Mathieu Castanier
A pair of shoes built by hand is not finished when it leaves the atelier. It is finished after a few years of wear, when the leather has taken the shape of the foot and the patina has settled into something no new shoe can imitate.
Never wear the same pair two days running. Leather needs a full day to release the moisture of a day's wear. Fit cedar shoe trees while the shoes are still warm: they absorb that moisture and hold the shape of the vamp against creasing. A pair rotated and treed will outlive a pair worn daily several times over.
Brush off the day's dust with a horsehair brush. Every ten to fifteen wears, apply a neutral or matching cream sparingly with a cloth, leave it a few minutes, then brush briskly to raise the shine. Cream feeds the leather; wax builds gloss on the toe and heel. On a hand-patinated pair, use a neutral cream to preserve the depth of the shading, a pigmented polish will flatten it.
A soft crepe or rubber brush, used lightly and often, is all that is required. Brush in one direction to lift the nap. Never apply cream or wax. Treat with a suede protector before the first wear and after any deep cleaning, and let wet suede dry away from heat before brushing.
Alligator, python, ostrich and croco ask for restraint. Wipe with a soft, barely damp cloth and dry immediately, following the direction of the scales. A specialist cream may be applied once or twice a year, never more. Keep them away from radiators and direct sun, which dry the scales and lift them.
Brush the fabric panels gently with a clothes brush and treat the leather parts as calf. Blot any stain immediately with a dry cloth rather than rubbing it.
Wipe off the surface water, fit shoe trees and let the pair dry slowly at room temperature, away from any radiator or heat source. Once dry, feed the leather with cream and brush. Heat is the one thing that ruins a good shoe beyond repair.
Our welted shoes are built to be resoled rather than replaced. When the sole wears through at the ball of the foot, or the heel block loses its edge, the pair should come back to us. The upper is kept, the welt is opened and a new sole is stitched in place. A pair can be resoled several times over its life.
Write to info@mathieucastanier.com with a photograph of the soles and we will advise you on what the pair needs and what it will cost before anything is undertaken.
Keep shoes on trees, in their flannel bags, away from light and damp. Boxes stacked in a cool cupboard are better than a sunlit shelf.