The sandals are heading to the back of the closet and the closed shoes are coming out. Before any of them hit your feet, give each pair a quick look-over. It takes half an hour, it's oddly satisfying, and it beats discovering a peeling sole on the first cold morning of the year.
That's really the whole job: look each pair over, wipe off the storage dust, and put every pair in one of three piles — good to go, needs a fix, or done.
Give each pair a once-over
Nothing formal. You're looking for the handful of things that actually matter:
- Where the sole meets the upper: any lifting, gaps, or peeling edges — and roughly how far each one runs.
- The sole itself: cracks, worn-through spots, bits breaking away.
- The upper: does it still hold its shape? Any tears, badly worn areas, or stitching coming undone?
- The inside: insole and lining.
- Laces, zippers, straps, hooks — the parts that have to work for the shoe to stay on.
Look at both shoes, not just the one with the visible problem. Sometimes one shoe's issue is really a whole-pair situation.
A quick clean is enough
Cleaning has one purpose here: seeing what you've actually got.
Brush or wipe the dust off so you're judging the material, not the storage grime. If a pair is damp, let it dry fully before you judge it — repair directions call for clean, dry surfaces, so that matters double for anything headed for a fix.
Two don'ts. Don't pry a lifting sole open to clean underneath it. And beyond simple dusting, don't use a cleaner without checking the current directions for that material — no cleaning products are recommended here.
Sort as you go: keep, fix, or done
- Good to go. Nothing found, or nothing you mind. Back in rotation.
- Fix before fall really gets going. A peeling sole edge on an otherwise sound pair, a worn insole, laces on their last legs — fixable things, now that you know they're there.
- Done. Damage across several areas, soles or uppers cracking or crumbling, or a pair whose condition you can't really read. Let it go without guilt.
No spreadsheet required. You're not comparing costs or predicting lifespans — the condition of the pair tells you which pile it's in.
The one finding worth a pause
A sole that's starting to separate deserves a real decision, not a snap one. A small, clear opening on an otherwise sound pair is a good repair candidate. Damage that's spreading, or edges surrounded by crumbling material, usually isn't.
For that decision, work through a safety-first check for a separating shoe — it covers how big and how spread the damage is, what condition the rest of the pair is in, and what happens if a repair gives out during wear.
The checklist
One pass per pair, in this order:
- Sole edges: lifting, gaps, peeling — and how far each runs.
- Sole body: cracks, wear, missing bits.
- Upper: shape, tears, worn spots, stitching.
- Inside: insole and lining.
- Fasteners: laces, zippers, straps, hooks.
- Both shoes — every pair, every time.
- Dust off; let anything damp dry fully before judging.
- Pile it: keep, fix, or done.
- Any peeling sole gets the safety-first check before anyone reaches for glue.