You can't create a complete formal outfit without a pair of high-quality dress shoes. Even if you wear a suit jacket with matching trousers, you'll still need dress shoes to complete your outfit. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for dress shoes to develop scuff marks. If you wear your dress shoes for long enough, you may discover one or more scuff marks on the surface. While scuff marks generally won't affect the performance or longevity of your dress shoes, they still look messy and unattractive. With a little work, however, you can protect your dress shoes from scuff marks.
Choose Dress Shoes With a Low or Medium Gloss
The level of gloss your dress shoes have will affect their susceptibility to scuff marks. Generally speaking, glossier dress shoes are more likely to develop scuff marks than less-glossy dress shoes. By choosing dress shoes with a low or medium gloss, you can often avoid the headaches that come with scuff marks. With a lower level of gloss, your dress shoes will conceal scratches more effectively, making them naturally protected against scuff marks.
Look for Dress Shoes With a Protective 'Bumper'
In addition to having a low or medium gloss, you should choose dress shoes with a protective "bumper." In other words, the sole should protrude out in front of the shoes, acting as a protective barrier. Even if the sole only sticks out by a fraction of an inch, it will still protect your dress shoes from scuff marks. If you accidentally kick a wall or any other hard surface while wearing them, the "bumper" of the sole will absorb the stress rather the main part of your shoes.
Use Caution When Wearing Your Dress Shoes
Scuff marks are typically preventable, but you need to use caution when wearing your dress shoes to prevent them from happening. If you're careless and bump your dress shoes into hard surfaces, such as walls or furniture, they may develop scuff marks. But if you're cautious and avoid bumping your dress shoes into such surfaces, they shouldn't develop scuff marks. Whether you're wearing them to work or around the house, use caution to avoid accidentally bumping your dress shoes into hard surfaces. Along with the other tips described here, this will protect your dress shoes from scuff marks and other forms of related damage.
Use Cedar Trees in Your Dress Shoes When You Aren't Wearing Them
When you aren't wearing your dress shoes, try to get into the habit of storing cedar trees inside them. Not to be confused with actual, live cedar trees, the cedar trees I'm referring to are essentially wood inserts that are placed inside dress shoes. The primary purpose of cedar trees is to retain the original shape of the shoes. As shown below, they fill the empty space inside dress shoes, preventing them from collapsing in storage.
Furthermore, cedar trees can protect your dress shoes from scuff marks by promoting a stronger and more durable exterior. They prevent your dress shoes from developing creases that could, if left unchecked, contribute to scuff marks. If you aren't wearing your dress shoes, place a single cedar tree inside each one to protect them from scuff marks.
Apply Leather Shoe Polish
If your dress shoes are made of genuine leather, applying a leather shoe polish can protect them from scuff marks. There are dozens of different leather shoe polishes available, each of which contains a different blend of ingredients. However, they are all designed to create a protective, shiny layer over the surface of leather shoes. Just rub a small amount of the polish into the surface of your dress shoes, at which point they'll remain better protected against scuff marks.
Don't Let Your Dress Shoes Dry Out
A contributing factor to scuff marks is dryness. Dress shoes are typically made of leather, which has a porous surface that absorbs and releases moisture. If you allow your leather dress shoes to dry out, the surface will become hard and, therefore, more susceptible to scuff marks and damage.
So, what steps can you take to prevent your leather dress shoes from drying out? Here are a few tips:
- Choose a hydrating shoe polish.
- Avoid using rubbing alcohol to clean your dress shoes.
- Store your dress shoes in a climate-controlled environment.
- Keep your dress shoes away from sources of heat.
- Choose high-quality dress shoes made by a trusted and reputable footwear brand.
Clean Your Dress Shoes With a Lint-Free Cloth
Keeping your dress shoes clean will protect them from scuff marks as well. Allowing dirt or debris to accumulate on your dress shoes is a serious mistake. Not only will it make your dress shoes look dirty and unkempt; it will wear down the surface, leaving your dress shoes vulnerable to scuff marks. As the dirt and debris grinds away at the surface of your shoes, it will expose a different shade of leather, thereby creating scuff marks.
To prevent this from happening, clean your dress shoes on a regular basis using a lint-free cloth. You don't have to use any special shoe cleaner or detergent. Rather, wipe the surface of your dress shoes with a lint-free cloth to remove any dirt or debris. Once clean, your dress shoes will be less likely to develop scuff marks -- and they'll look better in the process.
Rotate Your Dress Shoes By Wearing Different Types
How many pairs of dress shoes do you own? If you only have a single pair, perhaps you should invest in a second pair. With multiple pairs of dress shoes, you can rotate them periodically throughout the week. You can wear one pair on Monday, for example, followed by your second pair on Tuesday. And when Wednesday rolls around, you go back to wearing your original pair. By rotating your dress shoes, you'll prevent any single pair from being exposed to an excessive amount of wear and stress, which could otherwise cause or contribute to scuff marks.
