Chelsea boots are an autumn/winter staple in both men’s and women’s fashion - so it’s no surprise that they look just as sleek and stylish on little feet, too! However, while Chelsea boots are favoured for their durability and versatility, they can start to lose their clean-cut elegance if left uncared for.
Luckily, looking after Chelsea boots is a breeze! Below, we share our top tips on how to keep your child’s Chelsea boots in tip-top condition all winter long.
Cleaning leather Chelsea boots is all about restoring that luxurious richness of colour that keeps them looking timeless. But don’t worry - you don’t need to be an expert in shoe care to get the job done well. Here are the simple steps:
The first step is to get the boots ready for cleaning. Our range of Chelsea boots are designed without laces to ensure independence and a comfy fit, but if the boots do have laces, now’s the time to remove them. Depending on how much muddy fun they’ve been having, you may need to wash the laces separately.
Without submerging your little one’s Chelsea boots, use warm, soapy water and a soft-bristled brush to remove the worst of the dirt and mud. You may need to repeat this step for particularly stubborn clumps of mud.
Top tip! Don’t forget to switch out your water if it gets too muddy, as this helps to avoid the risk of working more dirt into the leather.
Once you’re satisfied that the Chelsea boots are clean, place them in a well-ventilated room to dry. Don’t place them next to any direct heat sources like radiators or wood burner stoves, and avoid using hot hair dryers to speed up the process, as this can cause the leather to dry out too much and crack. Keep them out of direct sunlight too, as UV light can cause the colour to fade prematurely.
To help your child’s Chelsea boots dry faster, put scrunched up newspaper inside them and change it regularly as it soaks up the moisture. As well as speeding up the drying process, newspaper inside the boots can help them to maintain their shape so they stay as comfy as possible to wear.
Last but not least, restore the shine to each boot by applying a layer of polish. Use gentle, circular motions to work the polish into the leather, taking care not to get any on the soles or the elasticated panels.
To make it easier for yourself, choose a neutral shoe polish that has no colouring - this means it can be used on any colour of leather. This is great for brightly coloured Chelsea boots, but also helps if the rest of your family have varied colours of leather shoes as well - so you can look after them all with the same tin of polish.
Cleaning patent Chelsea boots is very similar to cleaning leather boots, but with a few key differences. Here are the easy steps to follow:
As with leather boots, remove any laces or detachable features so that the boots are ready to be cleaned.
Using a mixture of soap and warm water, gently clean away dirt from the surface of the boot. For the best results, use small circular motions and spend a little extra time on very muddy areas like the soles. Remember, it's best not to submerge them, as they’ll take much longer to dry and prolonged exposure to water can compromise the materials, affecting the structural integrity of the boots.
Much the same as leather Chelsea boots, patent Chelsea boots can be sensitive to heat and UV damage, so it’s best to dry them in a well-ventilated area away from sunlight or other direct heat sources. Newspaper inside the boots can help to speed up the drying process and protect the shape of the shoes. Since patent leather is non-porous, you should be able to wipe away excess moisture from the outer surface of the boots with a dry cloth, which may also help them to dry quicker.
Similar to polish for leather shoes, patent restorer helps to preserve the shine and smooth feel of patent leather, meaning the Chelsea boots stay sleek and stylish for longer.
If you’re using our black patent restorer polish: Apply a small amount of patent restorer to the boots and work it into the material with little circular strokes until you are happy with the result.
If you’re using our clear patent shine spray: Ideal for colourful Chelsea boots, this spray is simple to use. Just spray each boot from about 25cm away using short bursts. Then, once the spray has dried, use a lint-free cloth to buff the patent into a shine.
Some amount of creasing is to be expected with leather and patent boots, as it shows that the shoe is flexing in time with your little one’s feet and helping them to develop a natural gait. However, excessive creasing can come about if you don’t look after the boots, and this may affect how smart they look when worn.
To reduce the impact this natural creasing effect has on the Chelsea boots, you can:
In other words, stick to the cleaning routines described above, and you’re already on the right track.
Another key thing that will help to preserve the style of your child’s Chelsea boots is to make sure they’re wearing the right size. If the boots are too big, this can lead to gaping which in turn causes creasing as their feet move and flex. This is part of the reason why it’s best to avoid sizing up in children’s boots purely for growing space.
Chelsea boots can be a smart and stylish choice for any child, and you can keep them that way with these simple shoe care tips. No matter what your little one gets up to, they can always look their best with a pair of trendy Chelsea boots.
