These sneakers will generally age very well: if you take them off properly (NOT by using your other foot), the sole won’t come loose, and if you take good care of them, 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 up now—it feels like the seat of an old luxury car; it’s magnificent.”

The three main signs of aging are as follows:

• On the white version, scuffs may appear more quickly than on some mass-market sneakers made of plastic-coated leather (which, however, will crack more quickly at the creases and ultimately last less time). You should therefore care for them regularly by following our care guide, and don’t hesitate to use “white renovator” (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 with all synthetic rubbers, and unfortunately, there's not much that can be done about it.
• The sole will wear out over time due to abrasion. This shouldn't happen right away, but if you ever need to replace it, you can visit a specialized cobbler ( here are a few suggestions).

Before you begin, the tips of the shoelaces may have left some marks on the white sole due to prolonged contact inside the shoe box. Don’t worry: rub the area with the back of a sponge (using dish soap if needed) and the marks will come off.

And if you’re wondering whether your sneakers are the right size, keep in mind that it’s better for them to be slightly too big than slightly too small (they won’t stretch any further...). And if, for example, you notice the heel is slightly loose, know that this will improve once the sneakers have broken in to your feet.

Now let’s move on to care tips: leather that isn’t properly cared for will inevitably dry out, crack, or lose its shape sooner or later. And once that happens, it’s ruined: there’s no going back, even if the leather is of excellent quality. On the other hand, if you spend a little time caring for them, you’ll be able to keep your sneakers for years.

The key thing to understand is that leather is composed of about 5% fat—this is what gives it its suppleness, durability, and water resistance. If these fats are lost, the leather dries out. So your goal is simple: keep the leather well-oiled.


Here’s how to do it:
-> You need to “nourish” it regularly, at least once every 6 months. Ideally, use a specialized product like beeswax, such as this one, which is very high in fat content (avoid bathroom moisturizers, which contain too much water and could actually end up stripping away the natural oils and causing the leather to crack).
-> If your sneakers get wet, let them air dry, then condition the leather. That’s right: moisture drives out oils (something you’ll know if you’ve ever made a salad dressing—watery vinegar doesn’t mix with oil).
-> Avoid wearing them two days in a row, especially if you tend to sweat or if the weather is rainy. This will give your sneakers time to let the moisture escape.

If you bought the sneakers in white:
The second thing to understand is that white shows dirt easily, and small stains and scuffs will be more noticeable than on a dark color. In fact, on our full-grain leather, these scuffs may appear a little faster than on some white sneakers made of laminated leather (like those from a famous brand with three stripes), but those will crack faster at the creases and ultimately last less time. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube for cleaning white leather, but to make sure we’re giving you advice that actually works, we’ve tested (almost) all of them for you:follow this link tosee the before-and-after results on Loom sneaker prototypes.

Here are the instructions we recommend:
1/ First, remove the laces: you’ll wash them with your next load of laundry. If they look really dirty, you can soak them for a few minutes in water with a bleaching agent you have on hand (e.g., hydrogen peroxide, chlorine bleach, sodium percarbonate).
2/ Next, remove stains and dirt from the leather and the sole. To do this, mix a little soap (ideally black soap) into lukewarm water, then scrub it all over your sneakers with an old toothbrush (be careful not to get your sneakers too wet, though—see our tips above).
3/ If there are stubborn stains along the edges of the soles or on the leather, scrub them with a “magic” sponge (the kind sold in the home improvement aisle, with an abrasive foam). Wet it slightly, and it works like a charm.
4/ Finally, all that’s left is to hide the small scuffs and restore the leather’s white color. After your sneakers have dried, take a cloth and apply a “white restorer” for sneakers (these contain the same types of white pigments used to dye the leather on your sneakers, and honestly, it’s essential to buy one—and luckily, we sell themhere at Loom). Let it dry for 30 minutes, and reapply a second time if necessary.

And finally, to whiten your soles again (which will inevitably end up yellowing), you can apply hydrogen peroxide to the sole with a paintbrush (or a toothbrush), cover it with plastic wrap, and leave the sneakers in direct sunlight for a few hours. This will make them white again :-) Even more effective: replace the hydrogen peroxide with a Tarrago shoe restorer! More information in this article.