Shoe Racks Blog

The Ultimate Shoe (and grout) Cleaner:  A Grout Brush

Yes, it turns out that one of the best shoe cleaners around is a grout brush!  But first, here are some other methods for cleaning your shoes. I’ve spoken before about shoe polishes.  This is great for leather shoes, vinyl, suede and patent leather.  But, in keeping with the true spirit of mud week, we are going to talk about another kind of dirty shoe problem:  muddy shoes!  Muddy shoes require much more than shoe polish, first you really have to get the mud off of them. 

One method is the washing machine.  I wouldn’t do this if you either really love your washing machine or really love your shoes.  But if you aren’t completely attached to either one, it actually works pretty well.  Not for boots so much, but tennis shoes can be thrown in the washing machine.  You can expect some damage to the leather and possible washing machine damage, but I’ve done it before with older gym shoes and it turned out fine.  <b>Bonus Tip:</b> Really old shoes can be tossed in the dryer with your down pillows and comforters when you are drying them – this is how to make sure they stay fluffy and dry evenly. 

Another method of washing really muddy shoes is to soak them and hand wash.  Again, don’t do this if you really care about the leather or the quality of your shoes, but for older shoes that you wear out in the mud anyway, this might be a good solution for you. Simply soak them in warm water with a tiny bit of hand washing soap (used for delicates and lingerie) until the mud loosens up.  Then you should be able to finish up with a washcloth removing the rest of the debris. 

For really caked on mud, I have found that a grout brush works really well.  These are much stiffer brushes than a regular dish brush, so they can come up against tough caked mud and still win!  Tie a string through the hole in the brush and then loop it over the end of your shoe rack, especially great for outdoor shoe racks or in the mud room, to remind folks to de-mud their shoes before entering your house! 

Here are some more great shoe cleaning tips I found.

Cool Shoe Tool of the Week:  Shoe Pops, An Inexpensive Fix for Crinkled and Wrinkled Shoes!

Shoe Pops!  That’s right, just like a Popsicle for your shoe!  Well, not exactly like a Popsicle (can you imagine what would happen if you put a frozen Popsicle in your shoe – just ask my son!).  Shoe pops are kind of like shoe stretchers, but without the stretching part.  They are great for keeping your shoes shapely, and wrinkle free, but they won’t stretch them.  They are very inexpensive, compared to shoe stretchers, and are usually sold in sets so that you can protect a few pairs at once.  They work great in high heels, sandals, pumps, you name it!  If you have expensive shoes that you plan on using for many years, this is an important investment.  Shoes, especially natural material shoes, like leather, suede, and, to a certain extent, plastics and vinyls, have a tendency to deteriorate when you are not wearing them. 

When your foot is in a shoe, it keeps everything filled out, so there is no sagging which inevitably leads to crushing, creasing and wrinkling.  And if you have experienced this before, then you know that once you have wrinkled leather, there is no going back, you simply can’t fix that problem. So, prevent it before it happens with a set of shoe pops.  This set of shoe pops is very inexpensive, and comes in a set of four so you can take care of two pairs of shoes.  When you take them out of the shoes, you can simply leave them in place of the shoes on your shoe rack so that you will remember to use it again when you get home.  Another bonus of these tools is that they are very lightweight, so traveling is not a problem.  They will keep your shoes free from crushing in your tightly packed suitcase. 

BONUS:  And, here are some tips on how to Travel with Shoes.

 Shoe Bags for Athletes, Travelers and Shoe Fanatics 

Shoe Bags are like a shoe rack on the go!  It is nice to keep a shoe bag on hand for a lot of reasons.  Here are a few different shoe bags, and a few different ideas for how (and when) to use them. 

1. Travel – Here is a nice travel shoe bag, it is made of a thinner material than traditional, hefty shoe bags, so you can squish it into your luggage more easily, without taking up any extra space, (which means you can bring more clothes, right?)  Throw a few of them in your suitcase, just in case you bring home more shoes than you left with J. 
2. Car – Keep a shoe bag in the trunk of your car in case you make an unexpected trip to the beach or have to change a flat in the mud.  Better yet, put a spare pair of shoes in the shoe bag so that you can swap them for the ones you just got muddy.  This is especially a great tip if you have kids (you moms know what I’m talking about).   
3. Athletes – Golf shoe bags are great for serious golfers, and also for every other athlete.  If you have little soccer players at home, get them a bag for their cleats – they will think it is a gift for them but you know that it’s more about you and your car.  Leather is a great option for athletic shoes, especially the sharp, pokey kind.  Young athletes will love something from Adidas, Nike or another trendy athletic gear company. 
4. Shoe Fanatics – What can I say, a nice shoe bag can get your nice pumps to and from a party without damaging them, and you can wear something more comfortable (think Slippers) in the car, no one has to know! 

Discover the Benefits of Cedar in and Around the Closet

Have you ever smelled cedar wood?  It has a beautiful aroma that smells woodsy and almost a little bit like cologne, but in a very natural way.  Cedar is available in the form of hangers, shoe racks and some people even line their entire closet with it. 

It has been known for years that cedar wood has some natural qualities that can benefit your clothes and shoes.  Here are some of the many benefits of cedar that you may not know about, and some suggestions of how to use it in your closet. 

1. Smell and Deodorize: Cedar is a scented wood.  As said before, the aroma that the natural cedar oil gives off is very fresh and natural.  If you keep your shoes in the closet, you can combat the stale old shoe smell with many different cedar products.  Here are some inexpensive cedar aroma blocks that you can literally toss anywhere, in your closet organizer or boxes of out-of-season clothes, and you can even toss them right into your shoes to freshen.  I also like cedar rings which slip onto the top of your clothes hangers – great for deodorizing the closet. 
2. Insect Repellent:  Cedar wood oil is a natural insect repellent.  That is why many people line their entire closet with cedar planks – it keeps moths and even fleas away, saving your clothes from insect damage. 
3. Durability:  Cedar wood is also decay resistant, so you can be sure that it will last for many years.  It is also very sturdy yet lightweight, that is why a lot of patio furniture is made of cedar.  Here is a beautiful cedar shoe rack that I really like from StacksAndStacks.com – it’s a great one for anywhere in the house: the closet, in the entry or hallway, and even right outside the door. 

Aroma Tip:  To renew the beautiful aroma of cedar, simply sand the wood lightly with a fine sandpaper.

My #2 Cool Shoe Tool Pick: Electric Shoe Polisher

For a totally polished, perfect look, consider purchasing a shoe polishing system. If you have nice shoes, especially expensive ones, then you should polish them often to keep them looking their best at all times.

A newly polished shoe serves two functions:

• It looks like a new shoe and you look classy
• It also keeps leather shoes in tip-top shape, maybe even extending their lifespan.

There are many levels of shoe polishing methods, and each has its pros and cons. Check out my guide below to selecting a home shoe polishing system – It is broken into three categories - choose the one that matches your needs and make sure to keep it right by your shoe rack so that you’ll actually use it!

1. Shoe Polish and Sponge Method – This is by far the most affordable method, great for young adults and college students. It also takes up the least amount of space, but, it requires the most amount of elbow-grease, so, you have to really want polished shoes if you are going this route. Polishing shoes is surprisingly easy and very gratifying. You just buy shoe polish at any shoe store or even drug store, rub it on the shoes, wait a minute and shine it off and… voila! An instant facelift for your favorite shoes! Make sure to cover the floor with a towel or newspaper to avoid stains.

2. Shoe Valets and Boxes – This is one step up from method 1. You still have to use your very own muscles to polish, but the nice thing here is that the shoe sits up on the box (less mess) and more comfortable. Also, there is usually storage in a box underneath the shoe for polishes and rags. This cedar shoe valet comes with everything you need to get started.

3. Electric Shoe Polisher – I have to admit I don’t have one of these and I’m not sure I’d necessarily spend the money on it this year, but I have tried an electric polisher at a friend’s house and it is really nice. They fit right into the closet and do all the buffing for you, you don’t even have to use cleaners or chemicals – great if you have kids and pets.

Now, Get Polishing!!!

My #1 Cool Shoe Tool Pick:  Shoe Stretchers for Squashed Feet
I started using these shoe stretchers a year or so ago to help my aching toes.  I already had duck feet before I had kids and now that I’ve been through two pregnancies, they are, alas, even wider. 

Really anybody can use them, I have friends that have more average-width feet (lucky gals) and even they still sometimes can’t fit comfortably into all heels, especially pointy narrow toed ones and peep-toes. 

My Shoe Stretcher

Shoe stretchers are easy to use, you just have to have a little time – for example, you can’t stretch your new gray suede pumps an hour before the party, they really need to stretch for at least 24 hours.  But the nice thing is that the longer you stretch them the more roomy they get.  Also, you have to be realistic – you can’t turn a size 6 into a size 8, ever. (sorry ).  But, if you’re looking for just a little more room, they are actually a really great product.

All you do is put the shoe stretcher in the shoe and expand it to fill the shoe – each shoe stretcher is different but most of them have some kind of hand crank system.  Then you can expand the stretcher a little bit farther than the natural size of the shoe, and after 24 hours you may be able to crank it out a little bit more.  Some of them come with “plugs” that you put into holes along the stretcher so that you can customize the stretch to accommodate corns, bunions and hammertoes. 

Important Notes for Choosing a Shoe Stretcher:
· Look for a shoe stretcher that works for width and length (not all can make them longer) – this will give you the most stretch. 
· They work best on natural materials – leather, suede, some fabrics
(they don’t work well on plastics and vinyl)
· Make sure you know what you are getting for the price – a lot of times they are sold as a single stretcher, not a set of two which means you can only do one shoe at once

Have fun with your happy feet!