Shoe obsession is a real thing and according to a previous study published in the Journal of Research in Personality, your personality can be 90 percent deducted from shoes. "They're an intimate extension of the body and seem to say so much about our attitudes, aesthetics, sexuality and social status," said Valerie Steele, via Psychology Tomorrow. "Maybe it's because shoes are sculptural. Clothing, when not worn, just lies there flat, lifeless. But shoes seem to have an autonomous quality, which may explain why our obsession with shoes seems to have reached new heights."
So, the footwear you love to wear is a reflection who you are, so it kind of makes sense to take care of your shoes as you would take care of yourself. Proper shoe care will give your footwear longevity, but certain bad habits could easily ruin them. Below are things you must avoid so that your shoes can last longer:
1) Wearing the same shoes all the time.
Sure, everyone has a favorite pair, but if you keep wearing the same shoes five days in a row, you're bound to wear them out faster. Let your shoes rest and wear something else for a change. If you're into running, rotating footwear is actually recommended for injury prevention and performance improvement, according to Runner Academy.
2) Dragging your feet when you're walking.
If your shoes have heels, dragging can weaken them and there is no way to repair the damage once it's there.
3) Wearing shoes when your feet are still wet.
Water, sweat and other types of moisture can cause mold and odor. Wetness can also lead to bacteria growth, which is not only bad for your shoes, it's also bad for your feet. There are plenty of ways to clean stinky shoes, such as using baking soda or alcohol. You could also buy a shoe deodorizer, but prevention is best. Use a foot powder if you have sweaty feet.
4) Forgetting to polish leather shoes or wiping mud or dirt off them.
At least twice a month, get in the habit of waxing or polishing your shoes, especially if they are real leather. Like skin, leather needs to be conditioned, sealed and protected so that its texture, color and quality remains intact. You must also remove dirt that sticks to your shoes as soon as you see it, or else it will harden and you won't be able to take it off easily.
5) Forgetting to air shoes out.
Most people think that it's better to protect shoes by keeping them in sealed containers, only to end up being surprised when they see the condition of them when they remove them from the box. Shoes have pores that need to breathe. They shouldn't be enclosed all the time.
