Consider yourself blessed if you reside in a zip code where the climate is so pleasant that your pedicure need never be concealed.  However, if sandals do not constitute at least 85% of your footwear, then you are very likely to be the devoting a large percentage of your precious storage to shoe care products. Take a moment to contemplate what your shoes and boots are expected to regularly endure. Unlike their counterparts in southern climes who live out their existences cushioned by warm white sand, your shoes make daily contact with puddles, snow, ice, mud,  and even the occasional dog pile. Such denizens require you to maintain an arsenal of shoe protection products to keep them in active service.

These come in many forms including the polishes, water proofers, shines, oils, stain removers and the requisite brushes and cloths used for application. But that’s not all.  What about the inner soles, orthotics and other items designed for comfort, as well as special products to eliminate the disagreeable odors emanating from sweaty feet when you forego wearing socks? There is another category for maintaining the shape of shoes, like shoe trees, shaper and stretchers. 

It is not that the countless numbers of shoe products are not useful. Like everything else in your house, they occasionally need editing.  Here are some ideas.

CRUD Challenge

This is an easy de-cluttering project for a day you want instant results when you don’t really have a lot of time to devote. Shoe care products can typically be found in several locations.  Men often keep theirs in wooden boxes designed to both clean shoes and store the various components. Women will re-purpose shoe boxes and store their shoe care goods in a closet or cabinet. Aged, cracked and dried up residue vaguely resembling polish is a good place to start for pitching. Liquid shoe polishes are considered to be hazardous household waste and need to be treated as such. You may have polishes hanging around that were purchased for shoes you long ago discarded. The same goes for gel soles. Check the labels on aerosols to see what chemicals they may contain. These may need special disposal that does not harm the environment.  Now that you are finished cleaning out the stained rags and free amenity shoe kits that you dragged home from hotels, use the remaining products to give your shoes a refresh. They deserve the attention.