How to Reinforce Your Shoes

By: Pamela Simmons

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Like all good things, shoes don't last forever. Our shoes suffer a lot of wear and tear as we gallop about our business -- especially if they're a favorite and frequently donned pair. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't do what you can to make your shoes last for years. With a bit of reinforcement, your shoes will not only last longer, but look better. Give your shoes a long life and take some steps to keep them intact.

Step 1

Have a cobbler affix rubber soles to the leather soles of your shoes before you even wear them once. This will protect them from wear and tear for longer and can help to prevent water damage to the soles of your shoes.

Step 2

Protect your shoes from water and snow by spraying them with water repellent. Don’t worry about over spraying, you can't protect your shoes too much -- you should especially take that little bit of time on rainy and snowy days when you need some extra protection.

Step 3

Ask a cobbler to install heel caps made with liquid polyurethane on your high-heeled shoes. These caps are more durable than the ones that come with your shoes and will last you up to four times longer.

Step 4

Affix a replacement pair of heel caps when your old ones wear down before wearing your shoes again. Once you've found the correct size of heel cap, pull your old caps off with pliers and place the new heel cap directly under the heel of your shoe. Using a hammer, gently tap your cap until it fits into place.

Step 5

Apply shoe conditioner to leather shoes -- this will keep them from drying and cracking. You can find leather shoe conditioner at any shoe repair shop and even some grocery stores.