Nothing makes your dress shoes feel less than perfect like a sharp crease. Whether it’s the weather or the wrong fit causing creases, the distracting line ultimately downgrades your look.
Fortunately, creases do not have to be a death sentence for your favorite dress shoes. After all, leather is one of the most durable shoe materials when it comes to long-term use.
Moreover, creases are a common and fixable issue.
Here at FootFitter, we compiled a list of ways you can avoid dreadful dress shoe creases. From sizing to the use of shoe trees and horns, there are plenty of options to cut the creasing problem. In addition, we’ll break down ways to restore currently creased shoes back to their correct form.
How to prevent creasing
Preventing creases starts in the shoe store. However, how you wear, store, and care for your shoes equally matters. Keep reading for tips on how to better prevent creases from creeping on to your shoes.
Buy the correct size
While it may sound beneficial to get a slightly bigger size in an attempt to make your shoes last longer, buying shoes that are too big can harm the appearance.
After all, a bigger shoe means more room in the toe box. This is the area that is most likely to crease as your foot flexes.
In general, snug shoes will better hold your feet and shoes in their proper positions when walking around.
In addition to size, paying attention to the style of dress shoe you’re buying can help you prevent future creasing. For example, whole cut dress shoes are more likely than brogues to develop creases.
Shoe horns
The catch-22 when you opt for tighter shoes is that they can crease if you’re struggling to pull them on and force your heels in.
The solution to avoiding creases and discomfort for tighter shoes comes with the use of a shoe horn.
Depending on the length you choose, a shoe horn will help you pull on snug shoes with ease while sitting or standing. The horn pulls back the heel of your dress shoe to allow your foot easier sliding access.
Avoid too much moisture
Now that you’ve bought the perfect pair and pulled them on, it’s time to turn your attention to where you wear them.
Added moisture in the air and water on the ground can also cause creases. For added environmental and puddle protection, spray your dress shoes with a water and stain repellant before heading outside.
Shoe trees
Added moisture can also pose a threat once you’re back inside the house.
Lingering moisture inside your dress shoes will cause them to develop creases even while they simply sit in your closet.
Using cedar shoe trees helps solve the moisture problem because the wood absorbs the leftover sweat or water.
In addition, shoe trees are ideal for avoiding creases because they hold your shoes’ form without the need for your feet to constantly be in them.
The useful tool will keep your shoes ready-to-go for the next time you choose to wear them. For more about shoe trees check out our blog “Shoe Tree Tips”.
My dress shoes are already creased. What do I do now?
Unfortunately, some of the tips above may be in hindsight. Fear not, if you’re dealing with current creases, there are still methods to restore your favorite pair to its desired form.
Buffing a shoe cream into your dress shoes will help plump up the leather and reduce the appearance of creases. Like creams for your face, creams for your shoes can do wonders on wrinkles.
In addition, slipping shoe trees into your shoes and applying rotating heat with a blow dryer will help re-shape your pair to its original style.
To keep from harming the leather, make sure to keep the heat moving. Refrain from heating too close to your shoes or staying on one section for too long.
Now that you have FootFitter tips from shop to shoe trees, you are ready to take your favorite dress shoes to the office or out on the town crease-free.
