How To Blacken Shoes

Use a discarded tooth brush to apply paste blacking. A few drops of paraffin added to shoe blacking will impart a good polish to damp shoes, and help preserve the leather.

How To Clean Patent Leathers

Clean with olive oil, then polish briskly with a soft woolen cloth.

Wipe off dust and dirt, clean with sweet milk, leaving the milk on for a few minutes, then wipe with a soft cloth.

Wipe the patent leather to remove dust, then wipe with olive oil and polish with a soft cloth.

Cleaning Tan Shoes

Rub with the inside of a banana peel, then wipe dry with a soft cloth.

A flannel cloth dipped in turpentine cleans tan leather.

Cleaning White Canvas Shoes

Use a preparation purchased at the stores where the shoes are sold. It is much more convenient to use and costs no more than preparations made at home.

Cleaning White Kid Shoes

Dip a clean white flannel in benzine and rub the kid, dipping frequently into the benzine and rubbing quickly, then rub with a dry flannel.

A piece of Art Gum is also good for cleaning kid, but if badly soiled, plenty of benzine or gasoline is better.

For Creaky Shoes

Have a cobbler drive a couple of small wooden pegs into the soles.

Care Of New Shoes

If allowed to stand over night in a pan with enough olive oil to cover the soles, they will last longer, and never creak.

Rub new shoes with a slice of raw potato, and they will polish as easily as old ones.

Coat the soles of new shoes with three or four coats of copal varnish and they will seldom need resoling.

Rub new shoes occasionally with vaseline to prolong their wearing qualities.

If the soles of shoes are oiled with a little vaseline about twice each month, and let dry over night, rubbers will seldom be needed to keep out dampness.

Wet shoes should be stuffed with paper to absorb the moisture and prevent the leather getting hard.

Inner Soles

Inner soles for shoes may be cut from old felt hats. Soles for bedroom slippers may be cut from old felt hats and glued to the ordinary sole, or bound and sewed to a soft top shoe.

Shoe Laces

If shoe laces are slightly waxed, they will not come undone.

Tie a shoe lace bow as usual, and before pulling the loops tight, slip a second loop through the center and tighten. This will never slip.

How To Save Rubbers

Cut a heel shaped piece out of an old rubber and glue in the heel of the new one.

Always mark your initials inside your rubbers.

To varnish rubbers helps looks and wearing qualities.

When heels of rubbers are worn out, cut them into strap or toe rubbers.

Turn rubbers wrong side out to wash, and they will dry without rotting.