Ballroom Shoes Suede Sole Brush

The most important way you can care for your shoes is to brush them.

There are two types of brushes: hard bristled brushes, and soft bristled brushes.

If the metal bristle can easily be bent with your finger, then it is soft, otherwise it is hard. With a soft bristled brush, you should brush the suede of your shoes very thoroughly after every practice session, social dance, or competition, especially if the floor is dirty. It may feel like you are damaging your shoes, but you aren’t. The soles are made to be brushed. In fact, if you don’t brush them, dirt will work its way into the shoe and make it wear out more quickly. The shoe will also become hard and leathery – not ideal for dancing, and prone to slipping. If you have a hard bristled brush, you should brush your soles more gently, or perhaps even sideways against the bristles. These bristles can tear through the bottom of a shoe if used too roughly. Nevertheless, it is just as important to fluff up the suede after every dance session.

Video on how to brush your shoe soles can be seen HERE.