Here's everything you need to extend the life of your dress shoes

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High-quality dress shoes are one of the most important investments most guys will make when developing their wardrobe. 

At Insider Picks, we’ve done our best to present our readers with great shoe options in a variety of styles and price points. There are classic companies that have been trusted for years and brand new startups hoping to change the game, all making shoes that look and feel fantastic.

While we love highlighting new brands and styles of shoes in this space, I recently realized that we haven’t done enough to help inform and advise on keeping your dress shoes in great condition.

One of the benefits of spending more on a great shoe is that because it was constructed from higher-quality materials, it will last longer. But this logic only holds if you take proper care of your footwear. 

If you’ve recently gotten yourself a quality pair of dress shoe and want to do what you can to get the most out of your investment, below you can find a few products to help you toward that goal:

A pair of shoe trees

Allen Edmonds

Of all the things you could do to take better care of your shoes, buying a set of shoe trees should be at the top of the list (that’s why it’s first here). I’ve written about them in more detail previously, but basically, shoe trees help your shoes hold their shape while they sit in your closet, while also working to wick moisture out of the leather to keep them smelling fresh.

Allen Edmonds Woodlore Adjustable Men's Shoe Tree, $19.95

Shoe polish

Allen Edmonds

Few things can revitalize your dress shoes better or quicker than a good old-fashioned shine. And while you can always wait until your next layover to pay someone in the airport for a quick scrub, with a little bit of practice and elbow grease, you can give your shoes a brand-new life yourself — just get some polish and settle in for some shining.

Allen Edmonds Premium Shoe Polish, $9

Silicon spray for waterproofing

Amazon

Chances are you’ve gotten caught in the rain unexpectedly at some point in your life and the sudden squall ruined something — a cupcake you were carrying, papers you had just printed, or, quite possibly, a favorite article of clothing.

If you have nice leather or suede boots, they can survive the rain unscathed, as long as you take proper precautions. A silicon spray like this one applied about once a season will keep water rolling off your boots for a while.

Atsko Silicone Water-Guard, $8.95

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