Happy Pumpkin Wednesday!

Happy Pumpkin Wednesday Friends!  You have made it halfway through the week, congratulations!


This week, Pumpkin, a fan of shoes, shares her tips for keeping your footwear in good repair.


If you have a favorite pair of heels, like Pumpkin does, you want to keep them looking good for as long as possible.  Pumpkin's first tip is to wear a different pair of shoes (not your heels) to work, and then change into your fancy heels once you get inside.  You will prevent some wear and tear from the outside sidewalk on the heels and the balls of your feet.

Another quick tip when you carry a pair of shoes to work, don't place your shoes uncovered inside your work bag with your other daily items.  Your shoes, even if you only wear them inside, can get full of bacteria.  This is not a huge problem, but you don't want your shoes inside your tote bag touching all your things like phone, keys etc. So follow Pumpkin's advice and make sure your shoes are in a bag before you put them in your tote bag.

I love this shoe.  

If you are wearing heels, the first thing to go on my heels are the tips of the heels.  Fret not.  A broken heel tip doesn't mean you need to throw them away.  Rather, just take your shoes to your local cobbler/shoe repair person. (If you don't know where to find a shoe repair store, try a local dry cleaner, they often fix purses and shoes in addition to cleaning and repairing clothing).  They can quickly and inexpensively bring your shoes back to life.  I have never tried to replace the heel tips myself, but if you have a DIY method, please share!

I tried to fix these shoes but the lack of opposable thumbs made it difficult

There also comes a point in every athletic shoes' life that they simply cannot be worn anymore.  It's a sad time, but there is no need to throw your athletic shoes in the trash.  Nike has a program where you can drop off your old shoes, they break the shoes down and turn them into their raw materials to use for other things such as the rubber track at high schools.  Check out this website to find out where your local NIKE drop off zone is located and get to recycling!

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse!

Last, as we transition from summer to fall, it's time to put your summer shoes away.  If you have the space, get some shoe size plastic boxes to store each pair in.  Clean your shoes and make any repairs before you put your favorite sandals and flip flops away for the winter.  You can also put a potpourri sachet in the box with the shoes in order to keep them smelling fresh.

I'm not ready for summer to leave, where will I take my nap?

How do you keep your shoes in good shape?

Looking forward to a lovely Thursday!