by Dolores Moore

Created on: June 24, 2009

No matter what kind of shoes your are wishing to care for, the best form of protection comes from taking those initial steps (pun intended) to prevent marks and discoloration. So before stepping out in those nice new shoes, think of what preventative measures you can take that will offer protection. Here are a few ideas to prepare you.

1. Marks, scuffs and discoloration can be prevented if you paint the heels, and indeed the toes, of your new shoes with a coating of clear nail polish. I did this to some red leather ballet pumps and it worked.

2. New leather shoes should not be worn in the rain. Run them in during fine weather. You need to build up a good barrier of wax polish first. This will protect not just the heels, but the whole shoe.

3. New white training shoes can be protected, heels and everywhere else, by spraying them with laundry starch before you ever put them on your feet. This also a good way to make cleaning them easier.

4. High heeled shoes and stilettos always seem to get discolored heels, with marks and scuffs spoiling the look of this elegant footwear. To prevent this happening, and to get a really long-lasting, heavy-duty protection solution, get some color matched car paint in a spray can. You will hopefully be able to find a good match, there are plenty of colors out there to choose from. Cover up the rest of the shoe and spray the heels with this. If you do pick up marks, scuffs and discoloration, use a matching colored magic-marker (try saying THAT after two glasses of wine!), color in the markings, then spray with paint.

5. Wooden heels on shoes are generally easier to clean. Protect this type of heel with a build up of wax furniture polish. Apply, brush then buff up, then reapply and repeat. Again, you could try the clear nail polish treatment, or possibly a matching wood varnish, all of which should give a protective coating. Do the varnishing process before the polishing though, making sure it is totally dry.

6. For leather boot heels, waterproof and protect with a good coat of floor-waxing polish, which in fact will protect the whole boot for you.

7. White stiletto heels are really going to need protection, because they will always show discoloration most obviously. If you do sustain marks or damage, use a little white correcting fluid/liquid paper, but for real protection, before wear, try the car paint spray idea. Here is an unusal tip which is not totally practical; it amused me and you might smile too. If you are going to be walking on wet or freshly-cut grass in your finest white high heels, then wrap the heels in cling-film, thus protecting them from stains and discoloration. Like, women always go around with a roll of plastic food wrap concealed about their person?

8. Always clean your shoes, heels and all, after wearing and store them out of direct sunlight, too much heat or damp conditions. That way, you are taking care of the whole shoe so that it stays looking good all over, for longer.

The best ways, as you can see, to protect heels of shoes from discoloration are preparation, care and prevention. Hopefully, the suggestions offered here will be of some help and you can sing "I'm ready for my boot/shoe heels to go wanderin'" (Mr. Tambourine Man, by the great Bob Dylan) I wonder how he protects his heels?

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