tips

How Long Do Shoes Last?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

It’s one of our biggest questions when it comes to shoes; will this pair last me a lifetime? How long do shoes last depends on a lot of factors. There’s no one rule that fits every pair answer here, instead several considerations come together to shape the answer for each pair.

When assessing how long do shoes last, there is an average figure out there to start from. You can expect a standard pair of regular shoes to last up to a year with substantial use. Runners will find that number even shorter if they do extended training sessions as well as marathons.

What Are The Signs That A Shoe Needs Evaluation?

The insole is a surprising indicator that the shoe has seen better days. Over the course of its lifespan. This important part of shoe will experience direct contact with the foot itself, even if you wear socks. The consistent movement means it will move back and forth. Friction over time is enough to dislodge it from the natural placement. At this point, many wearers just slide it back into place or replace it with a store bought insole. Either choice is fine, but the breakdown of the layer of glue that holds it in place.

Outside of the shoe, the fabric or material itself is a good indication. If colors seem faded, it could be just an appearance issue or it could show you that the shoe needs a bit more attention. The outsoles are crucial to every step and they require your attention, especially if the shoes are for exercise. Check along the sides to see if there are dents or gaps missing from the area. Flip the shoes over to look at the patterns cut into the sole. Those patterns that appear worn down to the base or warped could pose problems later on.

One big issue for shoes is the outsole pulling apart from the shoe itself. Many people think this happens only to lower priced shoes or store brands; the actual answer is this might happen to any shoe regardless of value. It’s a problem that doesn’t just stem from wear and tear either. If a shoe is stored in a certain moisture rich area, rote or other unseen elements can break down the composition.

What Should You Do If Your Shoes Are More Than A Year Old?

Don’t throw away that pair yet; all shoes don’t fit that estimate. If there are noticeable problems that fall into these categories, then by all means sit them out or consider a charitable giveaway. If there doesn’t appear to be any issues and you feel comfortable continuing with them, by all means do so.

Shoes have a life all their own. It all depends on how you use them and the materials that go into their creation. No two pairs are alike and you could find that one pair lasted far longer than the other. As with anything in your closet, keep an eye on how it is stored and used. The best defense on beating that year estimate is with proper care at all times. The simplest steps and observation may be all you need to protect that pair of your favorite shoes.

How to Break In Running Shoes?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

Getting new running shoes is exciting! You’ve gotten yourself fitted, measured, fully advised and tried on several pairs before settling on the ones that’ll best help you hit the pavement. Let’s take a look at how to break in running shoes.

And now you’re ready to start racking up the miles on them. Or are you?

Before you take those brand new running shoes out on your first five-miler, there are a few things you need to do to break them in. Failure to do so will probably result in unneeded pain and frustration.

Tips on How to Break In Running Shoes

1. Wear Them While Walking Around

Although it’s tempting, don’t start running in your new shoes the moment you get them home. Instead, take a few days to wear them while you’re walking around the office or at home. This helps loosen your shoes up.

Walking around in them also helps form the shoe’s sole to the shape of your foot and allows you to spot any loose stitching or seams that might slow down a later run.

Keep in mind that if your shoes start to feel uncomfortable while you’re walking around, they will only get worse when you start running in them. It’s better to return or exchange them now than after they’ve already been used outside on a run.

2. Slowly Phase in Your New Shoes

After you’ve been wearing them for walking around for several days and everything feels good, it’s time to start running in them.

However, it’s important to slowly phase them into your workout. Don’t head out for a ten-mile run the first time you use them. Instead, go on a shorter run and begin to adjust. Then use them two or three times a week, while using your old shoes the other times you run that week.

Continue to phase them in more over the next several weeks until they are the shoes you wear every time.

3. Make Sure They Fit Perfectly

The right running shoe for you needs to fit perfectly from the second you first put them on. The breaking-in process won’t fix problems with how they feel when you initially tried them on.

The reason your break in new shoes is to help prevent any potential problems with the already-great fitting pair of shoes you bought. It’s not to help overcome the problems of shoes that don’t fit properly.

If your new shoes are causing any kind of pain or are uncomfortable for any reason, take them back to where you bought them and find out what’s causing the problem.

4. Other Things to Look for When Breaking in Running Shoes

It’s important to remember that your feet are directly connected with every other part of your body. If your back is causing you pain while you’re breaking in your new running shoes, it could be an issue that the shoes are causing. Your back might hurt even if your feet feel perfectly fine in the shoes.

The same can be true if you experience knee or ankle pain during this time. Pay close attention to how the rest of your body feels when you walk around in your new shoes compared to how it feels wearing your old ones.

Although you’ll want to get the most use out of your new shoes as soon as you can, remember to never skip the process of breaking them in. Once they’re broken in according to your needs, you’ll be able to enjoy years of comfort with every passing mile.

How to Clean Toms Shoes?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

Having to clean Toms shoes is something that you will likely have to do as they are made of material that is comfortable and can easily get dirty. There are different methods on how to clean Toms shoes. There is a certain method that works best for the situation going on with your shoes.

Cleaning Your Shoes by Hand

The first step to cleaning your Toms by hand is to remove all the dirt and debris from your shoes. Use a bristle cleaning brush to get the dirt off your shoes. Make sure you get all of it off. Then go ahead and fill a bowl with one cup of cold water. Add some laundry detergent or a dish soap to the water. Mix up the water and laundry detergent until some small bubbles form on the surface of the water. Then take your scrubbing brush and dip it into the water and detergent mixture. Scrub the outside of your shoes as best you can all over to get all the dirt and grime off. Once it’s clear of dirt, go ahead and lay them somewhere to air dry off. Don’t put your Toms shoes in the dryer. Doing so could cause the fabric on the shoes to shrink and then they may not fit you anymore. Spot treat your shoes with some laundry detergent if there is still some dirty spots on your shoes. Allow your shoes to air dry after spot treating. Following drying, if they are still dirty go ahead and toss them in the washing machine to get a more thorough washing.

How to Clean Toms Shoes in the Washing Machine

For especially dirty Toms shoes you may need to use a washing machine to take care of the stains. To wash your Toms in the washing machine you will need to select the most delicate wash setting on your machine and cold water. The most delicate setting on a washing machine is usually labeled delicates or lingerie. Don’t use as much detergent as you would typically use with a full load of clothes being washed. Instead opt to use about a fourth cup of detergent. Use a gentle detergent and absolutely no bleach. Bleach and strong detergent could destroy your shoes. Run the washer and let your shoes get washed. When your shoes are done in the wash go ahead and put your shoes somewhere so they can air dry. Do not put the shoes into the dryer. After you allow your shoes to dry, then you can go ahead and spot treat your shoes with some dish soap or detergent. Then let the shoes air dry after being spot treated.

One of these options should help you to adequately wash up your Toms shoes so they’re nice and fresh. You can also repeat the washing process for either one of these options. If both options fail, you may need to go shopping for a new pair of fresh Toms shoes. Which isn’t really so bad if you are a fan of the shoewear and want to have some fun searching for a new pair.

How to Disinfect Shoes?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

If your shoes seem to have an odd smell, then you might want to learn about how to disinfect shoes so that they don’t have a lot of bacteria in them and so that they smell fresh.

Keeping your shoes disinfected can often mean preventing the spread of some types of fungus as well including athlete’s foot. When you clean your shoes, you should do so in a way that prevents damage from occurring. If you wash your shoes in a washing machine with laundry detergent, then they will usually get clean. However, you want to add Lysol or another type of disinfectant to the machine to remove as much bacteria as possible.

Aside from the outer areas of your shoes, you also need to clean the insoles. This is where a good bit of bacteria gather, especially if you wear your shoes without any socks or if you wear the same pair of socks for more than one day. After removing your shoes from the washing machine, you should put them in the sunlight to dry as this can help to disinfect them naturally. If you choose to dry them in the dryer, then you need to make sure the heat is turned up high. Remove the laces from your shoes to keep them from getting tangled.

Even though washing your shoes should get them clean, you might notice that there is still an odd smell if they were excessively dirty before washing them. Baking soda can be put inside your shoes to help eliminate odors. You need to keep the baking soda in your shoes until you can no longer smell the odor as it could come back if you clean them too soon. Lemon juice can also be put inside your shoes to remove odors. A product that can remove bacteria is vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is an option to consider that can remove odors while also disinfecting your shoes.

Common materials that need to be cleaned and disinfected by hand because they are a bit more delicate than cloth include leather and suede. Avoid getting these materials too wet as they can deteriorate over time. The color of the material can also become darker. A mixture of soap and warm water can be used to wipe off the surface of shoes that are made of these materials. Avoid putting them in a washing machine as they could come apart.

Rubbing alcohol can be used to disinfect shoes if you don’t have other products on hand. You can use bleach on white shoes, but make sure they have no colors on them as the bleach will usually remove or lighten the color. There are a few deodorizing sprays that can be used as well if you want to clean and disinfect your shoes while making them smell better. You’ll want to clean your shoes based on how often you wear them and what you wear them for as some situations could result in sweating more on your feet, which could then lead to more bacteria and odors developing.

How to Make Shoes Non Slip?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

Wearing slippery shoes is dangerous, especially if you’re at work and have a fast-paced job. Slips and falls are the top reasons why people end up in the emergency room and it’s usually for incidents that could have been prevented. Something like slippery shoes can result in lifelong hip, back or neck pain. This is why you should learn how to make shoes non slip. Check out the simple and helpful tips below.

1. Non-Slip Adhesives

Perhaps the easiest way to make shoes non-slip is by using adhesives that are designed for placement on the soles of both shoes. These small pads should be placed on the bottom of your shoes before you wear them and they can last for a long time. In addition to creating traction so that you don’t slip, adhesives can provide a new level of comfort when walking and make your shoes a lot quieter. Yet another benefit is they can extend the life of your shoes. When learning how to make shoes non slip, adhesives are often preferred because they’re affordable and easy to use.

2. Sandpaper

Sandpaper was invented to make smooth surfaces rough. This is precisely what’s needed to keep you from slipping when you wear new shoes. By using sandpaper on the soles of your shoes, they’ll grip the floor much easier, which adds traction when walking. You can have the benefits of nice new shoes without the slip and fall danger when walking on surfaces that are slippery. You should start out with minimal use of the sandpaper and continue to scuff your shoe soles until you feel stable when walking on slippery surfaces.

It’s important to take your time and be careful not to damage your shoes by overuse of the sandpaper. If you don’t have sandpaper, consider using a nail file because it can serve the same purpose. In fact, some nail files are made using the same materials as sand paper.

3. Shoe Scoring

To score the soles of your slippery shoes, you simply need to use a razor blade to carve horizontal and vertical lines across the entire sole of each shoe. These are not deep lines and they’re only for the purpose of causing friction. The scoring should be done evenly and carefully since you’re using a razor blade. If you make the marks too deep, there’s a chance that it will ruin your shoes. The best part is you don’t have to pay anything if you already have a razor blade.

4. Rubber Glue

If you want another solution using what you may already have at home, consider rubber glue. For this to work, you’ll need to add a small amount of salt to the glue for soles with much more traction. This is a fast solution, but you’ll need to make sure you choose a quality rubber glue.

5. Shoe Adhesive Spray

A simple solution that doesn’t require a lot of time and effort is shoe adhesive spray, which is also called traction spray. This is a spray that creates a rough surface on the soles of your shoes. You will typically only need to use it the first time you wear the shoes. When learning how to make shoes non slip, this is one of the easiest methods because all you have to do is spray the adhesive and give it enough time to dry.

Ensuring all of your shoes are non-slip should be a priority for your own safety. Fortunately, you can use these tips to quickly achieve that goal even if you’ve never learned how to make your shoes non-slip before.