It is important to take care of your shoes. If you do get a scuff, snag or worse, a little shoe repair lesson can come in pretty handy. A girl doesn’t want to get caught without her favorite pair, so take shoe repair into your own hands with these helpful tips.

Simple Scuffs

There are lots of easy shoe repair fixes for the simple scuff. Water and salt from ice melt can wreak havoc on shoes. When this happens, look no further than the kitchen. A mixture of water and white vinegar can get the crusty salt marks off. If they are especially stubborn try this treatment two or three times.

Patent leather can reclaim its shine with a little bit of Windex. Leather shoe scratches can be buffed out with a tiny bit of moisturizer.

Clean dirt off suede by rubbing shoes with a stale crust of bread. If your suede shoes are more than just dirty and are beyond home remedy, try a cleaning kit such as the suede shoe care kit from our friends at Foot Fitter. The combo restores suede, cleans and eliminates shiny spots. This product can also be used on hand bags, boots and clothes.

Moderate Malfunctions

Some shoe repair issues will need a little more than a spray and a buff. Waterproofing a canvas pair of kicks can be achieved with beeswax. There are also some specialty waterproofing products out there (again, see Foot Fitter) and when applied with care, your feet can be warm and dry all day.

Broken straps may be repaired with a tactful application of shoe glue. Shoe adhesive can be found at most drug stores and super glue would work in a pinch. First, carefully clean the area and snip off any stray threads. Then, apply glue to both pieces and let it set for two minutes. Lastly, press pieces together and clamp to hold, a clothespin or paperclip works great. Let dry for at least 24 hours.

Gravel, rough surfaces and natural wear and tear can really do some damage to your heel tips. These little heel tips help you protect them in advance if you have the foresight, extend the life of heels showing wear and tear, and even fix heels beyond repair.

When To Seek Help

You might find it worth the time to simply seek out a shoe repair. Make sure to take all pieces of the broken heel with you to the cobbler. The same holds true for a split heel, if you want a repair job to stand the test of time, go to a professional. 

Fix a scuff, strap and more with these simple tips and keep yourself on your toes, in your favorite shoes.