A well-dressed person is always aware of how they present themselves. This means looking polished from head to toe, and that definitely includes your footwear. It’s a common problem for shoe owners to worry about how to walk without creasing their shoes, but with a few simple tips, you can be on your way to avoiding this fashion faux pas. Read on for our advice on mastering this tricky art!
You might be surprised to see just how poorly you were treating your shoes before and how long they will last once you follow these steps.
How To Keep Shoes From Creasing When Walking?
Let’s get one thing straight right off the rip: shoes should crease. They are made that way on purpose. Walking is what forms the design. The materials have to stretch in some areas and bend in others. Some creasing is inevitable over time.
If you’re looking for some miracle cure to stop shoes from creasing entirely, your best bet is to never to wear them or not to avoid walking in them.
Still, there’s good news. There are ways to slow down the creasing process.
If you want a quick fix that you can implement immediately without doing anything else, it’s not walking on your toes. The more you lean forward and walk on your toes, the more creases form in your shoes. Creases cluster around the toe of the shoe, as that is the part that has to be the most flexible.
Some people tend to walk heavily on their toes. They land on the ball of their foot, not the heel. It’s common with people who love pushing with their calf instead of thigh.
The quick fix to how to walk without creasing your shoes is to stop walking on your toes. For many people, this doesn’t accomplish much. You don’t want to walk around zombie-like and unable to move your feet. That’ll cause more problems in the long run.
Thankfully, there are other things you can do. Let’s dive a little deeper into shoe care. You might find yourself with a different perspective on footwear after all is said and done.
How to Not Crease Shoes?
If there is one thing to take away from this article, know this: it’s all about the shoe. Most products are the sum of their parts. If you put in quality work and materials, you get quality products. If you put in junk, you’re going to junk back.
If you want to purchase shoes that won’t crease, start looking for two factors when buying a new pair:
- Quality
- Fit
To avoid creasing, choose high-quality shoes and make sure they fit well. If you start by purchasing shoes that meet these two criteria, which isn’t always easy, you’ll be off to a good start.
Quality
In a world with questionable manufacturing practices and uncertain brand names, finding high-quality shoes can be a challenge.
But there are things you can look out for. Off-brand products will generally be of lower quality. Premium products often utilize premium materials. That isn’t a golden rule, but a general one that’s fairly reliable.
Some general rules for checking shoe quality:
- Many high-quality shoes tend to be stitched, not glued, together.
- The inside lining should be clean with minimal to no faults.
- Always check for symmetry
- Inspect the material of the shoe. Is it the best version of this material?
- Keep in mind that a higher percentage of plastic usually means lower quality.
Fit
Shoes that fit well are much less likely to crease severely. If they are snug on your entire foot, the material doesn’t need to bunch up as much. The shoes will stay in good shape for longer. On the other hand, poorly fitting shoes will crease with hardly any movement.
What Does Creasing Your Shoes Mean?
Humans tend to read the stories in lines. Fault lines speak of centuries of geological history. Wrinkles in our skin, as much as we try and fail to avoid them, are monuments to our age and experience. And, for those that believe, palm readings announce our true destiny.
So when you see that your shoes are full of creases, you might find yourself asking, “What does creasing your shoes mean? What story does it tell?”
For a small group of people, creases tell the tale of intentionally making the shoes look old. It’s like the vintage denim jeans applied to the footwear industry. But that’s a rare take in a world that generally sees worn-out shoes as something to be looked down on.
For most people, creasing your shoes says that you’re doing something wrong. Creases are a sign of poor wealth, poor hygiene, or even just a signal that you don’t take care of your possessions. In reality, that’s not necessarily the case. As we’ve already found out, any movement in any shoes will cause creasing.
Social stigma is a beast to fight against. How can you win this battle and tell your actual story?
If you want your shoes to look great and not break down quickly, you can’t wear them all the time. Even if they’re your favorite, do not wear the same shoes every day. That rule bears repeating. Do not wear the same pair of shoes every day. Wearing your favorite pair of shoes every day will cause them to crease rapidly and will wear out the soles.
What causes the rapid degradation of shoes worn daily? Is it just the wear and tear from being worn? Or is it something else?
It’s something else: moisture. By giving your shoes a chance to rest, they can shed excess moisture and respond to movement without creasing or breaking. Wear and tear can play a part, certainly, but moisture is the silent killer. Moisture buildup can cause the material to expand or shrink when it dries or encourage mold growth.
Protect against moisture by avoiding it while walking, conditioning your shoes before use, and letting them dry completely for multiple days before wearing them again. Protecting your feet can also protect your shoes.
Get a second pair of your favorite shoes if you must, but don’t wear the same shoes every day, especially if you want them to last long and look good.
Things To Put In Your Shoes So They Don’t Crease
We’re not finished yet, there’s still more you can do.
Taking care of your shoes means that you treat them with proper conditioner. That varies depending on the material they’re made from. But with all materials—leather, suede, or canvas—there are products you can use.
Material Overview
For suede shoes, this usually means using a pre-use conditioner and water repellent. Suede is not material made for abuse. Rub on some suede conditioner and let it dry before wearing them.
Approximately every 30 to 60 days, you should condition leather shoes before use and do so regularly. Many oils, shoe shines, and other products keep leather shoes at their peak performance.
Canvas is designed to bend, so these are the shoes you shouldn’t have to worry about too much. But it’s essential to keep them clean. If we compare a shoe to a shirt, consider that a shirt covered in dirt and muck will wrinkle much easier than one that just came out of the dryer. It’s the same principle. Dirty shoes hold moisture, stain, and damage the materials.
Knowing the purpose of the products you use is a vital part of maintaining your shoes.
Shoe Cream, Wax, and Leather Conditioner
Creams, waxes, and conditioners might share some similar properties, but they’re fundamentally different.
You might have heard of “shoe shiners”. Shoe creams and shoe polishes fall under this category. As you might have guessed, they make your shoes shinier, but they do more than just that. Both products usually have some sort of heavy pigment in them that covers any surface-level defects your shoes may have.
This is different from leather conditioner, which doesn’t often shine the shoe but instead restores the oils within the leather, keeping the shoe soft and supple while providing a layer of moisture protection. The downside to the conditioner is that it might highlight imperfections by inadvertently darkening them.
Waxes are a lot more like creams than conditioners. Waxes are shoe shiners, as well, but they tend not to have any of the oils or recoloring properties of creams. Shoe wax gives a shoe a hard shine and provides a layer of protection from moisture, light, scuffing, and scratches.
Be careful not to apply too much wax, however, as that can make the shoe inflexible and cause the wax to crack, which just looks uglier than a crease would.
Shoe Trees
You can also use shoe trees. Shoe trees are devices used to put in shoes when you don’t wear them.
The best ones are cedar. It wicks away moisture while keeping shoes in their proper form. They’re the gold standard of shoe trees. Using them will take away that moisture while providing the perfect support.
Plastic shoe trees are also a worthwhile investment if you don’t want to use cedar. They’re not quite as helpful, but they do work.
Why Do Shoes Crease?
Creasing occurs for many reasons. If you’ve already followed every suggestion here and still can’t figure out why your shoes are creasing, then we’re here for you.
Aside from how shoes must move and the fabric must bend, why does any shoe crease? Discounting moisture, fit, and quality, what else could be wrong?
They might crease because you’re hurting the shoes! Don’t let shoes sit in a pile without protection. They should be cared for with some breathing room, without being smothered by other things. Your shoes should be well-organized.
Another problem is that sometimes shoes are difficult to put on. They can be challenging to step into. It can cause you to put pressure on the front of the heel and twist around, creasing every which way, until that heel finally slips into place.
That’s why shoehorns were invented. Using them can help keep your shoes in excellent condition, crease-free, and ready to tackle your big day. Shoehorns aren’t just for hospital visits.
How to Not Crease Your Shoes Without Crease Protectors?
Crease protectors exist. Yes, after all this time, I’m only just letting you know. But here’s the deal: they’re just miniature shoe trees designed to be worn under the shoe as you walk. Some people swear by them, but others despise them.
They aren’t perfect and can be uncomfortable. Plus, they can stretch out your shoes. And they can even be a sign that your shoes have too big. Hence the preference for shoe trees.
There’s one other way to not crease your shoes without crease protectors: heat. Heat applied gently can smooth out deep wrinkles and creases in your shoes.
You can do this one of two ways. Both can melt your shoes and burn your skin, so use some caution. But you can iron or blow-dry some creases out of shoes.
To iron creases out of your shoes, follow these simple steps:
- Fill the interior shoes with paper to keep their shape.
- Set the iron to a low setting.
- Cover the shoes in a damp, smooth cloth.
- Gentle rub the warm iron over the damp cloth.
- Repeat for 3-10 second intervals as needed.
To use a blow dryer, follow the same steps and use low heat while moving the shoes around rapidly. Either option will likely remove some of the creases. For those deep. scar-like wrinkles, they’ve probably made their home in your shoe and aren’t looking to move out any time soon. Now, though, you know how to avoid those wrinkles in your next pair.
How To Keep Shoes From Creasing When Walking
Trying to discover how to walk without creasing your shoes is basically like figuring out how to move while staying still. At the end of the day, some creases will happen. But let’s recap all of the ways you can prevent this.
The first quick fix is to put less weight on your toes. That’s easier said than done, but it might be the wake-up call some people need. Make sure your heel strikes the ground first when you walk.
The second fix is to ensure that your shoes are quality shoes and that they are a solid fit. Cheap shoes will crease, break down, and generally look bad after a short time. High-quality are made from materials that will last. They will also probably fit you better. Proper fitting shoes are key to avoiding excess creasing when you walk.
Thirdly, battling moisture is an essential aspect of shoe care. You want to make sure you have multiple pairs of shoes to give them a rest and let them dry. Get shoe trees, cedar if you can, to keep their shape while letting them rest and dry.
Finally, use a conditioner to protect the shoes from the elements. A small barrier can make a big difference. And, failing that, using heat can be a fast way to return some smoothness to your shoes.
Are you ready for your shoes to look like they just came right out of the high-starch press at the dry cleaners? Remember these tips and you will be.
