5 Ways You’re Ruining Your Shoes (And How To Fix Them)

Getting lazy with your shoe care and maintenance can really affect the look and longevity of your shoe collection. But, the fixes are easy and affordable. Just like we talked about in our closet essentials video, having the right care and organizational items are important for keeping your sneakers, dress shoes, and boots all in great shape and looking sharp.

Here are 5 ways you’re ruining your shoes and how to fix them!

 

1. Not maintaining the overall structure

You don’t want to allow the creases to set in as you store your shoes, it ruins the look and fit over time.

The Fix: Get some shoe trees. This simple accessory is critical for the life and overall look of your shoes. Plastic will work but we recommend cedar ones for durability and odor control.

Picks:

Cedar Shoe Trees

Plastic Shoe Trees

 

2. Not taking care of the leather

Unconditioned leather gets brittle, cracked and loses it’s longevity over time if not properly taken care of on a regular basis. This goes for all of your dress shoes, and doubly so for your boots since you might be wearing them in inclement weather.

The Fix: Get a proper shoe care kit and condition your shoes 1 to 2 times per year, more depending on where you live and what kind of weather you deal with.

Picks:

Conditioning Kit

Polish Kit

Deluxe Set With Valet

 

3. Not cleaning your sneakers

Dirty shoes don’t go unnoticed so even your sneakers need a little TLC every once in a while.

The Fix: Bare minimum, take a damp cloth and wipe your sneaks down once a week. About once a month, give then a proper cleaning with a sneaker cleaning kit. We recommend the great sneaker-specific cleaning kits and wipes below to keep your white sneakers looking fresh and clean. Also, a Magic Eraser will do wonders to your white leather sneakers.

Picks:

Sneaker Cleaning Kit

Sneaker Wipes

Magic Eraser

 

4. Ruining the backs of your shoes

When you’re stomping or stuffing your feet into your shoes will result in smashing the backs of your shoes. Over time this can cause irreversible damage to the structure and leather.

The Fix: Get a shoehorn. It will make your life easier and prevent this kind of damage. Pro tip: The longer the better so you don’t have to bend as much. Trust me, you’ll appreciate this.

Picks:

Plastic Shoe Horn (from the video)

Wood Shoe Horn

 

5. Allowing your shoes to get stinky

Do we really need to explain why stinky shoes are a problem? We hope not.

The Fix: Cedar blocks or balls, or, even better, cedar shoe trees all can help control odors and absorb moisture which can ruin the interior lining of your shoes.

Picks:

Cedar Blocks

Cedar Balls

Cedar Shoe Trees

 

Top 3 Men’s Shoes For Summer

Warm weather and summer events make for special shoe demands, so you want to be prepared with the right summer footwear. You want shoes that are going to keep you cool and also look stylish with your summer looks. One caveat before we jump in though: while you may be tempted to wear flip flops all summer, don’t do it! Unless you’re headed to the pool or beach you should be wearing a proper shoe, so keep them in the closet unless there’s water present.

Don’t forget to check out all of our picks below!

 

 

 

Boat Shoes

A summer classic, these are great all around casual shoes. Stick with the classic style in leather and look for colors like brown, tan, navy, or grey. Despite what you may have seen, these aren’t meant to be dressed up though, only wear these with shorts and very casual chino outfits.

Boat Shoe Picks:

Sperry

L.L. Bean

Rancourt & Co.

 

Espadrilles

A stylish warm weather canvas shoe, espadrilles are very lightweight and breathable. These look great with everything from shorts to chinos and you can get them in solid colors or go for a fun pattern.

Espadrille Picks:

Soludos

Diegos

Castaner

 

Suede Driving Mocs

A great casual shoe with a little more polish, you can wear driving mocs with everything from shorts to chinos and a blazer. I recommend these in suede over leather because in the warmer months leather can just look a bit to heavy and formal. Two rules about drivers I always see guys break: never wear them with a suit (too casual), and always wear them without socks or with no-show socks.

Suede Driving Moc Picks:

Tod’s 1

Tod’s 2

M. Gemi

Budget-Friendly

Dorian’s Outfit

Floral Shirt

5 Reasons Why Women Hate Nike Jordans

We had to do it, so get ready.  Today we’re discussing one of our most, well, controversial topics.  Believe us, we’ve got good reasons why these are sneakers that no man should own.  Here are 5 Reasons Why Women Hate Jordans.

  1. They make your legs and feet look really stubby – No matter what type of pants you wear with them, they’re just not flattering.

  2. They make men look immature – The sportiness of these sneakers makes most men look like little boys, a phase you should have grown out of.

  3. They show a lack of financial responsibility – Jordans are expensive and it leads to women wondering how much a man spent on them.  We’re also probably wondering what other, more responsible places he probably should have spent that money on.

  4. It’s hard to take you seriously – Similar to point #2, it’s hard to take a man seriously when they’re wearing Jordans. They’re just not something stylish men should wear.

  5. Jordan fans are very passionate/obnoxious – We get it, you love Jordans, and most fans won’t shut up about them. But the truth is, we honestly don’t care.

All this being said…HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! Don’t worry, we actually don’t hate Jordans that much, just make sure you wear them with the right casual items and be aware of point #1 if you’re on the shorter/broader side.

Should Men Wear Black Sneakers?

In this week’s 2 Minute Tuesday, we’re talking black sneakers. Our viewer Ryan inquired about how to wear them properly and which ones are best, so, we’re here to help. Don’t forget to check out our black sneaker picks below!

Black Sneaker Tips

  1. Keep the rest of your outfit minimal and simple – Black sneakers are quite heavy on the eye so you want things that are understated to wear with them.
  2. Only wear with grey, white and black – Keep colors simple too, other brighter colors will clash and create a look that’s too aggressive.
  3. Opt for white-soled black sneakers – As an alternative, white-soled black sneakers give you more versatility with what colors and styles you can wear since they are a bit lighter on the overall look.

Black Sneaker Picks

Designer:

Common Projects

Givenchy

Prada

Adidas x Raf Simmons

Budget-Friendly:

Koio 1

Koio 2

Adidas

Vans

5 Men’s Shoe Styles Women Love

By now you know how important a strong shoe rotation is to your overall wardrobe.  As we talked about in our previous video, Shoes Women Hate, your footwear is a big part of what women notice about your right off the bat. Outside of choosing the right style, it’s important to keep in mind that you also need to wear the right shoe for the right occasion, too formal or too casual a shoe with the wrong outfit can throw off your entire look.

In this video, we’re going to flip the coin and run down the key styles that women will really notice.  From sneakers to dress shoes, here are 5 shoe styles women love.

5 Shoe Styles Women Love

1. Casual Leather Sneakers – Classic and versatile, they go with almost every casual outfit. Just make sure to keep them clean! White, Gray, Tan, Black.

  1. Penny Loafers – Another classic, they elevate every casual outfit with a little bit of polish. Wear them with denim, chinos, and even dressier business casual outfits.

  2. Chelsea Boots – These boots are super sleek and sexy, a perfect fashion-forward item to give your wardrobe a little bit of edge. Leather or suede works.

  3. Classic Lace Up Dress Shoes – When you’re dressed to the nines the wrong shoe can absolutely ruin how awesome your suit looks. Stick to a clean, classic oxford in dark brown, it looks powerful and professional. Don’t forget to keep them shined.

  4. Lace Up Boots – A nice boot looks amazing with denim or chinos and is a great way to add a bit of ruggedness to your wardrobe.

5 Men’s Shoe Styles Women Hate

It’s a fact that one of the first things a woman notices about you is your shoes.  So obviously it’s important to make sure your shoe game is on point. We always talk about how important it is to regularly clear out old and out of style items, and shoes are no different.  Shoes are a key part of your overall look, and a few wrong choices or out of date items can easily ruin an otherwise great look. 

Here are Ashley’s picks for 5 Men’s Shoe Styles That Women Hate!

5 Shoe Styles Women Hate

  1. Square toed dress shoes
    Out of date and out of style, get rid of them right now. Get yourself a proper pair of dress shoes instead.

4. White loafers or loafers with contrasting stitching
Your loafers should always have same-color stitching and white loafers are another out of date style nobody should wear. Try our Loafer Guide for better options.

3. Chunky basketball/gym sneakers
The gym or basketball court is fine but outside of that, these shouldn’t be worn with casual clothing. White sneakers or dress sneakers are a much better look.

2. Rubber flip flops
Unless you’re at the beach or pool these aren’t a good look.

1.Slides
Keep them to the bathroom or inside the house, nobody should see these!

Worth It? Nike J.Crew Killshot 2

As I’ve mentioned before, solid white sneakers are a casual staple that no man should be without. Over the past few years the Nike for J.Crew Killshots have gotten very popular, so we wanted to discuss whether they’re actually worth the $100 price tag or not.

Pros

-Great, vintage/classic design.

-A versatile basic color scheme with blue, white and gray.

-I like the vintage look of the Nike logo back detail.

Cons

-The gum sole – I’m not a fan.

-Better looking alternatives available – they’re basically a white sneaker with a really weird colored sole that gets even worse as they get worn and dirty.

-Price is high relative to similar shoes.

Verdict

Nike Killshot 2’s are not worth it.

Better alternatives to the Nike J.Crew Killshot 2

Nike Tennis Classic In White

Onitsuka Tiger GSM

 

Reebok Classic MEMT

 

Reebok Classic Club C 85

New Balance 288

Adidas Gazelle

New Balance 791

Adidas Stan Smith

Nike Blazer Low ID