Shoe Care Guide
How to keep your Thomas Birds looking their best
A quality pair of leather shoes is an investment. With a little regular care, your Thomas Birds will continue to look their best, remain comfortable, and provide years of wear.
All Thomas Bird shoes and boots are handcrafted in Italy using premium leathers chosen for their character, durability and ability to age beautifully. Like any natural material, leather benefits from occasional care to keep it nourished, protected and looking its best.
The good news is that caring for your shoes doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming. A few simple habits, combined with the right products, can help preserve the shape, finish and appearance of your footwear for years to come.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the simple steps we recommend, from using shoe trees and allowing your shoes to rest between wears, to cleaning, conditioning and polishing your leather footwear.
Before You Start
For best results, we recommend having:
- Wooden shoe trees
- Horsehair shoe brush
- Neutral shoe cream
- Soft polishing cloth or wool mitt
- Shoehorn
Most of these tools will last for years and make caring for your shoes quick and straightforward.
1. Let them rest after wear
After a full day’s wear, give your shoes a day to rest. This allows any moisture trapped inside the lining to dry naturally.
Avoid placing them near radiators, fires or direct heat, as this can dry out the leather too quickly and may cause cracking.
2. Use wooden shoe trees
Insert wooden shoe trees after wear to help your shoes retain their shape and reduce creasing.
Cedar or wooden shoe trees also help absorb moisture and keep the shoes feeling fresh between wears.
3. Remove dust and dirt
Before applying any product, brush away surface dust and dirt with a soft shoe brush or cloth.
Pay attention to the seams, brogue detailing and the area where the upper meets the sole.
4. Nourish the leather with shoe cream
Apply shoe cream using a soft cloth or applicator brush.
For most Thomas Bird shoes, we recommend using a neutral cream where possible, as this helps preserve the hand-finished colour and patina created in our factory.
Work the cream gently into the leather, including around the toe, heel, sides and where the upper meets the sole.
For visible scuffs, use a small amount of coloured cream only on the affected area.
5. Allow the cream to absorb
Let the cream absorb into the leather for at least one hour. Overnight is even better.
If you brush too soon, you may simply remove much of the cream before it has had time to nourish the leather.
6. Brush to restore the shine
Once the cream has absorbed, use a good-quality horsehair brush to work the cream into the leather, remove any excess and bring back the initial shine.
Brush firmly but gently, using quick, even strokes.
7. Buff for the final finish
Use a soft cloth or wool mitt to buff the leather and create a clean final shine.
This is usually enough for a smart, natural finish.
8. Add wax polish if desired
Many customers simply use shoe cream, as it gives a rich, natural finish.
For extra shine or added protection, you can apply a small amount of wax polish either across the shoe or just on the toe area.
For a high-gloss finish, use mirror wax on the toe, building it up gradually in thin layers.
A little care goes a long way
Looking after your shoes doesn’t need to become a weekly ritual. Simply allowing them to rest between wears, using shoe trees, and occasionally cleaning and conditioning the leather can dramatically extend their life and keep them looking their best.
Over time, your Thomas Birds will develop character unique to you. Proper care helps preserve that character while protecting the craftsmanship, materials and hand-finished patina that make each pair special.
For a deeper look at why shoe care matters and how it can help your footwear last for years, read our companion article: The Importance of Shoe Care
