The importance of good shoe trees (2024)

FAQs

The importance of good shoe trees? ›

A wooden shoe tree will wick away any moisture preventing odour, and will also hold the shoe in shape so it dries out correctly keeping creases at bay. Shoes can take 24 hours to fully dry before you next wear them so this is why I suggest rotating your shoes throughout the week.

It will hold your shoe in the correct position to hold its shape and help smooth out any creases or wrinkles created while walking. As a result of proper care, your shoe will look less worn and stay in a comfortable shape.

Cheap Shoe Trees ($15-$30)

Cheaper shoe trees generally don't have full wooden heels. Instead, a nob or a piece of thin wood helps stretch out the shoe. These will help with odor and leather cracking, but they won't hold the shoe shape quite as nicely as more expensive options.

There are stories and legends about shoe trees. One supposedly began when a couple argued on their wedding night, and, somehow, a pair of shoes got thrown into a tree. Later, the shoes of their children joined the first set of shoes. So perhaps that particular shoe tree is associated with marriage or fertility.

Shoe trees aren't just for formal leather shoes; they're crucial for preserving sneakers too, albeit for different reasons. Unlike leather shoes, sneakers often feature materials that retain moisture, leading to odors and potential damage.

Pressure, moisture and heat conspire to stretch the leather of your dress shoes after each wear. An important function of the shoe tree is to help the leather reform and maintain the shoe's natural shape. The spring heal will stretch the shoe flat and prevent the show from bowing as a result of wear.

Most shoe trees are made of cedar because of its ability to remove moisture, but they do come in other types of wood too (like beechwood). Whenever possible, stick to cedar. Make sure to avoid varnished shoe trees, because the lacquer coating prevents the wood from absorbing moisture.

A wooden shoe tree will wick away any moisture preventing odour, and will also hold the shoe in shape so it dries out correctly keeping creases at bay. Shoes can take 24 hours to fully dry before you next wear them so this is why I suggest rotating your shoes throughout the week.

While socks will certainly act as a barrier, the leather and lining of your shoes are still going to absorb moisture. Over time, this can lead to the rotting of your lining and potentially the leather cracking.

This helps to give shape also to the higher boot upper. The right usage of shoe trees. We recommend to always insert a well fitting shoe tree after you wore the shoe and then leave the shoe to rest for at least a day so it can fully dry.

Why is it called a shoe tree? ›

A shoe tree is a tree (or occasionally, a powerline pole or other wooden object) that has been festooned with old shoes, generally through the act of shoe tossing.

The origins of why the tree became home to shoes, boots, sandals, stilettos, and every other type of footwear are varied. The Nevada Commission on Tourism says the tradition started following an argument between newlyweds, during which one tossed the other's shoes in the tree.

This broad definition gives you an idea but let's dive deeper. A quality shoe tree is shaped less like a foot, and more like a shoe last or shoe shape. A shoe last is wooden template that a shoe leather is stretched over to give it its shape during the manufacturing process.

Prevent Lining Rot

The absorbent properties of Shoe Trees destroy that moist environment and inhibits bacterial and fungal growth.

The shoe tree replaces your foot when you are not wearing your shoes. You should therefore take your usual size, because too small will not stretch the leather, and too large may deform it. HOW LONG SHOULD THEY BE LEFT IN THE SHOE? We advise you to leave the shoe trees on whenever you are not using the pairs.

Some suggest it signifies someone who has died, with the shoes belonging to the dead person, and when their spirt returns, it will walk high above the ground, closer to heaven. Others believe it is done by bullies who steal a pair of shoes and put them in a place where they cannot be retrieved.