The sole edge Just like the leather upper section of a shoe, the leather sole edge of a pair of dress shoes also needs freshening up every now and then. The pigments in regular tinted shoe cream are most suitable for this. Apply an even layer of shoe cream to the side of the sole edge with a cloth and rub it in well with a dry cloth.

Leather sole The biggest threat to a leather sole is drying out. When the fibre structure of the leather sole becomes too dry, it loses its compactness and firmness, resulting in a reduction in wear resistance, flexibility and waterproofness.

It is essential to exercise caution when storing and drying shoes. Never allow leather-soled shoes to dry near to or be stored close to a heat source. Even if treated carefully and kept away from heat sources, leather soles will still become very dry over time. It is therefore vital to treat leather soles with strengthening oils. Care for your leather soles by applying a so-called sole tonic each time you clean them. The oils in sole tonic nourish the leather sole's fibre structure and prevent it from becoming too dry. Consistent use of sole tonic improves wearer comfort, ensures optimal waterproofing, significantly slows down the process of wear and tear and prevents defects such as cracks and ruptures.

Cut direction A cowhide consists of two directions: lengthways and widthways. The lengthways direction runs from head to tail, and the widthways direction runs around the abdominal wall. A hide has less stretch lengthways than widthways, but this does not matter so much for soles. What does matter is the fact that the fibre structure of a hide mainly runs lengthways. It is, therefore, essential that the leather of the sole runs lengthways from toe to heel. This means that the wear direction is parallel to the fibre direction when walking, which makes the fibres strongest and most wear-resistant. When a sole has been cut widthways, the fibres lie at a right angle to the wear direction, making them more fragile and decreasing wear resistance.