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

The three main signs of ageing 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 faster along the creases and ultimately last a shorter 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 chemical structure of the rubber over time: it happens with all synthetic rubbers and unfortunately there's not much that can be done about it.
• The sole will wear down through abrasion. This shouldn't happen any time soon, but if one day it needs replacing, you can go to a specialist cobbler (a few ideas here).

Before you start, sometimes the tips of the laces leave a few marks on the white sole from being in contact for a long time inside the shoebox. Don't worry: 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 fit...). And if, for example, you notice a very slight lifting at the heel, know that it will ease off once the sneakers have moulded to your feet.

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

The key thing to understand is that leather is made up of around 5% oils – they're what give it its suppleness, its strength 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 product like beeswax like this one, very rich in oils (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 wet, let them dry in the open air and then feed the leather. Yes, really: moisture drives out oils (something you'll know if you've ever made a vinaigrette: watery vinegar won't mix with oil).
-> Try not to wear them two days in a row, especially if you tend to sweat or if the weather is rainy. That gives your sneakers time to release the 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 little faster than on some white sneakers whose leather is coated in plastic (like those from a famous three-stripe brand) but which crack more quickly at the creases and ultimately last less long. To clean white leather, there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube, but to be sure we're giving you advice that actually works, we've (almost) tested them all for you: here at this link is the before/after result on Loom sneaker prototypes.

And here's the method we recommend:
1/ First, take out the laces: pop them in your next wash. If they look really dirty, you can first soak them for a few minutes in water with a whitening agent you have to hand (e.g. hydrogen peroxide / bleach / sodium percarbonate).
2/ Next, remove the marks and dirt from the leather and the sole. To do this, mix a little soap (ideally black soap) into some lukewarm water, then scrub it all over your sneakers with an old toothbrush (just be careful not to get your sneakers 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 wonders.
4/ Finally, all that's left is to hide the little scuffs and revive the white of the leather. After drying your sneakers, take a cloth and apply a "white renovator" for sneakers (they contain the same types of white pigments that were used to dye the leather of your sneakers, and honestly it's essential to buy one — good news, we sell one at Loom here). Leave it to dry for 30 minutes, and apply a second coat 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 brush (or a toothbrush), cover it with cling film and leave the sneakers in full sun for a few hours. It'll make them white again :-) Even more effective: swap the hydrogen peroxide for a renovator from the Tarrago brand! More information in this article.