HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR ARCHE FOOTWEAR
The manufacture of Arche shoes involves around one hundred skilled actions per shoe. Only two or three actions are necessary to keep them beautiful, it is well worth doing!
FOR NUBUCKS
 
Arche’s nubucks have been carefully selected from their European suppliers and are made from calf leather; the grain has been polished to achieve the soft feel and typical velvet finish.

  • We recommend that you apply a water-proofing treatment to maintain the quality of their finish.
  • To maintain their finish and remove dust, simply clean them gently with a soft suede brush.
  • To deal with any superficial stains, it is best to gently clean with soapy water – preferably Marseilles soap or other gentle soap product- taking care to rinse the area you have cleaned with clean water. Once dry (in open-air and away from a source of heat), finish the cleaning process by brushing the nubuck, it will thus recover its distinctive finish.
  • Be careful to never use shoe-wax on nubucks, this will damage their velvet finish.
SMOOTH LEATHERS
 
Arche’s smooth leathers are made from skins produced by the finest European suppliers; they are all full-grain calfskin, lambskin, bull calf-skin and deer-skin leather, treated to achieve the correct grain effect.

PATENT LEATHERS
 
Arche’s patent leathers are selected for their softness, the full-grain calf-skin leathers are treated with a smooth varnish.

  • Use of Patent Care is recommended to maintain the shine of patent leather.
  • Alcohol-free skin-cleansing wipes can be used to remove dust and clean patent leather.
DESIGNER LEATHERS
 
Arche’s designer leathers, whether with a printed finish or applied designs, are made from European origin full-grain calf-skin leather.

  • Regular use of a leather water-proofing product is suitable to maintain their shine. Apply a specific gentle leather nourishing cream to maintain resistance, softness and the brilliance of their colours; however, be sure to try the product first on a hidden part of the shoe to ensure that it doesn’t smear the leather. MIKKO recommends TARRAGO Delicate Gel for designer leathers.
  • Use a soft cloth or brush to remove dust from these designer leathers.
  • Apply soapy water – preferably Marseilles soap – or a suitable leather cleaner to the affected area and then rinse with clean water to remove superficial stains. After leaving to dry in a ventilated area away from any source of heat, you should apply a specific leather nourishing cream and then polish with a woollen cloth or a reversed sheepskin glove.
  • Please note, shoe-wax may alter the printed finishes and should not be used at all.
SOLES
 
Arche’s shoes generally have soles made from a soft material: Lactae Hevea®, Formula Natural®, latex or rubber.

  • The organic nature of soles made from pure hevea milk may sometimes lead to the apparition of white marks. Use a lint-free cloth with a small amount of Tarrago Gel Cream (delicate gel with minimal chemicals) to make these go away.
  • Use soapy water as indicated to clean all soles. MIKKO recommends white Sard Soap.
  • Please note, chemical solvents will deteriorate the material of the soles: we strongly suggest that you do not use them.
WHAT DO I DO IF THE COLOUR FADES?
 
The colours used by Arche each season are applied in dye baths during the tanning process resulting in a beautiful colour impregnated throughout the leather keeping their natural beauty. The intense colours from the much sought-after subtle feel of our leathers are proof of their nature and authenticity.

Surface treatments are avoided to maintain the beautiful nature of these unique skins. Their colour intensity and pliable nature is therefore ideal, especially nubucks with their unique finish.

This degree of quality may sometimes lead to a slight transfer to other items of clothing or the skin which may be amplified by the acidity of the skin or residual dust on the surface after the polishing of the grain of the nubuck skins. This is a simple transfer and is not serious. A little soap and water is usually enough to remove any such marks on the skin.

Avoid prolonged contact with water; humidity may increase any such transfer of the colours to clothing. Prolonged exposure to light-sources may fade the colour of the leather over time.

HOW DURABLE IS ARCHE FOOTWEAR?
 
Arche’s shoes are developed to meet the highest quality standards, specifically those concerning the selection of raw materials.

All of their leathers are sourced from European suppliers, each of which respect all applicable ethical standards and respect the environment in the production of their premium leathers.

To ensure the typically brilliant colours which make up the Arche DNA their carefully selected suppliers use traditional tanning processes which are covered by the European REACH standards.

All Arche shoes are developed in their French creation studio which has been based in the Val de Loire region since 1968. The largest part of their creations are manufactured at the same site near to the city of Tours, a very small part of our collections are produced in other European workshops which they carefully supervise.

Every one of their creations is subjected to a final quality control process in their Chateau-Renault workshops before arriving in your hands.

Enjoy your new Arche footwear.