When you get a brand-new pair of athletic shoes you want them to last forever.
They may look bright and shiny now, but they won’t stay that way for very long if you don’t look after them.
Maintaining your athletic shoes is essential to keeping up your performance. After all, you can’t keep in shape without the right equipment.
Make sure you choose athletic shoes that are the right size for your feet and provide you with the necessary support.
You can make sure you get the most mileage out the shoes with these essential 6 tips for properly maintaining athletic shoes. Keep reading to find out more.
1. Pre-Running Protection
Before you step out of the house in your shiny new athletic shoes, you need to apply shoe protection to extend their life.
The shoe protection that needs to be applied depends on the material of the shoes.
Just like with leather furniture, you can use mink oil. This will lubricate and soften the leather. This will provide you with water resistance.
For the suede parts of the shoes, try a silicone protective spay. This is also appropriate for synthetic leather.
Finally, for any remaining nylon or canvas parts, try a fabric protector for upholstery materials.
By protecting your shoes before you go out running, you’ll significantly extend their lifetime.
2. Post-Running Airing
Now that you know what to do before you go running, let’s take a look at what techniques you can use to maintain your shoes after running.
Straight away after you’ve finished your exercising, you need to air the shoes. However, simply leaving them on the floor waiting for you next time isn’t enough.
The first thing to do is loosen the laces of the shoes. Do this all the way to the toes. After this, pull out the tongue upwards to open up the shoe.
Now you need to remove the insole. Now you can hang this on a clothesline or drying rack.
Occasionally you may need to wash the insoles in the sink with washing up liquid and water before leaving to dry. Once dry, refit the insoles into the shoes.
Now you’re ready to go running without smelly shoes.
3. Regularly Brush
You’ll need to purchase a brush with stiff and hard hairs. These are often available at shoe stores.
This can be used to brush away bits of dirt and leaves. You need to thoroughly cover the sole and the sides of the shoe to make sure there’s nothing left.
This may seem excessive. But if there is a piece of gravel trapped in the sole of the shoes, it could have an effect on the performance.
Be careful not to brush too hard because you could also damage the exterior of the shoe.
4. Wash the Laces
Many people don’t realize that you can wash laces of shoes. You can do this at the same time as when you wash the insoles of the shoe.
However, make sure you wash the laces first so that the laces don’t absorb the smells of the insoles.
After this, all you need to do is stretch the laces out and leave them to dry next to your insoles.
Your laces usually won’t last quite as long as your athletic shoes. If you notice wear and tear when you’re running or maintaining the shoes, make sure you replace them. You won’t be able to perform at your best with broken laces.
5. Only Wash (Now and Then) by Hand
If there is one rule you take away from this list it is – never, ever put your sports shoes in the washing machine!
It may be ok with other types of sneakers but not with athletic shoes. This type of shoe is not designed to withstand the treatment of the washer.
Instead, always wash your shoes by hand. You can use a wet cloth to remove any dirt marks on the shoes.
However, even with this in mind, it’s important not to wash the shoes too often. You only need to wash your shoes now and then. That means at the most just once per week.
You may also be able to find that there are specific instructions on how to clean your athletic shoes.
The way you wash the shoes also depends on the material. It’s important to check this out before applying any water to the exterior of the shoes.
6. Only Wear for Running
You may be tempted to wear your new running shoes for playing soccer, cycling to work, or going to the park with friends.
Athletic shoes are designed for specific activities. Mostly running, but they may also be used for other types of athletics.
If you use the shoes regularly for other types of sports they will definitely wear out quickly. Then you’ll have to invest in another pair of expensive shoes.
Maintaining Your Athletic Shoes
By taking care and protecting your shoes, they can last you for over a year. If you don’t follow these 6 tips, your shoes will be damaged and unwearable in no time at all.
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