Everyone has that pair of shoes they love to wear all the time. You know the ones — a tad weathered but ultra comfy and still stylin’. It’s that pair of shoes you wish would last forever, but sadly (unless you had enough foresight to buy six pairs), they’ll eventually wear out and end up getting the boot, so to speak. At the same time, don’t we all have that pair of shoes we’ve made a significant investment in? The ones we hardly ever wear but tread on like they’re made of glass when we do? With all our soles inevitably wearing thin, how do we maximize the life and investment of our shoes?

Well, I did recently read an article about a shoe cleaning service in Washington D.C. that boasts about a secret process for cleaning and preserving the life of shoes. In a struggling economy, a service that can extend the life of shoes could be a profitable business, but perhaps not a legitimate reality for most people. Instead, I thought some practical do-it-yourself tips for prolonging the life of your shoes would be a more feasible solution.

1. Protect your shoes by storing them in a cubby, box, or shelf. Don’t just kick them off your feet into the corner when you walk in the door.
2. Waterproof your shoes. Especially for those of us in climates of seemingly endless precipitation, waterproofing shoes will pay dividends, for sure.
3. If your shoes do get soaking wet, let them air dry. Stuff them full of newspaper, rags, or a piece of clothing to wick out the moisture and preserve shape.
4. Use a  shoe-tree. These devices will preserve the shape of your shoe and prevent them from getting smooshed, smashed, and smothered.
5. Finally, freeze gum with ice or CO2 first, and then use a flat instrument to scrape it off.

[pictured: N5 by PF Flyer]