How to Get Creases and Wrinkles Out of Leather Shoes: Step by Step Guide

A leather shoe is nothing but a calf-skin shoe, so just like our own skin, this will also crease with every walk, every step you take! It is natural to happen and rather a mark of good leather. Shoe creasing is ideal because if the leather dress shoes don't bend or crease that means they are of stiff leather and would last a very short time.

So rather than worrying about its wrinkles, you must focus on how to uncrease leather shoes or how to care for leather shoes or for that matter how to prevent leather shoes from creasing.

This article will focus on the top ways on to remove creases from leather shoes as well as on how to maintain leather shoes and boots.

Let's progress on these steps one-by-one but before that a few words of caution on how to care for leather shoes:

1. Before you start uncreasing leather shoes, we suggest testing the tip on a small area of the shoe first. This is to avoid any kind of damage to the shoes since you are an amateur in the technique.
2. Never expect a 100% result, leather is skin. The way you cannot restore your aged skin, the same way leather behaves.
3. Maintain your leather shoe well, condition it time to time, to avoid creases; rather then pondering later on how to remove creases from shoes.

How to Uncrease Leather Shoes: The Essential 4 Steps Guide

1. Take Off the Shoes Lace

Shoelace is either synthetic or cotton thus can burn off while ironing the shoe or steaming the same. So better remove the shoelace before performing any kind of creasing-out activity.

2. Use a Damp Cloth Before Using an Iron to Crease

The next step to get creases out of shoes: Dampen a cloth, such as a washcloth and place it over the crease of the shoes. You can also fold the cloth and make it two-layer. Then turn on the iron to just WOOL or 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now you can iron out the crease of the shoe by using it over the damp cloth. This will prevent direct heat from reaching the shoe and thereby prevent damage. After the crease is gone, leave the shoe to dry with a shoe tree placed inside.

3. Set the Iron to Lowest Temperature and Use It Carefully

Whether it is a dry iron or a steam iron, always set this on the lowest heating mode, before you plan to crease out your shoes. In case the heat is less, you can increase it later as per need, but also start with the lowest.

4. Use Leather Oil

After you get creases out of shoes, fully dry them; polish it with suitable leather oil to maintain its texture. This also prevents the shoes from future wrinkles.

More Methods to Remove Creases from Shoes

1. Using Alcohol

Equal parts of alcohol mixed in water work as good as conditioning leather oil to get creases out of shoes. Use a piece of soft cloth to rub it over the creases; it smoothens the creases if you insert the correct sized shoe trees in the pair.

You need to be very cautious, because a wrong proportion of alcohol or using the same often will leave your leather harmed, by rapidly drying out the same. So once you are done cleaning leather shoes with alcohol; dry the shoes well and condition them with suitable leather oil.

Caution: Do not use alcohol mix with iron or blow dryer; it can set your shoes off on fire!

2. Using Shoes Trees

A shoe tree is a foot-shaped wooden piece that goes inside the shoes when you store them/not use them. The main aim is to retain the original shape of the shoe, by preventing wrinkles. It is recommended that as soon as leather/suede leather shoes are taken off, a shoe tree must be inserted in these. And if you blow-dry a wet shoe, by inserting shoe trees, then it will wrinkle out the creases.

3. Uncrease Shoes Using Blow Dryer

Insert shoe trees before blow-drying and set the blow dryer to the lowest heating first. Next, you must hold the blow-dryer 8-10 inches away from the shoes and then run it top to bottom of the shoes. Use your fingers to run off the creases, from warm leather up to colder leather. And repeat the same till wrinkles are gone. Simple! Now store the shoes with shoe-trees in.

There are numerous different ways to remove creasing. Thus after removing the creases and wrinkles from the shoes, we will share a few ideas on how to maintain shoes to avoid creases for a long-time or as much as possible. However, to avoid damage, it is always advised that you review and follow the manufacturer's guidelines and recommendations.

How to Prevent Leather Shoes from Creasing?

1. Buy the correct size of the shoes, because loose shoes will tend to crease even when you wear them.
2. Dry out wet shoes and condition them well before storing them, else they will crease.
3. Always store leather shoes with shoe trees inside for the reason already shared earlier.
4. Use an oversized shoe box to store that has ample space for the shoes as these must not fold, not even at the tip.
5. Cleaning leather shoes from time to time also prevents them from creasing.

The above guide will help you not only work on tips on how to uncrease leather shoes but will also help you on how to maintain leather boots and help you in cleaning leather shoes before storage as well. But if you have any more queries on how to prevent leather shoes from creasing or get creases out of shoes, then you can always write to us.