Back to the Office Essentials
Spruce up your shoes and get back on your feet!
September 22, 2021.
I’m sure we can all agree that working from home in our athletic wear and comfortable slippers was great while it lasted, but many of us are now excited to be transitioning back into a traditional workplace.
What does this mean for your feet? It means having to wear actual shoes all day (perhaps dress shoes or high heels) and getting back into standing, walking, and commuting for longer periods of time.
Here are some tips to ensure that you know how to best dust off your favourite dress shoes, make sure they look great, and your feet feel comfortable all day in your new environment.
IN THIS GUIDE
1. What did quarantine do to your feet?
2. How to spruce up your shoes – Clean and shine
3. New shoes - Breaking them in and protection
4. Foot comfort – Support with insoles and fitting aids
5. Quick maintenance - What to keep in your desk or bag
1. WHAT DID QUARANTINE DO TO YOUR FEET?
If you’ve been home for an extended period of time during the pandemic, your feet have probably been bare, in socks or slippers. This may feel like you’ve given your feet a rest from constricting shoes, but they may be lacking in the support needed to maintain correct posture and prevent future injury.
To transition from wearing no shoes while indoors, to wearing structured footwear for over 8 hours a day, we recommend the following tips:
2. HOW TO SPRUCE UP YOUR SHOES – CLEAN, SHINE, FRESHEN
If you haven’t worn your favourite dress shoes, boots, upscale flats or high heels in a while, they will definitely need some sprucing up so you can make a great impression during your first days back in the office.
Take your footwear out from hiding and use these products to give them a quick clean and polish before heading back to work:
- Clean and Condition: Leather Lotion contains a cream formula that cleans and nourishes all smooth leathers in one easy step. It removes surface dirt while restoring moisture back into the leather by absorbing it into its pores. This helps prevent cracking, fading, and drying that occurs naturally over time. It helps slow down the premature ageing of the leather and has a pleasant cherry-almond scent. How-to-Use: Apply onto the leather with a soft, clean cloth. Work into the material in a circular motion and be sure to cover the entire surface area. Let dry.
- Shine: Brillo Instant Liquid Shine provides a high gloss finish to shoes without any of the work. Simply choose a colour to match your shoes and it’ll help to cover scratches and renew the pigment, so they look fresh and vibrant again. Also available in neutral which is clear, pigment-free and can be applied onto any colour shoe! How-to-Use: Simply remove the cap to reveal a sponge applicator. Push down on the surface of the shoe and the polish will be released through the sponge. Glide across the shoe evenly to spread the polish to all areas. Replace the cap to prevent drying out.
- Freshen: Odour Stop™ Boot and Shoe Freshener combat tough odours in all types of shoes and helps to make them smell and feel fresh again. Great for renewing stale shoes, freshening before wearing, or spray in between wears to help combat unpleasant odours. Watch Video
3. NEW SHOES – BREAKING THEM IN AND PROTECTION
You have purchased new shoes to wear to the office, it’s best to ensure they’re comfortable before you wear them for your 8+ hour day.
CHECK THE FIT
- Make sure you’re buying the correct size and width. Get your feet measured in-store using a foot measuring device. Foot size can change over time with age, illness, lifestyle changes, pregnancy and more.
- Toes should have enough wiggle room in closed shoes. Toes should be lying flat next to each other, and not squished or overlapping (especially in high heels).
- The ball of your foot should fit comfortably in the widest part of the shoe while standing and walking.
- Walk in the shoes. If they lace up, make sure the eyelet area is not too tight or rubbing on the top of your feet. Check your heel area, if it’s too tight or too loose this can cause rubbing and painful blisters with wear.
BREAKING THEM IN
New shoes are often stiff as the material hasn’t had the chance to soften or form to the shape of your foot. If you purchased genuine leather, you can speed up the process in which you “work them in” so they feel comfortable from the start.
Shoe Stretch permanently stretches tight shoes. It weakens the material so pressure can be applied to the areas that need stretching while it dries. Great for adding extra width in shoes or to help reduce pain from bunions or other foot discomforts. Great for softening new footwear. How-to-Use: Spray on the inside of the shoe. Do not oversaturate. Either insert a wooden shoe stretcher to place pressure where you want to add width, or directly wear the shoe, with a barrier between the skin and the shoe, and walk-in them until they dry. This will customize the stretch to your unique foot shape.
PROTECTION
Protecting your leather from the elements is one of the most important things you can do to extend their life. We recommend protecting brand new shoes right out of the box, to shield them before any damage is caused.
- Pro-Tex Nano Water + Stain Protector is a high-efficiency repellent that helps guard leather from harsh elements including rain, dirt, stains, snow and salt stains. Elements bead up and roll off the surface of the material. Pro-tex Nano provides longer-lasting, superior protection. Watch Video
4. FOOT COMFORT – SUPPORT WITH INSOLES AND FITTING AIDS
Foot comfort is extremely important for your long-term health. The support you provide your feet directly impacts your knees, back, joints and overall body alignment.
You can improve the fit and feel of your shoes with insoles or fitting aids. Here are our top recommendations for the perfect fit:
FITTING AIDS
- Heel pain: Gel Heel Grip prevents constant rubbing in the heel area. They help improve the fir by stopping the heel from slipping in and out of the shoe, which can cause painful blisters and irritation.
- Ball of Foot pain: Gel ball-of-foot cushions provide front-of-foot comfort when weight is transferred from the heel to the ball of the foot. The ribbed surface of the pad stops shoes from feeling too wide or loose by keeping feet firmly in their intended place. In high heels, it helps keep the foot planted toward the back of the shoe instead of siding forward. This helps relieve foot pain.
Click here to browse our entire line of fitting aids.
INSOLES
- Comfort: Memory Foam Insoles form perfectly to the foot’s shape with every step. Simply replace the insole in your shoe with pressure-relieving memory foam, and your foot will be provided with contoured support where you need it most. It stabilizes the heel, absorbs shock, reduces foot fatigue and provides comfort all day long.
- Odour Control: Fresh Scent InsolesFresh Scent Insoles are the perfect replacement insole for women's shoes. They are thin, lightweight and provide a protective barrier between the foot and the inside of the shoe. The shoe's lining is protected from absorbing moisture. The insole is breathable, lavender-scented and moisture-wicking so feet feel cool and dry. A must-have for all flats. 6 Pairs in a pack so you can through them away and replace them easily. Odour Away Insoles contain charcoal which naturally absorbs foot odour and combats moisture. Infused with Sanitized®anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent. Perforated for breathability so feet feel cool and dry.
- Arch Support: Deluxe Full Arch Support Insoles are made of genuine, soft leather and provide ultimate support for the arch. This full-length, semi-rigid insole provides a firm shape for the foot to rest on which corrects posture and aligns the foot, knees, back and spine to prevent injury. The leather naturally absorbs moisture and is breathable. Stabilizes and strengthens the foot and supports the metatarsal.
Click here to browse our entire line of insoles.
5. QUICK MAINTENANCE – WHAT TO KEEP IN YOUR DESK OR BAG
Shoes can get dirty or lose their shine quickly when you’re on the go. There are some great products that are small, portable, and quick to use, that we recommend either keeping at your desk, in your purse, briefcase, travel bag, in your car or anywhere you may need quick spruce!
- Shoe Wipes quickly and effectively remove dirt and scuff marks from genuine and synthetic leather, canvas, nylon and vinyl. Each wipe is double-sided - the smooth side is for regular cleaning and the raised dotted side is for scrubbing tough stains and scuff marks. It's easy - wipe away dirt in seconds then dispose of the wipe! Watch Video
- Shine Sponges are a great way to add a gloss to leather in seconds without any of the work. These portable sponges are pre-soaked in a shine solution that restores colour, moisture and shine instantly. Simply glide the sponge across the leather's surface to spread the polish. Let dry. Replace the plastic case to keep the sponge moist during storage.
We hope you can take these tips with you as you head back into the workplace! Remember to check in with yourself regularly to ensure your shoes are protecting your body by providing support. If you notice any discomfort, pain or irritation, re-check the fit of your shoes and see if there’s an insole or fitting aid that can help before you suffer from an injury. Don’t forget – give your shoes a break! Do not wear the same pair every day. They, too, need time to relax in-between wears.
We hope your newly cleaned, polished, and comfortable shoes make a great impression on your peers and give you the confidence to take on the day!
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