Men’s wedding shoe prep and care tips
Firstly, congratulations on your engagement and upcoming wedding! We know how stressful planning a wedding can be, so at Cheaney, we’re here to help make the process as stress-free as possible.
Hopefully, you’re at the point where all the big stuff is booked: the venue, the band, the catering and the photographer. Now, you can focus on your outfit, how you want to look and, in our opinion, the most important aspect, finding the perfect pair of shoes!
Use this guide in the lead-up to your wedding to help you get your shoes ready for the occasion. Learn how to prep and care for your wedding shoes so you look your best for the big day. We’ll also tell you how to break them in so you can comfortably dance the night away without worrying about blisters.
Table of contents
How to break in your wedding shoe
Make sure you purchase your wedding shoes well in advance to give you time to break them in!
Rather than “breaking in” your shoes, we recommend you “wear in” your shoes. The leather, insole, and cork need time to soften and shape around your foot so that they will be comfortable for your wedding day. However, this won’t happen overnight.
Firstly, you need to buy shoes that fit. Make sure there is breathing room around your foot when you first try them on, and you’ll set yourself up for success. This way, you’re giving the leather the space it needs to take the shape of your foot while also allowing some leeway for when your feet fluctuate in size. If you feel pressure in the toe box, they’re too small; these are reinforced and won’t give no matter how long you wear them.
Secondly, choose quality leather. High-grade leather will soften nicely over time and retain its strength. Cheaper leather is often treated with chemicals to make it more usable, but this results in stiff leather that is often stubborn.
There is no trick or special nack to quickly obtaining extra comfortable shoes for your wedding day; you must give it time. Initially, the key is to wear them little and often to give them time to mould to your unique foot shape without causing blisters. Wear them around the house or while popping to the shops until you can wear them for longer.
If you have shoes with leather soles, remember to scuff them up outside so you don’t slip during your first dance. Bring them along to get used to dancing in them if you’re taking dance classes.
Read more: “Breaking in” Shoes.
Make your wedding shoes look the best for the big day!
Your wedding is potentially one of the biggest days of your life, so you want to look your best, including your shoes! Here’s how to make your wedding shoes look the best for your big day.
Cleaning
If you’re wearing shoes you own already, you should give them a once-over before your wedding day.
- Put your shoe in a shoe tree and remove the laces.
- Brush off any mud, dirt or dust with your horsehair brush.
- Use a welt brush to brush any dirt in the welt, the hard-to-reach part between the sole and the upper.
- To clean surface-level stains like water damage, mud and scuffs, Médaille d’Or’s Renovateur Crème works a treat. Take a cotton cloth and apply small amounts to the whole shoe or affected area, leave for ten minutes, and then buff it with a polishing brush or clean cotton cloth.
- We always recommend using a creme before polishing because it will hydrate and nourish the leather and clean it. You can also use coloured creme to help restore the colour of your leather shoes.
Read More: Find the perfect coloured cremes and polish in our Polish, Cremes & Colours Guide for your leather colour.
Polishing
You’ll want your shoes to look the best, so the next step is to polish them well.
- Take a cotton cloth and apply a small amount of polish to your shoe in small circular movements. Apply some pressure to bring out the shine.
- Leave the polish on anywhere between 20 minutes to overnight to allow the polish to absorb.
- Take a horsehair brush and brush the shoe with firm, long strokes to remove excess polish. The friction will bring out the shine.
- For more shine, repeat these steps until you have the effect you want.
Read Shoe Polishing: A Step-by-Step Guide for a more in-depth look into shoe polishing. Or, read our How to Care for Suede Shoes if you’re wearing suede for your wedding.
Storage
To keep your shoes clean and dust-free before the big day, you must store them correctly.
Firstly, always store your wedding shoes in shoe trees when not in use. Shoe trees will help keep your shoes in their original shape and dry them from moisture, such as rain or sweat.
For more information on shoe trees, read our guide: What is the purpose of a shoe tree, and what are the benefits?
Secondly, always store your wedding shoes out of direct sunlight and away from any heat source to prevent damage to the leather. And always store your shoes in a dust cover to prevent damage from dust before the big day.
Men’s wedding shoes at Cheaney shoes
Follow these tips and tricks to ensure you have the perfect wedding shoes for your special day and look pristine when standing at the top of the aisle.
For more tips and advice if you’re still choosing the perfect wedding shoes, read our Wedding Shoe Guide to help you find the perfect shoes for your wedding day. Or, if you have a good idea of what you want, browse our men’s shoes today!
Related blogs
Comments are closed here.