The Schmutzes Guide To Cleaning Up The Dirty Little Secret In Your Shoe Collection!

There Is Always Room For More Shoes…

Collecting. It is one of our basic human instincts, some gravitate towards it more than others and everyone has their own thoughts on what’s collectable or not, but the bottom line is that we are hardwired to not only want things, but want things of value and beauty. NFTs, art, manuscripts, and yes… shoes have been coveted in public and private collections because of their emotive impact and the inherent value their existence brings to the world, but they are always judged on their condition before all else. The exterior of your shoes may sparkle, but what about the dirty little secret that lies within the shoe? You know what it is, but it did not have a formal name until today… we call the dirt, sweat, and other items that collect on the inside of your shoe “Schmutz” and Schmutzes is an easy way to clean and ultimately protect, the value in your investment.

Why Preserving the Integrity of Your Insole Matters

The evaluation of any collectable item or collection is initially based upon condition before all else to assess a true value to an item. Not only are we speaking in a literal sense, but we are also speaking from a holistic and yes, even a hygienic perspective. The insole of your shoe harbors many unsightly and unsavory secrets that are not only destroying your insole, but creating great environments for bacterial growth that contribute to odor and the deterioration of the shoe from the inside. Not only does this decrease the value of the item in your collection, but it can also be considered a health issue.

How to Clean Away The Dirty Little Secret

As with anything that you love and cherish…please always do a test patch for any product or item that you are applying to your shoes interior and exterior. Now that we got that out of the way, if you do not have access to specially formulated shoe cleaning products, AKA Schmutzes… here are some tips! When cleaning the interior and insole of your shoes, it’s important to use moisture-containing products sparingly. Over saturation of the interior of the shoes lining and insole will damage your shoes…trust us we tested this hundreds of times! Use water as your base for your cleaning solution and just a small drop of dish soap to create a cleaning solution. Take a toothbrush or a rough cotton cloth and sparingly apply the solution to the cleaning item (Not On The Shoe Itself!) and apply gentle dabbing and slight movement to work the solution into the insole. Once damp, leave shoes to air dry in a bright room temperate location to eliminate mold growth. If cleaning results are less than optimal, please repeat this process until satisfied or until there is potential to harm your shoe or insole. You can do all of this above or you can just grab a Schmutzes Insole Wipe!

Final Thoughts

I bet you had no idea that cleaning and protecting the inside of your shoes could produce enough material for a whole blog, but we think that’s the point…this is a dirty little secret! Everyone that wears a shoe has this issue to one degree or another, some are just focused on it more than others. We were built for those that see and respect value and want to preserve their investment. Want to know how to do that with Schmutzes?…Just, Wipe, Sparkle, and Walk!