How To Prepare And Ship Your Shoes For Repair In 2 Steps
If you plan to use the shoe repair mail option to have your footwear refurbished and cleaned, take steps to protect your items before and after you ship them. Although your dress shoes, sneakers or sandals need new soles, heels and other repairs, they can develop mold and other types of damages during the shipping process. Here are two steps on how to prepare and ship your shoes for repair.
Buy and Use the Right Box Size
Buying and using the right sized container can make the shipping process a lot easier on you and your shoes. You should choose boxes that give you plenty of room to place your shoes side by side. You don't want to cram or place your footwear on top of each other in the box, especially if you need to ship delicate high heels or dress shoes.
Shoes made of soft leather, suede or some other type of delicate material can rub together during shipping and leave scuff marks or tears behind. For example, the sharp, pointy heel of a stiletto can easily snag and rip the soft material of the other shoe.
Leather and suede shoes can also form extra creases in the material when they're not packaged correctly. You can place shoe trees inside your leather and suede footwear to help minimize creasing. If you don't take special precautions, your shoes will require additional repairs and expenses.
If you need to ship multiple pairs of shoes, place a protective barrier between each layer of footwear to keep the above issues from happening. It's better to use a soft, thin baby blanket or cloth as the barrier instead of paper. Paper can tear if the contents of the box shift during transport.
Clean Your Shoes Properly
Now that you have the right shipping boxes and tips, it's time to prepare your shoes. If the insoles and oute rsoles of your shoes contain any moisture, they can develop mold during shipping.
Although the majority of shipping companies use temperature controlled methods during different times of the year, they may temporarily stop in places that don't monitor their temperatures. Since mold grows better in moist, warm environments, your shoes could be in danger.
Take time to air dry your dress shoes before you ship them. If you plan to ship sneakers, wash and dry them in your laundry machines to ensure that they don't grow mold. Running shoes, gym shoes, and other types of footwear may harbor bacteria and fungi from your sweat. These types of shoes are hard to ventilate or air dry after you use them.
If you have questions about how to ship your footwear properly, contact a shoe repair company like Sam The Shoe Doctor for additional help.