Can you wear the
same shoes two
days in a row?

The answer is no! As all our experts will tell you, with proof to back up their assertions: leather is an organic material with specific physical properties. For example, it is an excellent thermostatic regulator, protecting you from cold in winter and heat in summer. It is also an insulator that lets moisture escape. These properties mean it can absorb the heat emitted naturally by the foot, before releasing it outward, just as your skin does, and is why leather is said to breathe.

When it becomes wet, leather’s fibres swell up with water, making it more fragile and susceptible to faster wear. To take proper care of leather, it is imperative that you let it sit to give it time to release any accumulated moisture. This is why it is strongly advised that you not wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row.

It is even recommended that you let them rest for two days after wearing them for one day, or even longer in winter (see our article + link on winter shoe care). In the early 20th century etiquette manuals, it was even recommended that the elegant man own seven pairs of shoes, one for each day of the week, so that each pair could rest quietly while awaiting its next day of wear.