Shoe Care & Advice

When buying any product from Gina Ricci we like to give you the best possible advice on how to care for your products; whether it is cleaning, protecting or simply how to wash them. This page aims to give you as much information as possible on any product bought from Gina Ricci.

Nappa Leather Shoes

Any nappa leather can easily be cleaned and protected. Simply wipe any dirt off with a damp cloth and leave overnight for 12 hours to dry naturally. Once they are dry, get the correct shoe polish/cream and rub into the leather. Then buff up with a brush or clean cloth. Repeat this process regularly in order to maintain you leather shoes.

Suede shoes

Once you have purchased a pair of suede shoes from Gina Ricci, we spray them with a waterproof suede protector as a gesture of goodwill, the first spray is the most important! In order for your suede shoes to last, you will need to purchase a suede brush and use it on the shoes on a regular basis. Simply rub any dirt and rain marks off with the brush and the suede will come up good as new. Continue to use a waterproof spray to optimise the protection against damp and general day to day wear.

Please note: If your suede shoes get dirty or wet, leave them to dry at room temperature before brushing up and re-spraying.

Patent shoes

Patent shoes are easily cleaned up with a damp cloth. Then after they have dried simply rub over a patent cleaner and they will shine up as good as new!

Leather sole shoes

To maintain your leather soled shoes we advise all our customers to read this before wearing them.

Leather soled shoes need to be ‘seasoned’ in order for them to last longer. This is done by wearing them for the first 2-3 times on dry days, preferably on pavement. The grit tightens the fibres in the leather and the sole will become harder, and ultimately making them last a long time. Wet conditions do the opposite, cracking the sole and it becomes very soft, therefore letting in water.

When the time arrives for your shoes to be re-soled, take them to a quality shoe repairer and repeat the process once the new sole has been added.

Leather is a natural, beautiful product and of course it is extremely comfortable to wear. Unfortunately leather is not guaranteed waterproof.

Barker Re- Sole service

Barker shoes last a lifetime, however with heavy use the soles will need replacing. Barker offer a full re-sole service & who’s better to replace a sole than the people who put it on originally! We recommend using this service as the quality is paramount to any other cobbler.

You can send them back to us / drop them in store and we will happily send them away to the Barker factory in Northampton. The charge varies with each style of Barker shoe, and can take up to 6 weeks.

Please note: Barker will not re-sole any shoe that has previously been resoled at a local cobbler.

Dubarry Boots

Dubarry boots will last you years, with a little help from you and the cleaning products – love them and they will love you back! Just follow these simple steps for lifelong dryness.

 

• Clean
  If you have been wearing your Dubarry boots up the fell and they are covered in muck then it is a good idea to sponge the dirt off at your earliest convenience, this prevents the muck / manure eroding the leather. Apply the gel using a sponge or a cloth and rub over the entire boot, rinse thoroughly but avoid over soaking. Leave to dry naturally for 12 hours (DO NOT dry near a fire or a heater as this will only crack the leather)
• Protect
  Once the leather is clean and dry you then use the Dubarry protect spray. Spray the entire boot twice leaving 5 minutes between sprays. Wipe any excess soles and welts and allow footwear to dry overnight.
• Cream

 

The Dubarry leather cream is the final shoe care stage. This should only be applied to the smooth leather part of the boot, especially in the crease/flex part of the foot. You can also use the cream on the smooth leather bands, the leather will come up darker once the cream is applied. This cream helps soften, protect and preserve the leather while enhancing the water repellent properties.