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CARE GUIDE


Care Guide
 

HOW TO LOVE AND LAST

With our Care Guide, we want to show you how to best care for your favourite shoes so that they will last as long as possible. 

Terhi Pölkki as a brand stands for high-quality and long-lasting shoes. We design our products to be both durable and as sustainable as possible. That is why we want to highlight the importance of shoe care and help you to maintain your shoes in good condition for the long haul.

General tips for Terhi Pölkki shoes:

  • Your newly bought shoe pair might feel a bit stiff in the beginning because they haven't adjusted to your own feet. The leather will quickly start to soften in use and the shoes will soon be adjusted to your right fit.
  • Don't wear same shoes everyday. Give them some rest as well by changing your shoe pair daily.
  • Keep shoe trees or crumpled tissue paper inside your shoes when you're not wearing them. This will help to maintain the original shoe shape and prevent creases and cracking.
  • Clean, condition and protect your shoes when ever needed.

 
Follow our Shoe Care Guide below on how to care for your shoes

1. CLEAN
Cleaning will remove all the excess dirt and dust in your shoes. Start off by taking a cloth that has been dipped in water. Gently go through the shoes with the cloth.

Smooth leather shoes
After using water and a cloth, take a shoe brush and gently brush your shoes with it. Horsehair brush is the best for smooth leather shoes because it is sturdy but soft enough to not scratch the leather.

Suede & Nubuck shoes

For suede and nubuck shoes, use a dry cleaning kit that includes a brush and a cleaning stone.

Lightly brush the stained areas in one direction. Make sure the suede/nubuck leather is completely dry before you start brushing it. If brushing doesn't remove all the stains, rub the cleaning stone over the stains until they are gone.

 

If the shoes are still dirty, use a cleaning foam which can be used on all shoe materials. Shake the bottle well. Pump foam out onto a damp cloth. Clean the shoe using circular motions and allow it to dry naturally. If necessary, polish smooth leather with a cloth and brush suede and nubuck with a suede brush.

Use the cleaning foam at least every 4th or 5th time you're doing shoe care. It will remove all the old product remains and enable the shoe to better take in new products. 

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2. CARE & CONDITION

Leather needs regular conditioning so that it doesn't dry out and start cracking. Condition your shoes with a delicate shoe cream that will moisturize the leather.

Smooth leather shoes

For smooth leather shoes use a clear delicate cream. It is especially well-suited for our Mila, Brandon and Jade shoes but can be used for all smooth leathers. Apply thin and even layer and rub off immediately with a soft cloth. Leave to dry.
 

3. POLISH & PROTECT

The next step is to polish and protect. Use our signature shoe wax which is made in Sastamala, Finland. The wax is especially made for our winter shoes such as Ola and Chelsea boots. It contains 100% natural ingredients.

Apply with soft cloth smoothly over the surface. The wax is not suitable for suede or nubuck leathers.
 

The final step is to protect the shoes with a waterproof spray. The spray can be used on all shoe materials. The spray is biodegradable water based and has Swedish Miljöval ecolabel mark. It doesn't include propellants nor fluorcarbon compounds.

Shake the bottle before use. Spray an even and thin layer from a 15 cm distance, preferably outdoors. Do not soak the surface. Leave to dry for 24 hours.
 

4. REMOVING SALT STAINS FROM YOU SHOES

It is imperative that you remove salt quickly from your leather shoes, as salt will dry out your leather shoes and can cause cracking or creasing.

To remove salt from a leather shoe:

-Make a solution that is two parts water and one part vinegar.

-Dampen a clean cloth with the solution and gently wipe the shoe.

-Remove the solution with a cloth dampened with clean, pure water.

-Make sure the shoe fully dries out, as you do not want the leather to be soaked in water for long. 
 

STORAGE BETWEEN SEASONS 

Storage shoes in shoe boxes if possible. Protect them from the sun and dust. Put clean newspaper inside your shoes to keep them shaped during storage. Avoid any plastic bags as leather shoes dry and can be damaged. Avoid basements and attics with humidity and temperature changes.

Read also our guide on how to measure your shoe size from here.

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