Care Dictionary
Aalmond oil
One of the intrinsic ingredients of shoe care is almond oil. The use of top-quality almond oil often makes the difference between a good and an excellent shoe care product. Moreover, it is suitable for many kinds of leather, and creates a soft and smooth look and feel.
Bbeeswax
Beeswax is a natural care ingredient with various positive characteristics that are also good for leather. It cares for the fibres of the animal skin with all of the necessary nutrients, protects it from dirt and prevents it from drying out. It is flexible and also has an impregnating effect. The leather thus remains soft and smooth for a longer time.
Ccushions of gel
High heels are not always comfortable. Several kinds of transparent gel cushions can help to prevent that burning sensation on the ball of the foot, blisters and sore heels.
Ddesodorisation
People who would like to experience a fresher shoe should use a shoe deodorant. Special ingredient combinations enable deodorants to improve a shoe’s hygiene and create a pleasant scent. The feet will therefore feel refreshed, and unpleasant odours are neutralised.
Eequipment
The basic equipment for the perfect shoe care should include a tin or tube of cream in the appropriate leather color and an impregnation spray. For polishing, a brush for bright colors and one for dark colors as well as a soft cloth are essential.
Ffrequent change of shoes
After wearing shoes for many hours, moisture accumulates in the leather. It is therefore recommended to change shoes regularly and to give shoes a ‘break’ of 24 hours before wearing them again. This allows the leather to recover and dry out. Ideally, wooden shoe trees should also be inserted. Varying the shoes that one wears is also beneficial for the feet, ankles and muscles.
Ggreying
Even if you regularly brush velour leather, it may seem to become grey gradually over time. When this happens, it is time to use a color care product for velour and nubuck. Smooth leather may also experience a greying effect within the kick pleat. This may be caused by coats of wax on the leather that were not dyed with the right leather color. For these reasons, you should use color care products.
Hhandbags
Regular care is also important for handbags. People who would like to preserve the beauty of the leather need to care for it. In general, every bag should be impregnated directly after purchasing it and then several times a year. These measures will protect the bag against moisture and have a dirt-repellent effect. Additionally, smooth leather bags should be treated with a leather care lotion. A suede spray is recommended for rough and suede leather bags.
Iicons
It is not particularly easy to understand which materials a shoe is made of – especially when it comes to fashionable shoes. Small pictures, which are usually depicted inside the shoe, can be very helpful. These pictograms explain which materials the sole, upper and lining are made of.
Jjackets
Smooth leather jackets should regularly be treated with a care lotion to infuse the leather with moisture and caring ingredients. In addition, jackets should be impregnated twice a year – at the latest after any contact with water.
Kknowledge about the environment
Erdal products contain natural, skin-friendly waxes, fats and oils. Moreover, the use of untreated natural raw materials is also good for the environment. Erdal is always looking for sustainable production possibilities. By extensively using ecological and renewable raw materials – and by not using solvents – Erdal minimises environmental harm.
Lleather
Leather is made from animal skin. Using different methods and treatments, leather is preserved in a tannery, and this process produces many positive characteristics in the material. Compared to other shoe materials, leather is more elastic and stretchable. It expands and continuously adapts itself to the expansion of the foot during the day. Moreover, leather is more absorbent and breathable than, for example, artificial materials, which cause the foot to sweat.
Mmisguided treatments
There are several tips and tricks for leather care, but many of them can be more damaging than helpful. It is better not to use butter, olive oil, or banana peels, etc. to avoid causing stains or the development of mildew. Skin creams and cow’s milk are not suitable as care products – nor is white wine as a stain remover.
Nnew shoes
In general, it is recommend to impregnate new shoes and to treat them with a suitable shoe cream if needed. It doesn’t matter whether the shoes are made of leather or textile materials. You can thus be sure that the shoes will be well protected against dirt and wetness.
Ooutward appearance
The perfect outfit makes your day. But the perfect outfit requires the perfectly suitable pair of shoes. It is obvious that the shoes complete the outfit. Looking at somebody’s shoes says a lot about this person’s taste. Shoes should therefore always be chosen wisely and be perfectly cared for.
Ppolish
After using shoe cream, leather appears dull and needs to be made shiny again – with polishing. To achieve a nice shine, it is helpful to wait two or three minutes after applying the cream, and then to use a soft brush or a soft lintless cloth to gently polish the leather with light rotary movements.
Qquality
For perfectly cared-for shoes, it is important to use high-quality shoe care products. Shoe care products from Erdal care for and nourish leather with high-quality ingredients like almond oil and beeswax as well as modern high-tech formula components.
Rrefreshing colors
The appearance of colors may change over time – especially when dealing with smooth leather. The pigments contained in color shoe care products revive fading colors and cover small scratches.
Ssuede
Rough leather is the generic term for all kinds of leathers that have undergone a grinding process on either the front or back. It is therefore characterised by a rough texture. In order to preserve this effect, the leather should be treated with a special suede brush. The designation of rough leather includes nubuck, split velour and suede.
Ttube creams
Smooth leather is a natural product and needs to be regularly cared for with nourishing creams. Regular shoe care is therefore often a must if the shoes are meant to look new for a long time. For robust leather, using shoe cream from a tin is recommended. For more sensitive, smooth leather, a cream in a tube is more appropriate.
Uuse of accessories
There are several kinds of accessories for the treatment of shoes. Natural products like wooden shoe trees, natural-hair brushes, etc. are often more expensive, but they do have big advantages over plastic accessories. To permanently keep a shoe’s shape, a wooden shoe tree should be placed inside the warm shoe to absorb the residual moisture after it has been worn.
Vvaluable oils
Valuable oils like almond oil and nut oil are used in shoe care products to enhance the care abilities of those products. Oils are able to deeply penetrate the leather where they provide softness and elasticity.
Wwetness
Leather shoes in particular are very sensitive to heat and should therefore not be dried in direct sunlight or near a heater. If shoes get wet in rain or snow, you should ideally dry them by placing wooden shoe trees inside them or, if this is not possible, by stuffing them with absorbent newspaper at room temperature.
Xxtra-smooth leather care
The generic term “smooth leather” comprises all kinds of leather that have a smooth surface. This kind of leather is very tough, and also very attractive due to its grained structure. Its appearance and characteristics may vary depending on how it has been treated and on the animal species. Smooth leather includes aniline leather, patent leather, nappa, embossed and soft leather.