How to Care for Leather Shoes in Kathmandu's Dust and Monsoon
Leather shoes fail in Nepal for two reasons: fine dust in the dry months and soaking in the monsoon. Both are manageable with about ten minutes of care a week. ## What does dust actually do to leather? Kathmandu dust is abrasive and slightly alkaline. It settles into the grain and, every time the shoe flexes, works like fine sandpaper on the surface. It also draws oils out of the leather, which is what makes neglected shoes look grey and chalky before they look scuffed. **The fix is brushing, not polishing.** A horsehair brush for thirty seconds after each wear removes the dust before it does any of that. This single habit matters more than any cream or wax. ## How often should you condition them? In a dry Kathmandu winter, roughly once a month. Conditioner replaces the oils that dust and dry air pull out. Apply a thin coat, let it absorb for fifteen minutes, then buff. More is not better. Over-conditioning saturates the fibres and makes the leather spongy, which causes the upper to collapse and crease deeply across the vamp. ## What do you do when they get soaked? This is where most shoes are lost. 1. **Wipe off surface water and mud immediately.** Dried mud pulls oil out as it sets. 2. **Stuff them with newspaper** and change it after an hour. Newspaper draws moisture from the inside out. 3. **Dry them slowly, away from heat.** Never in front of a heater or in direct sun. Fast drying shrinks the fibres unevenly and causes permanent cracking across the flex point. Two days at room temperature is correct. 4. **Condition once fully dry.** Water carries oils out as it evaporates; the leather will be thirsty. ## Do you need cedar shoe trees? They are the highest-value accessory you can buy. They hold the shoe's shape while the leather dries, flatten the toe crease before it sets permanently, and absorb interior moisture. In a humid monsoon climate they do more for shoe life than polish does. ## A realistic weekly routine - After each wear: brush, thirty seconds, shoe trees in. - Weekly: wipe with a barely damp cloth, let dry. - Monthly: condition. - Twice a year: full clean and a wax polish on the toe and heel. Every pair in the [catalogue](https://pomoryleather.com/shop) is full-grain, which means this routine visibly improves them over time. Questions about a specific pair? [Ask us](https://pomoryleather.com/contact-us).
