Weather Protecting and Proofing Your High Heels for any Season

Spring, summer, fall and winter…  no matter what season, they all place their own unique set of high heel damaging elements at your feet.  Rain leads to water damage and heel sinking.  Snow leads to salty sidewalks and corrosion.  Summer can both dry out the moisture in your heels or in areas of high humidity, add too much.  Protecting and weather proofing your shoes will prevent damage and greatly extend their life!  We love our shoes too much to not keep them beautiful!   Here are the most important tips that will keep your stilettos free of weather damage and in the best condition year round:

1. Choose the right weather and season appropriate materials for your high heels.  

Lets face it.  Not all materials are weather friendly.  Fabric materials such as canvas, suede and satin may just not be the best choice for wet or slushy days.   Leather tends to be stronger, durable and more water and stain resistant than other materials.  On the downside it’s less breathable than fabric shoes, making your feet sweaty during the hot and humid months.  Choose your high heels wisely that best suit the day’s weather report.  

2. Keep your high heeled shoes clean!

Even if they look clean, trust me, those black pumps are just hiding it well.  Clean your heels regularly.  Cleaning them removes harsh elements like dirt, sand, and salt that build up and can corrode and scuff your favorite pair of Jimmy Choos.  Follow the cleaning instructions carefully before cleaning shoes made out of materials like fabric, satin, suede or velvet that can actually become damaged if you were to try to clean them yourself with water.  

Leather heels are actually the easiest to keep clean!  There are a wide variety of leather cleaners out there but it’s best to use one specifically for shoe leather!

3. Keep your heels conditioned always!

Happy leather is leather that is moisture rich.  Rain, heat, cold and other elements can chip away and damage the protective layer on your heels causing them to dry out and weaken.  This will lead to cracks, holes, scuffs and tears in your shoes.  Keeping your shoes soft and conditioned is one of the absolute best ways to help them defend themselves from the elements.  Conditioning softens and strengthens the leather and adds a protective coating, all of which will keep your shoes from wearing out quickly and from sustaining damage on daily wear.  Conditioning your heels after exposure to harsh conditions is twice as important.  Always clean your shoes before conditioning!

Solemates have an absolutely amazing leather shoe conditioner!  It comes in two forms - Solemates Leather Salve and Solemates Leather Cream both of which help to restore your shoes to their to their original condition and luster, while creating a waterproof barrier that protects your heels from sustaining further damage.  

Best of all, they are 100% natural without any harsh chemicals or ingredients that could damage your skin or clothes.  A must have item for all heel lovers and shoe addicts.  You can pick them up here:

4. Protective shoe spray

Sometimes your shoes need a little help, especially as they age!  Protective sprays are the way to go. These sprays are made for all types of shoe materials, leather, suede, fabric, to help keep your high heels looking their best.  The shoe sprays add a protective barrier that helps to repel stains, dirt, salt, water and whatever else comes your way!

Solemates All Weather Protector and Solemates Protect are the perfect shoe protector sprays to have on hand at all times.  They don’t contain harsh chemicals and are odor free, providing an invisible layer of protection that is definitely worth every penny.  

You can get them here:

5. Shoe buffer

You can’t call yourself a high heel lover if you don’t have one of these in your drawer!    Shoe buffers are a necessity for the daily care and maintenance of the health and beauty of your shoes!  You wash the dirt off yourself daily, and your high heels demand the same TLC!  These handy tools are used for restoring shine to your shoes by removing impurities, stains and other debris from the surface without damaging your shoes.  

Solemates have a a fantastic Shoe Buffer that fits right in the palm of your hand and is very easy to use.  An essential item to restoring shine and protecting your best set of boots or open toed sandals from nature’s harshest elements.  

You can get Solemates Buff here:

6. Heel Caps

What better way to save your heels from stains and scuffs is to prevent them from happening in the first place.  Solemates High Heelers are the perfect fix-it to preventing and weather-proofing your shoes, while adding additional stability to your heel, no matter what the season brings.  

Solemates High Heelers are heel caps that go on the tip of your heels.  They prevent your heels from sinking into soft springtime soil or icy and winter soaked sidewalk cracks.  Great for added stability on all occasions, High Heelers not only protect you through every season but over every terrain imaginable.  Best of all, they are discrete and barely detectable, and won’t take away from your shoe’s natural glamor!  No high heels should be without!  

Grab a pair, or 3 here!