Shoe Shapers
Shoes and boots keep the shape they are left in, which means most of the damage they take is not from being worn. It is from being put away.
These sit inside between wears, holding the toe box and the boot shaft open so the crease never has room to set. Quilted velvet in black, or a plain linen blend in ecru. Soft filling throughout, so nothing firm sits against the lining, and a sealed silica sachet in every pair to draw down the damp a closed cupboard collects.
Questions about shoe shapers
What is the difference between a shoe shaper and a shoe tree?
A shoe tree is rigid, usually cedar or plastic, and works by tension: it presses outward against the upper. A shaper is soft-filled and works by occupying the space instead, holding the shoe open without pushing against it. Both stop the crease across the front from setting. A tree also stretches the shoe, which is not always what you want on soft or unlined leather.
Which size shoe shaper do I need?
35 to 39, or 40 to 44, in EU sizing. Every shaper is sold as a pair, one for each shoe.
What does the Long shaper do differently?
It runs the full length of the foot rather than filling the toe box alone, and it is shaped left and right so each shoe gets the one cut for it. At 20.5 cm it is slim enough to work in an ankle boot as well as a shoe, which makes it the one to reach for when a wardrobe holds both.
Do I need a boot shaper as well?
If you own boots, yes. A boot cannot hold itself up: left standing empty, the shaft folds at the ankle under its own weight and that fold sets into a line the leather never fully recovers from. The Short is for ankle, Chelsea and mid-calf boots. The Tall runs 36 cm, the full height of a knee-high or riding boot shaft.
Are the ecru shapers quilted?
No. Quilting is on the velvet only. The ecru shapers are a plain linen blend in an undyed shade that sits quietly in an open wardrobe. Both have the same soft filling and the same sealed silica sachet.
What is the silica sachet for?
A closed cupboard collects damp, and damp is what leather least wants to be stored in. Each shaper carries a sealed sachet inside to draw it down. It is sealed, so nothing touches the shoe.
How do I clean them?
Dry clean only. Steam gently on low heat to release creases.
