These sneakers will age really well overall: if you take your shoes off properly (NOT by using your other foot), the sole won't come unglued, and if you look after them well, the leather will soften and mold to your foot. Someone who walked 600 km in these sneakers even wrote to us: "this thick leather has really softened now, it's like the seat of an old luxury car, it's gorgeous."

The three main signs of aging are as follows:

• On the white version, scuffs may appear faster than on some mainstream sneakers whose leather is coated in plastic (but which will crack more quickly along the creases and end up lasting less time). So you'll need to care for them regularly by following our care guide, and don't hesitate to use "white restorer" (which we sell here). 
• The sole will yellow slightly. This is due to a change in the rubber's chemical structure over time: it happens to all synthetic rubbers and, unfortunately, there's not much anyone can do about it.
• The sole will wear down through abrasion. This shouldn't happen right away, but if the day comes when it needs replacing, you can take them to a specialist cobbler (a few ideas here).

Before you start, the tips of the laces sometimes leave a few marks on the white sole from prolonged contact in the shoebox. No worries: rub with the back of a sponge (with a bit of washing-up liquid if needed) and it'll come off.

And if you're wondering whether your sneakers are the right size, know that it's better for them to be slightly too big than slightly too small (they can't stretch to get bigger...). And if, for example, you notice a very slight lift at the heel, know that it'll ease off once the sneakers have broken in to your feet.

Now let's move on to the care tips: leather that isn't looked after will inevitably dry out, crack or lose its shape sooner or later. And then it's game over: there's no going back, even if the leather is top quality. On the other hand, if you put in a little time, you'll be able to keep your sneakers for years.

The fundamental thing to understand is that leather is made up of about 5% oils — they're what give it its suppleness, its durability and its water resistance. If they escape, the leather dries out. So your goal is simple: keep the leather oiled.


Here's how to do it:
-> You need to "feed" it regularly, at least once every 6 months. Ideally with a special beeswax-type product like this one, very rich in fat (avoid bathroom moisturisers, which contain too much water and could therefore end up doing the opposite — driving out the oils and cracking the leather).
-> If your sneakers get soaked, let them dry in the open air, then feed the leather. Yes, really: moisture drives out oils (something you'll know if you've ever made a vinaigrette — watery vinegar doesn't mix with oil).
-> Try not to wear them two days in a row, especially if you tend to sweat or if it's raining. That gives your sneakers time to release moisture.

If you bought the sneakers in white:
The second thing to understand is that white shows dirt, and you'll spot little marks and scuffs more easily than on a dark colour. In fact, on our full-grain leather, these scuffs may appear a bit faster than on some white sneakers whose leather is coated in plastic (like those from a certain famous three-stripe brand) but which crack faster at the creases and end up lasting less long. To clean white leather, there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube, but to make sure we give you advice that actually works, we tested (almost) all of them for you: here's at this link the before/after result on some Loom sneaker prototypes.

And here's the method we recommend:
1/ First, take out the laces: you'll toss them in your next wash. If they look really dirty, you can first let them soak for a few minutes in water with whatever whitening agent you have on hand (e.g. hydrogen peroxide / bleach / sodium percarbonate).
2/ Next, remove the stains and dirt from the leather and the sole. To do this, mix a little soap (black soap ideally) into lukewarm water, then scrub it all over your sneakers with an old toothbrush (just be careful not to get your sneaker too wet, see our tips above).
3/ If there are stubborn marks around the edges of the soles or on the leather, scrub them with a... magic sponge (the ones sold in the DIY aisle, with an abrasive foam). Wet it a little and it works like a charm.
4/ To finish, all that's left is to hide the little scuffs and bring back the white of the leather. Once your sneakers are dry, grab a cloth and apply a "white restorer" for sneakers (they contain the same kinds of white pigments used to dye the leather of your sneakers, and honestly it's essential to buy one — good news, we sell one at Loom here). Let it dry for 30 minutes, and apply a second coat if needed.

And finally, to whiten your soles again (they'll inevitably end up yellowing), you can apply hydrogen peroxide to the sole with a brush (or a toothbrush), cover it with cling film and leave the sneakers in full sunlight for a few hours. That'll whiten them right up :-) Even more effective: swap the hydrogen peroxide for a whitening restorer from the Tarrago brand! More info in this article.