loafer care

General Care
1 - Use shoe trees to maintain the shape of the loafers. Also useful for removing/wicking away moisture from inside the shoes if loafers get wet.
2 - To remove gunk, use an old toothbrush + clean with a rag/t-shirt.
3 - Ideally, leather shoes should rest 24h after every wear with shoe trees inserted when not being worn to maximize longevity of the shoes.
4 - If your leather shoes are worn often, you should polish them once a month or so.

Polishing
1 - Before applying polish, clean the surface of the loafers using a clean rag or old t-shirt.
2 - When applying polish, use a (different) rag or t-shirt and wrap around two fingers. Apply evenly in small circles and small amounts!
3 - Wait 10-15 minutes while the polish is drying.
4 - Brush the surface of the leather using a horsehair brush to remove any excess polish.
note: if you own multiple leather shoes, keep different brushes for different colored shoes.

Got wet loafers?
1 - If the outside leather is soaked with rain, rinse it off with tap water to prevent white marks from appearing.
2 - The only thing that can protect the leather from rain is wax! Put a layer on when you know it's gonna rain to prevent the rain from getting inside the leather.
3 - For additional protection against the rain, you can hydrate the undersole with some vegetal grease (it is thicker than wax).
note: Be aware that if you do so you should leave the loafer rested on its side for at least 24h so the grease can absorb properly and your shoes won't slide around when walking.
4 - Putting wax on the welted portion of the loafer (between the shoe upper and the outsole), can also help prevent water from getting in the Goodyear stitches (the stitches that keep the welted portion secure).

maintenance tips from my j.m weston sales associate + the internet