5 Shoe Accessories Any Person Should Have

They may be relatively small, in terms of a person’s total mass, and they may be located way down there at the bottom, next to the floor, don’t ever be lulled into believing that the shoes you are wearing are not being noticed and even critiqued by practically everyone.

Take good care of your shoes, and they will be there when you need them – looking good and giving you the “well put together” look, wherever you go. Being a responsible shoe owner comes with a few mandates, however, and regardless of how much you actually plunked down for your shoes, they will last a lot longer and keep on looking new or next to new for extended periods of time. Your shoes are an investment, in yourself and in your life. Obviously, when you buy cheap, off-brand mockups, you won’t be able to have them last very long. Likewise, investing in high quality, well-made shoes will pay off considerably in the long haul. Good shoes will ultimately save you money, especially if you make sure to have the right accessories for taking the best care of them.

Here are five shoe accessories no one should be without:

1. Backup Shoelaces: Especially for any shoes that have thin laces, it’s a good idea to have extra shoelaces to replace one or both, if they should eventually break. Some people even prefer to use shoelaces with extended lengths on athletic shoes. Keep a minimum of two pairs of laces for dress shoes – one black and one brown pair. And then, at least one white pair in the right length for your athletic shoes. If you wear lace up boots frequently, keep some shoelaces for them, as well. You won’t have to replace these backup shoelaces until you actually use them, so just because you buy a new pair of shoes, don’t fret about new shoelaces, unless the shoes have unusual or different laces from what you already have.
2. For Men’s Shoes, Good Shoe Trees and for all Boots, Boot Forms or Trees: Whenever we wear our shoes, and especially for long periods of time, we naturally stretch them out in odd ways that can eventually permanently alter the nice clean lines that the shoes were designed with. This only works with leather shoes, as once canvas and certain other shoe materials are stretched, there is nothing that will zap them back into shape. Nothing else can make your leather shoes and boots look older and more worn. By purchasing the best fitting shoe trees and boot forms, your leather shoes will be stored in your closet in their original condition – as they were when brand new, decreasing lines, bulges and wrinkles.
3. Patent Leather Cleaner: Obviously, if you do not own patent leather footwear, or footwear that has patent leather accents in the design, then you will not need to buy this highly specialized cleaner. If, however, you do have any patent leather, nothing will work on those tough trademark scuff marks that only patent leather gets like specially formulated patent leather cleaner.
4. A Good Shoe Shine Kit That Includes Suede/Canvas Protection: In an appropriately sized container, make sure you have a good horsehair brush for shining, a horsehair applicator for applying polish, some clean and dry cotton polishing cloths for final polishing and some disposable gloves. For polish, match the actual color(s) of your leather shoe inventory. Cream polish does not shine as well as wax polish, but it is kinder to your shoes, in the long run, as it allows the leather to breathe. Optional edge dressing can be used to address the leather edges of your shoes. And keep a little 409 for small touch ups of your athletic shoes, especially on the sides of the soles, where they get the most dirt.

A Few Types of Insoles: Orthotics, Gel Comfort and Odor Eating: There are a number of different inserts you can buy for your shoes, and obviously, those made for women’s dress shoes are quite different from those made for men’s or women’s casual shoes and athletic shoes. It’s nice to have a few pairs on hand, especially if you spend a lot of time on your feet. You can easily add them when your feet become tired or achy. and if your feet/shoes tend to develop less than fragrant odors, invest in some good odor eating insoles, so that if you ever find yourself in the position of needing to remove one or both shoes, no one will wince in agony.