After-Sales & Shoe Care
After-Sales & Shoe Care
Your shoes are built to last.
Here is how to make sure they do.
Every Andrew McDonald shoe is built with the intention that it will outlast the trend that inspired it. With the right care and timely maintenance, a pair of our shoes will serve you for decades. This page covers everything you need to know.
Daily & weekly care
After each wear — Insert cedar shoe trees immediately. They absorb moisture, control odour, and hold the shoe in its correct shape while it rests.
Every four to six weeks — Apply a quality leather conditioner with a soft cloth. Work it into the leather in circular motions and allow it to absorb fully before buffing. Use a beeswax or lanolin-based product — avoid petroleum-based conditioners.
As needed — Apply wax polish in thin layers. Buff with a horsehair brush. The warmth from brisk brushing softens the wax and produces a lasting shine.
Rotation — Allow at least 24 hours between wears. Leather needs time to dry and return to its natural shape. A shoe rotated through three or four pairs will outlast one worn daily by years.
Resoling & repairs
Every Andrew McDonald shoe is built on a construction that can be resoled — Goodyear welt, hand-sewn, or Blake stitch. When the sole wears through, the shoe is not finished. It is ready for its next chapter.
The right time to resole is before the sole wears through. When the heel block wears down to the rand — the thin leather strip above it — act. A timely heel replacement is straightforward and inexpensive. A delayed one becomes a more involved repair.
Not sure where to go for a resole in Sydney?
Contact us at the workshop — we work with trusted craftspeople and are happy to point you in the right direction. A shoe we made deserves a resole done well.
Storage
Store shoes in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. For extended storage, condition the leather first, insert shoe trees, and use a breathable cotton bag rather than a sealed plastic box.
A well-stored shoe brought out after years in storage and reconditioned will wear as well as the day it was put away.
Suede & nubuck
Use a suede protector spray before first wear and reapply every few months. For marks and scuffs, a suede brush used in one direction will restore the nap. Avoid wax polish on suede — it will flatten and darken the surface permanently.
Water staining on suede can often be treated by dampening the entire shoe evenly and allowing it to dry naturally with shoe trees inserted. This equalises the stain rather than leaving a tide mark.
Get in touch
If you have a question about your Andrew McDonald shoes — care, repairs, fit, or anything else — we are always happy to help. Come in, call, or send us a message.
Shop 121, Level 2, The Strand Arcade, 412 George Street, Sydney
Monday – Friday 9:30am – 5:00pm · Saturday 9:30am – 4:30pm
(02) 8084 2595 · Send a message →
Further reading
The Craft — No. 01
How to Care for Leather Shoes — A Maker's Guide
The tools, the routine, and the materials that keep leather shoes in condition for decades.
The Craft — No. 02
Built to Last. Here's What That Actually Means.
Construction methods, resoling, and why how a shoe is built determines everything.
