Taking care of your canvas shoes is not as difficult as you might think...
Canvas is created from hemp and is a coarse cloth material. It is used in a number of products including sails, tents, boards (used for painting on, i.e. painting canvasses) and shoes. The shoe made from canvas is a type of casual shoe or sneaker. It is constructed very simply with a canvas upper and a rubber sole. Canvas shoes can be purchased in high or low top styles and are available in almost every color you could possibly want. Some canvas shoes, especially those made for children, have cute designs or logos on them as well. On the other hand canvas shoes do not have much shock absorbing properties, cushioning or support and therefore are not suitable for any type of “pounding the pavement” type of activities. If you run, perform aerobics, play tennis or any other sports then go in for a solid pair of sneakers and leave the canvas shoes for the beach, backyard or strolling. Canvas shoes are fun, casual, and versatile and are also not normally that expensive. You can purchase a decent pair of them for anywhere from twenty to thirty dollars (and sometimes considerably less).
A major upside of canvas shoes is that they are a “low maintenance” and “no fuss” kind of shoe. In other words taking care of them is very easy. Initially after purchasing a pair it is a good idea to protect your canvas shoes before wearing them by applying a cloth care spray or starch to them. If you have sensitive skin you should probably wear vinyl protective gloves when you spray your shoes and then give your hands a good washing afterwards. If you have asthma or any other respiratory problem always wear a mask and if the spray gets into your eyes or causes your skin to become irritatated then rinse immediately with lots of water.
Canvas shoes are easy to keep clean. Just throw them in a washing machine when they are dirty! But, before you do so, always remove any surface dirt from the sole or sides of the shoe with a slightly damp cloth. If the shoes muddy then gently scrub them with a soft brush and water first. Any commercial laundry detergents should clean then nicely. It is advisable to remove the laces (if they have them) and either wash them with the canvas shoes, hand wash them or wash them the next time you do a load of laundry. Canvas shoes can simply be hung on a clothes line to air dry. They generally should be ready to wear in a short period of time.
If you wear a pair of canvas shoes during the winter months and end up with thin wavy lines on the upper part of the sole, with a concentration of them around the sole of the shoe then these are salt stains from the road and must be removed as soon as possible. If left in place, salt stains will cause the canvas to go hard and then crack and the stitching will rot away. Avoid this by cleaning your canvas shoes with a ‘suede and fabric’ shampoo and then set them somewhere to air dry. Never allow canvas shoes to dry by placing them near a radiator, fireplace or any other form of direct heat as the intensity of the heat is likely to destroy the material of the shoe.
Canvas shoes don’t always retain their natural shape and sometimes it is because of the way we wear them such as how we walk in them. Some people put more weight on one side of their shoe than the other and this could potentially serve to wear down the sole or heel of a shoe and cause the upper to be stretched unnecessarily. To remedy this problem, use a shoe tree or pack the toes of your canvas shoes with newspaper to help them retain their original shape. Also, keep in mind that your shoelaces will need to be replaced occassionally. Always tie up your laces and don’t buy ones that are either too long or too short.
