Each brand stocked at Mikko is designed to last the test of time. However, like all things worth cherishing, quality footwear performs best when given the love it deserves. We think it’s important to look after your favourite shoes to ensure they can be enjoyed for seasons to come.

With this in mind, we’ve collated our top tips for bringing life back to winter footwear that may have been in storage, and likewise, how to best hibernate your summer shoes to ensure that come sunshine, they’ll be looking as good as new.

Summer shoe storage:

Firstly, ensure your summer shoes are clean and dry to avoid moulding over time – natural products, such as leather, can be affected by moisture more than other items in your wardrobe.

By giving your shoes a good clean before they’re stored, they will also be much less likely to be affected by mould. We have a number of high quality cleaning and conditioning products such as leather lotion and delicate gel should you be needing them.

Following that, it is ideal to store your footwear in fabric bags to minimise the dust during storage. A number of our brands, such as Arche provide these with each pair purchased. We also have calico bags , which are designed in-house here at Mikko, available to purchase here, or provided free with online orders. (Tip – they’re also perfect for travel!).

If you have the room to store shoeboxes, this ensures there is no scuffing from rubbing against other shoes. At Mikko there are always plenty going spare and we love to recycle! If you need a top up during the change of season arrangements, feel free to pop in to any of our stores for a few boxes free of charge!

Once your shoes are all packaged up, it’s best to store them in a dry place, away from a direct light source (whether natural or artificial) to avoid fading.

Winter footwear sprucing:

As for your winter gems, now is the ideal time to protect them from the elements ahead. Give them a dust off and buff to get them ready to wear. Our top tip is that at the beginning of the winter season, all suede and leather should be waterproof sprayed (aside from patent). This will provide the protection they’ll need for the rainy season ahead.

Before you waterproof your winter footwear, make sure you take time to nourish them to bring back the vibrancy of colour and to enhance the character of the leather. For Leather: gently polish with natural leather lotion or colour matched leather cream, for Suede: Spray with suede revitalizer and for Patent: bring back the gloss and shine using patent care. It’s worth setting aside half an hour on a rainy afternoon to give your footwear some TLC- your shoes will love you for it.

For those long winter boots, make a habit of slipping in some boot fillers each time you take them off to keep their shape throughout the season. We often have a number of great foam fillers on hand in our stores, also available free of charge. Mikko shoes truly are precious and we want you to enjoy your high quality and beautifully designed shoes for years to come.

Michaela and the team at Mikko.

Mikko Shoes offers a curated range of quality footwear from Europe for women that want style without compromising on comfort – our non-negotiable when it comes to every style we stock. Like our Facebook page to see the latest European styles as they land in NZ and be the first to know about our regular competitions. Visit one of our stores to experience the Mikko difference or get inspiration from our new season catalogue.