Dhaka's monsoons may be a respite from the heat, and for the savvy rain-harvester a boon, but they're hell on your footwear, more so than any other kind of weather. Here are a few ways in which to keep your shoes happy.
Fragrant footwear
Wading through ankle deep waters to get to work, wearing the wet shoes throughout the day, does not for sweet-smelling shoes make. Prevent your shoes from smelling like the tannery where their journey began, by first blasting them with a hairdryer to remove the dampness, and then stuffing them with little sachets of baking soda. You can make the sachets out of old socks.
Shiny suede
If there's a material that absolutely hates getting wet, it's suede. Mud on your suede shoes is like a kiss of death. Put those kicks on life support by scrubbing them with rubbing alcohol and letting them air dry.
Off with the scuffs
There are a number of ways to deal with scuff marks on shoes. You could scrub them with an old toothbrush. You could try rubbing them with an eraser. Some discreet scuffs can be treated with a cotton bud dipped in nail polish remover, but this is a tricky method, as some materials don't react well to the remover. You could apply hand sanitiser to your black dress shoes. Depending on the severity of the scuff, these methods should help your shoes looking brand new in no time.
