Shoe Diva's Ruby Slipper Society

Shoe Diva thinks she takes pretty good care of her shoes.  Excellent care, in fact.  Never would she have guessed that at times she actually abuses her beloved shoes.  Imagine her horror when—after reading Ferragamo’s Golden Rules of Shoe Care—she realized she could be accused of mistreating her shoes.  Who knew?

While these rules pertain primarily to the care of men’s shoes, we could all be more mindful of the manner in which we treat our shoes, especially in economic times like these.  So, here, for our mutual edification, are the 8 Golden Rules of Shoe Care:

1. A new pair of shoes should never be worn for many consecutive hours. Once your feet are completely accustomed to the shoes, you can begin to wear them all day.
2. Never wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. Let them rest for at least a day before wearing them again.
3. Always use a shoehorn when putting on your shoes.
4. Before removing a lace-up shoe, loosen the laces completely so the shoe slips off more easily.
5. Once shoes are taken off, insert the made-to-measure shoetrees.
6. Shoetrees should also be used when shoes are wet from rain or snow. In this case, the shoes should not be rested on the soles but on their sides, and left to dry for an entire day.
7. Each time you wear a pair of shoes they should be cleaned and polished, even when they still look shiny.
8. If a pair of shoes aren’t worn for some time, coat them with a thin layer of polish, put them in the cloth sack provided, and keep them soles down in a box.

Shoe Diva routinely ignores # 3, 5, 7, and 8.  How do you measure up?  Do you think we should declare these rules N/A for women?

image credit: dchogeland