My favorite shoes to wear are absolutely my Stubbs & Woottons, which I inherited from my grandmother. Not only are they fun and whimsical, they are also a classic shoe and one that can last you a lifetime, from your early twenties (or younger, now that they’ve started a children’s line!) till your eighties. To keep your Stubbs, or your other smoking slippers, in good condition, here are a few easy steps to follow.
Use Scotchguard or another similar protector
Both Scotchguard and Vectra Furniture, Carpet, and Fabric Protector Spray are safe for velvet Stubbs (like my favorite Nitenday pair) as long as they are applied correctly. Make sure not to saturate the fabric, but hold it away (at least six inches!) and gently mist. The Vectra spray will waterproof velvet, while Scotchguard will waterproof suede and leather, but only give velvet moderate protection.
Store your shoes properly
Always use cedar shoe trees to help your Stubbs keep their shape (and to make sure that they are ready to go the next time you slip into them barefoot). If you have velvet Stubbs, make sure to store them in shoe bags as well to protect the velvet from dust or getting knocked about, as the fabric is quite delicate.
Have your cobbler put on rubber soles
Stubbs & Woottons have beautiful leather soles–however, leather doesn’t stand up to city sidewalks as well as rubber does. If you walk constantly and wear your Stubbs, bring them to a cobbler to have protective rubber soles put on your shoes on top of the leather. It will help them last a lot longer and you won’t need to worry!
If you do need to get your Stubbs repaired, Rago Brothers offers beautiful craftsmanship worthy of your handmade slippers. They accept both drop offs and mail-in orders.
