How often should you clean your shoes?

Every time you take them off

Let them breathe. Shoving shoes straight into a closed rack while they are still warm is how smell starts. If they got dusty or muddy, a quick brush. Thirty seconds, tops.

Once a week or so

Office shoes and school shoes get a wipe and a buff. Gym and running shoes get the insoles pulled out to air, and a bit of baking soda if they are getting ripe.

Every month or two

A proper clean for anything worn often. For sneakers that means upper, sole and laces. For leather, cleaning and conditioning. This is usually when people notice the smell has crept into the lining, and a quick spray no longer covers it.

Around the monsoon

We push for a deep clean before the rains start, so shoes go in protected, and another after, to get mould and salt out before they go into storage. Suede and nice sneakers that only come out for weddings should be cleaned before they go back in the box, not after.

Our rough rule

If you can smell them, see the dirt from standing height, or the white is not white any more, it is time. Most of the pairs we collect are a few months past that point. They are usually still fine, for what it is worth.