If you’re like me, you probably own a pair of rubber slip-ons to protect your shoes from the rain, snow, and salt. However, if you’re really like me you probably forgot to bring those rubber slip-ons on a unsuspecting snow day. This happened to me a few weeks ago and as a result the salt did some major damage to one of my favorite shoes. Fortunately, there is a simple method to restoring leather shoes from salt damage so I was able to bring these beauties back to life.
The method I used is actually quite simple and the only supplies you need is vinegar, water, a clean towel, a shoe brush, and some shoe creme.
Combine the water and vinegar, and mix them well. I used about 50% water and 50% vinegar. Dip the towel into the water and vinegar mix, and wipe the towel gently over the surface of your shoe. The leather will noticeably darken as it absorbs this new liquid, but don’t worry about that, just focus on the ridge of salt that sits on the shoe like dirt. You want to keep rubbing the solution onto this ridge until the leather is smooth again. Continue this process until the stains have fully disappeared. Then let the shoes dry for about an hour, but do not place them near a heater because artificial heat could damage the leather.
Once the leather is dry it should return to its normal color. Now apply a generous amount of shoe creme to the entire shoe and use your shoe brush until they get a good shine. This method can be used on old stains as well, but the salt is more difficult to remove.
As always, thank you for reading and I hope this method works for you!
Yours truly,
Akil McLeod
The Dapper Advisor
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