collection is stored properly. Use shoe trees, and proper storage, get the correct size, and invest in leather conditioners to maintain your boots' beautiful appearance.
Remember that prevention is always better than cure when it comes to keeping your boots looking great!
Make sure to check out Stone and Clark's Leather Shoe Shine Kit for your all-in-one leather care kit.
