There was this guy, John, that worked in the same department as I did some years back. I like to tell myself that the only edge he had over me in terms of being fashionable was his shoes.
Boy! His shoes always looked like he just got them on his way to work. They always looked shiny and elegant. My first guess was that he stopped around the block to use a shoe shine sponge. But I did too, yet my shoes weren’t like John’s.
So, I asked John what his secret to making his shoes look brand new all the time was and the moment he told me, I couldn’t wait to try it out. I did, and it worked perfectly.
Guess what the secret was… Edge dressing!
You could think of edge dressing as ‘polishes’ or ‘shoe shines’ made especially for the heel and outsole of your shoes. No matter how much you polish the soles and heels of your shoes, you’ll never get the same result as an edge dressing.
We’ll talk more on edge dressing shortly, let’s answer the question below first.
How Do you Clean the Bottom of Dress Shoes?
You may be wondering what you need to clean the bottom of your shoes for, I mean, no one sees them right? And you’ll use them on the floor again.
But it’s important that you cleaned the bottom of your shoes because dirt is dirt, irrespective of where it’s located.
Secondly, dirt on the bottom of your shoes could leave dirty shoe prints wherever you go and leaving dirt to accumulate on the bottom of your shoes could make the shoes less slip-resistant.
Back to the issue at hand.
Most dress shoes are made of leather, so extra precautions must be taken in your choice of the cleaning agent.
Things you’ll need
- Bleach-free dish soap
- Nylon Brush
- Clean Rag
- Dust bin
- Water
Guideline:
- To remove loose dirt, tap the soles of the shoe over a dust bin or outside
- To help remove dirt between threads and hidden places, use a nylon brush
- Add some dish soap to the water to make it lathery, but not too lathery. Use a bleach-free soap
- Dip the clean piece of rag into the soapy water, squeeze to expel unnecessary water, and wipe the bottom of the shoes
- Dip the nylon brush into the soapy water as well, and use it to reach between the threads and hidden places
- Repeat the above step till you have successfully removed all dirt from the sole of the shoe
- Rinse the piece of rag to remove the soap, then wipe the sole of the shoes again with the rinsed piece of rag to remove any soap
- Let the shoes dry in a cool dry place.
Caution: do not clean the bottom of the shoes under running water. Doing this could get water between the uppers and sole of the shoe which could weaken the gum or adhesive agent used in making the shoe.
Fiebing’s Leather Sole and Heel Edge Dressing- Black
Since the inception of this edge dressing about a hundred years ago, there’s one thing it has not compromised on- quality. Therefore, it has remained one of the most sought-after shoes and heel edge dressing.
Fiebing’s shoe and heel edge dressing provides a high gloss shoe dressing for leather shoes and heels. It’s specially made for black leather shoes and comes with a brush to make applying it easy.
As one user noted, this leather sole and heel edge dressing puts a nice flat non-shiny coating on your soles and heels.
Getting the best out of this edge dressing will depend on how you use it. Applying a single wet and even coat on the target areas will give you the best result. This is because this sole and heel edge dressing is water-based and takes about 10-15 minutes to dry completely. If you apply multiple layers of the product concurrently, it will cause it to run over.
If you let the heel and edge dry properly, you will notice a huge difference between the dressed and undressed sole and heel.
It’s not advisable to use this edge dressing to polish the uppers of your shoes. Get a wax or cream polish instead.
Angelus Roll Call Military Grade Edge Dressing
Think for a moment, what do you feel inspired the name of this edge dressing?
If you can imagine the harsh conditions military shoes are exposed to, then you can tell how efficient this edge dressing will be on your shoes.
Used especially on boots, this edge dressing renews the original sole of the shoes while giving it a nice shine, it is formulated to restore life to old black leather and keep the edges of the shoe looking sharp and new.
There’s an applicator brush attached to the cap of this product to ease its use. The applicator brush helps you get the edge dressing on the target areas without spreading to other areas.
Additionally, this edge dressing covers scuffs and small nicks on black leather. Another user recommends its use on gun belts and holsters.
When you read the reviews on this product, you will discover that you are bound to get the value for your money when you invest in it because it will always leave your shoes looking better than new every time you use it.
You can’t go wrong with Angelus roll call military grade edge dressing. However, you are advised not to use this product on soft leathers as it will crack and flake.
Fienbing’s Light Brown Edge Kote
It’s not like we are obsessed with Fienbing products, it’s just that we value the quality Fienbing offers.
Recall that the previously reviewed edge finish from this brand is for black sole and heel. This is for light brown. It is used for color-coating leather edges. This could pass as an edge dye.
What makes this edge finishing special is its water-resistance feature which helps to prolong the sole life of the shoe.
To make the application of this product easy and yield a better result, use an edge dye roller and pen applicator. The pen part of this tool will make the edge kote reach in between the sole of the shoe and its uppers, while the roller will make coating the sole easy.
Apart from the sole and heels of shoes, certain users report that they use it on their leather chairs, bags, and wallets and it serves them perfectly. This means the product has versatile functions. The only precaution you might have to make while using this product will be in knowing the kind of material or leather you want to use this product on. It’s not compatible with all.
It gives your shoe a flexible and deep semi-gloss finish. Remember to keep out of children’s reach. Once you’re done coating, store in a cool dry place out of the reach of children.
Tarrago Edge Dressing Shoe Dye
Tarrago was founded in 1940 in the cradle of Spanish textile industry. Its vision is to offer the best dyes for fabrics, both for industrial and domestic use. It has an extensive list of products in different ranges. When you use this shoe dye, you will confirm for yourself that the brand- Tarrago, has stayed true to its vision.
Tarrago’s edge dressing shoe dye comes in two colors- dark brown and black.
Apart from shining the sole and heel of your shoes, this shoe dye repairs damage by covering chaps and scratches. Unlike the previous edge dressing that could be used on only leather shoes, this can be used on rubber soles and plastic heels also.
It does not need to be brushed after drying, as the gloss reveals itself upon drying.
How to use:
- Use a clean piece of rag to remove dust from the areas you want to apply the dye on
- Shake the bottle to stir up and diffuse settled dye
- Rub the shoe dye over the heel and outsole of the shoe. There’s a sponge that comes with the dye, use it and remember to clean after use
- Leave it for 3 minutes to dry
Kiwi Heel and Sole Edge
All the persons who reviewed this product gave it a 5-star rating.
Kiwi is a popular and trusted brand as far as shoe polishes, shoe shines, edge dressing and related shoe care products are concerned, so quality is guaranteed.
This heel and sole edge dressing comes with a sponge applicator, angled to help get the shoe care directly on tricky areas of the shoe. This Kiwi Heel and Sole is for black leather. This could mean that most of your shoes have bright/glossy futures as most of your leather shoes are likely to be black.
It’s always best to patch-test if you’re not sure if this product or any shoe care product is compatible with your shoes. Patch-testing is to apply a little amount of the product on a patch of the area you intend to use the product on.
Are you looking for a water-resistant formula that renews and finishes heels, edges and soles? Then this is what you are looking for.
To see your shoe totally transformed, polish the uppers of your shoe using Kiwi polish or any other great polish brand and a shoeshine sponge, before using this heel and sole edge dressing. Your shoes will surely look brand new.
Beyond the new look doing this gives your shoe, it nourishes the shoes, covers scuffs and prolongs the shoe’s life. You’ll find that this is a very profitable investment to make.
See below how to use
How do You Use the Kiwi Heel and Sole Edge?
Figuring out how to use this shoe care product isn’t hard, but there are certain precautions you’ll have to observe while using it. They are cited below, among the guideline for use.
- Protect the surface of your work area by spreading a newspaper over it
- Clean off loose dirt from the shoes using a piece of rag, advisably a lint-free rag
- Shake the edge dressing before removing its cap
- Apply little pressure to the bottle of the edge dressing so some of it will come out. Be cautious not to apply much pressure so more than you need isn’t emitted
- Rub the edge dressing over the sole and heel of the shoe. A sponge applicator attached to the mouth of the product will ensure the product gets into tricky spots courtesy of how its angled
- Leave the shoes to dry
- Remember to rinse the applicator sponge and replace the cap so the sponge stays soft for future use
- Store the product in a cool dry place, out of the reach of children and animals
- Of course, take out the newspaper when you are done