Have you ever gone digging under your bed for one pair of shoes, only to discover another that you had completely forgotten about altogether? That’s what happened to me about a week before I left for Ireland, and it occurred to me that old vintage equestrian lace-ups would be the perfect pair for the trip. They did, however, need some major TLC and a mini makeover.
I didn’t have any shoe polish on-hand, but did you know that an oil-based wood floor cleaner works great to shine up your boots? Wipe them over with a damp rag to clean off any dirt, and then follow with a bit of Murphy Oil soap to make them shine. I learned this trick through my years of horseback riding as a kid, where we’d always clean our boots and tack with it!
After your boots are cleaned up–(this is fairly straightforward here)–just swap the old laces with a color of your choice. I used red because I love the combo of bright red and black–a classic color combo (I believe we probably have Christian Louboutin to thank for that!) and it puts an interesting twist on a basic outfit. I purchased these laces in red from Allen Edmonds (a menswear store, but was Neal’s suggestion–they have a ton of different colors!) and also got them in blue and black. I really like these, too! Just make sure you get the extra long version for boots!
All done! You now have a brand new pair of boots. I love new boots, especially when they’re free! 😉 This trick would work just as great for a pair of old oxfords, too!
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