How to Keep Your Shoes From Getting Muddy

Avoid walking near other people who may inadvertently kick mud on your shoes.

Cleaning mud off of shoes is a pain. Even worse is the possibility that you ruin your shoes if you get mud on them. Whether you have a $500 pair of shoes or an old pair of sneakers, preventative maintenance is the best way to relieve yourself of the hassle of dealing with mud. If you want to keep your shoes like new, use some simple techniques to keep that unmanageable mud off of your shoes.

Things You'll Need

• Pair of shoes
• Shoe stain remover/protectant
• Flip-flop sandals
• Umbrella

Instructions

1. Spray stain remover and shoe protectant on your shoes. An ounce of preventative maintenance is worth a pound of post-stain care. Be sure that the stain remover you use is compatible with the material that your shoes are made out of.

2. Walk on sidewalks instead of the street. Streets gather a lot of dirt and mud from automobiles and trash. Most streets also have gutters which filter the dirt toward the edges, where people usually tend to walk to avoid automobile traffic.

3. Avoid walking on grass or unpaved land. Trails, fields and undeveloped land naturally make for muddy conditions because of the soil that composes them.

4. Take your shoes off and wear a pair of flip-flop sandals to walk in. Especially in urban environments that have a tendency to get dirty because of high volumes of pedestrian and automobile traffic, opting for flip-flop sandals when walking to and fro is a sound alternative to wearing your shoes.

5. Use an umbrella if it rains. Because water helps produce and attract dirt to your shoes, you can reduce the amount of water that contacts your shoes by carrying an umbrella when it rains.

6. Watch closely where you walk. Even if it is raining outside, you can help keep your shoes free of dirt if you can identify puddles and patches of dirt that harbor mud.

Tips & Warnings

• You can purchase shoe stain remover and protectant at your local shoe or retail outlet.

• Dirt and mud can eat at the protective layer of your shoes, so keeping them clean is imperative for sustaining their life.

• Do not keep your shoes muddy or dirty for extended periods of time, lest they emit embarrassing odors or cause infections such as athlete's foot.

References

• Frugally Minded: How to Care for Your Shoes