internet round-up: winter shoe care

Winter weather requires a little extra attention to your footwear. To help out, here is a collection of advice on caring for your boots. They focus on leather, as it require the most care. Every one of these sites empahsizes that boots should dry at room temp as extra heat will dry out the leather, causing it to crack. Stuff them loosely with newspaper to expidite the process. Of course those with the practical sense to buy rubber boots can just rinse them, remove the linings to dry, and leave them at the door.

From the UK, the Guarian offers a compact list of shoe care hacks, like "If shoes pinch, smear Vaseline on the lining." (we haven't tested, and don't endorse that solution!)

girlawhirl offers a more recommendations, focusing on suede. A good tip: "Once the shoes are dry, if there are salt stains, mix a solution of 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water and dab it on the affected area."

womensweb lists similar tips at the very bottom of a long post on foot care. They advise to "allow all footwear to dry thoroughly before you put them on again."

Again, scroll to the bottom of this Boot FAQ for cleaning and care advice for hiking boots. The information transfers pretty well to any leather boot or shoe (noting that suede is a whole different animal, and not great for winter anyway). This one goes into depth on applying waterproofing.