Layla Sargent, CEO of The Seam, a service which specialises in personalised repair for clothes and leather goods, shares some general rules to stick to:
1. Clean proactively. When you come back inside after walking in wet weather, or anywhere that might have transferred marks onto your sneakers, wipe them as soon as possible with a damp sponge or cloth. Removing surface dirt before it has a chance to dry on your sneakers is the best way to minimise abrasion, especially on leather, to remove marks.
2. Change the laces. A quick way to spruce up a well-worn-looking pair of sneakers is to change up the laces. You can remove the laces, and most pairs can be washed in the machine along with your normal washing. If your laces are badly stained, swapping them out for a new pair can brighten the overall look of your trainers.
3. Use a shoe horn, or be careful to properly un-lace your sneakers before you put them on. One of the most common sneaker repairs we undertake at The Seam is called an interior heel repair, and it’s when the fabric inside the sneaker at the back of the heel has torn or ripped away from the outer. We often repair this type of damage by replacing the interior fabric with leather, for a durable long-lasting fix. To avoid this damage altogether, it’s important to take care putting your feet into your shoes!
4. Consider a restoration. At The Seam, we offer sneaker cleaning, as well as restoration. The latter is available for leather trainers and works to colour over any permanent marks and stains that stay behind even after a clean. Our Makers will match pigment to your sneakers, paint over scuffs and stains, and seal the leather to match the original finish. This is a great way to make sneakers from looking worn out to just like new again.
Courtesy The Seam