If you’ve recently hopped on the resurging UGG trend, or have purchased a pair of Adidas trainers, then listen up. You won’t want to step outside in them without using this important product first.
I used to work at Scott’s Menswear - which is owned by JD Sports - and during my time there, I sold a lot of trainers. And many shoe-lovers will agree that there's nothing worse than spending the best part of £100 on a pair of fresh of kicks only to get them wrecked in a rain shower, ruined by grass stains or something equally as frustrating.
I’m a bit of a footwear addict, and my dad is a former cobbler, so taking care of boots, trainers and heels is a priority in our house, which is why I will never wear a pair of shoes without using a protective spray on them first. Neither will I give a pair of shoes without treating them to make it more convenient for the recipient, who will surely be grateful for the extra effort.
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The brand I’ve typically used is Crep Protect, because during my 12-month retail stint, I had to demonstrate how it worked every time I sold a pair of shoes at the till, so I know how good it is.
A 200ml can comes in at £10 on Amazon, which you can use multiple times on numerous pairs of shoes, so it’s really only a couple of quid extra on top of the shoes to keep them protected.
The way the spray works is by creating a thin, hydrophobic coating on the shoe, which is completely invisible. You have to spray them from about 20cm away and give them two coats, letting them dry in between, and then they’ll be water and oil repellent to help protect them from watermarks, grime and stains.
At the counter of the fashion store, I had a pre-treated trainer and a bottle of water, and would show customers how it worked by pouring the water onto the shoe. The liquid would roll straight off rather than sinking into the fabric, and customers would react as though they’d just seen a magic trick.
The first time I did it, I had that feeling of anxiety that I imagine Derren Brown must feel when about to pull off a daring illusion - but there’s no trickery involved and I soon became much more confident in splashing the shoes with water, safe in the knowledge that they would be completely fine - no matter how wrong pouring water on new shoes felt.
The waterproof formula works on a range of fabrics including leather, suede, nubuck and canvas, and can last ‘up to four to five weeks’ according to Amazon. I typically give all my shoes a spray every other month to keep them topped up.
In recent months, I’ve used them on a pair of M&S suede chelsea boots, my sister-in-law’s brand new UGG boots, a pair of Adidas trainers and some new Vans that my mum has got for Christmas so that they can be ready to wear the very same day.
The spray has a near-perfect 4.5 star rating on the JD Sports website, with 4.4 on Amazon. Shoppers said: “Used this on my uggs before wearing them & got caught in heavy rain.. they were still as good as new after!”
Another added: “I discovered this product in a store and love the product and replaced my used can from Amazon. Use it for my Nike trainers and winter suede boots and the water just runs off and my feet stay dry.”
A third commented: “I've always used this and my 4 year old suede vans still look new ...worth it”
“I used this spray a couple of days ago & then I wore my Ugg slippers in the rain outside,” wrote a fourth. “I was so worried because I saw spots on the suede, I looked about 5-10 mins after and the rain spots had gone and I also didn't have any stains.”
The only downside is that it doesn’t last as long as shoppers would like, with it needing to be reapplied after a number of weeks. One reviewer wrote: “The product is great. In a rainy weather I can go out with my white vapormax without having to worry about any stains. This spray is a great water repellent and helps keep shoes clean. Only downside to it would be that it ran out about 3-4 weeks. I'm not sure if it was just me or the product is actually meant to last this long.”
According to Crep Protect, a 200ml can will do 12 pairs of trainers - or one pair for 12 months, depending on how you look at it. You can also buy multipacks on Amazon for £22.13, working out at £7.37 a can. There are similar products out there, too, though they’re mostly around the same price, like the £9.99 KIWI Shoe Protector Spray.
You can buy a can of Crep Protect here for £10, down from £12, to keep your kicks looking fresh this Christmas and beyond.