As the City starts to open up and we continue to ease ourselves out of lockdown, clothing and accessories that became irrelevant in the advent of Zoom calls, shoes for example, are suddenly back in the spotlight.

Crockett & Jones has been helping Londoner’s put their best foot forward since opening its first shop in the capital in 1997, but its expertise dates back much further than that to the birth of the brand in Northampton – England’s shoemaking capital – in 1879.

The Royal Exchange Crockett & Jones boutique has reopened this week and is looking forward to welcoming back customers, but for anyone keen to dust off their footwear ahead of taking a trip into the City, we asked store manager Ben Playale to share his top tips for sprucing up your footwear before stepping out from behind your computer screen.

STEP ONE:

Clean any dirt or mud off your leather shoes with a brush or wet cloth. If you have them, insert shoe trees into your shoes when you are not wearing them and when you are cleaning them to help retain their shape and reduce creasing. Let your shoes dry before moving on to step two.

STEP TWO:

Nourish the shoes by applying a neutral shoe cream using a cotton cloth – simply wrap the cloth around two of your fingers, dip your fingers into the cream and then rub it into the shoe using circular motions. This conditions the leather and prepares it to receive the polish.

STEP THREE:

Next, use a small brush to apply a coloured wax polish all over the shoe (make sure you have the correct colour polish to match the colour of your shoes). Dip the bristles of the brush into the polish and then use it to rub the wax polish into the shoes and the weld.

STEP FOUR:

The soles of shoes are often neglected, but will benefit from regular care to protect them from wear. Using the cotton cloth and neutral cream, apply this to the sole of the shoe using circular motions.

STEP FIVE:

Using a larger brush, buff the uppers of your shoes using long sweeping motions to bring the leather to a shine.

STEP SIX:

For a perfect finish, rub the shoes with a chamois leather cloth to add extra shine.

STEP SEVEN (OPTIONAL):

For a high-gloss finish, use the cotton cloth ­– wrapped around two fingers again – dip it into a little water and then dab it onto the wax-polish. Apply to using small circular movements all over the shoe and repeat the process to build up the level of shine you would like.

Using quality shoe-care products is an important part of preserving the life of your shoes. Regular care will help your shoes to age well.

WATCH FABRICE RUNGI, MANAGER OF THE LE MARAIS CROCKETT & JONES BOUTIQUE IN PARIS DEMONSTRATE THE ABOVE STEPS:

Crockett & Jones at The Royal Exchange is now open again from 9am-2pm, Monday to Friday. Visit the boutique to discover fine leather footwear, shoe-care products, bespoke fittings, repairs and resoling services. For information on the measures we have put in place in response to Covid-19, and how to plan your visit, please click here.