Don’t wear dirty shoes! Now, this lesson should be pretty obvious but shoe cleaning isn’t as frequent as other types of attire cleaning. Cleaning shoes is more difficult than a t-shirt, they’re constantly exposed to the ground and other elements and, depending on who you are, you may not actually even have a lot of them. But there are also whole movements and scenes around the appreciation and care of shoes, and these are centered on philosophy: Your shoes say a lot about who you are. Let’s take a look at some of the ways your footwear makes a big impression.
How Colorful are Your Kicks?
Are you extravagant or understated? The difference between being an introvert or an extrovert may be noticeable by just looking down toward your feet. That’s not to say that all extroverts wear colorful shoes constantly but even owning and occasionally using an unusually colored pair of shoes can show people just how outgoing you are. You, of course, want to make sure these are well maintained; dirty shoes are bad enough but dirty shoes with bold colors? That’s a bad look! The understated look, however, is more “normal” and is sufficient for more people who use other avenues to express themselves.
Classy vs. Casual
Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean dress shoes but there is a clear distinction between regular old sneakers and something that gives off an air of sophistication. It’s okay to wear Vans or Converse, they often are relatively easy-going shoes for an easy-going individual. More dress or boot-like shoes with materials like suede and leather often require extra maintenance but attract much more attention (without being too flashy). Then we have the high heels: Since ancient times higher heeled shoes have been deemed more attractive by various cultures and have made themselves more of a status symbol than anything else. Sometimes, however, these are worn out of necessity as work culture and business, in general, may warrant the use of high heels over something a little more traditional.
Keeping Dirty Shoes Clean
Now back to the subject of dirty shoes… don’t have them! But it’s, as always, a little more nuanced than just that. Clean shoes do one thing really well: give off a good impression. Most people don’t do too much in regard to shoe upkeep and are relegated to either having tons of pairs to cycle through or sticking to a few and washing when absolutely necessary.
The flipside is, of course, obsessive maintenance but there is a whole shoe culture behind well-maintained kicks so it’s not usually indicative of anything too crazy. The other downside to dirty shoes is the long term viability of your shoes! These things break down when not taken care of for too long, so add some life to them and bring give them a scrub through when you see them start to wear a little, it’ll save you in the long run. Pico Cleaners can help!
So take a little time to take care of your kicks, find your style and express yourself! We at Pico Cleaners feel it’s necessary to make sure your clothing looks the best it can in any situation. Follow our blog for even more on what it takes to keep your clothes clean and follow us on Facebook for all the latest from Pico Cleaners! And, most important, clean those dirty shoes!