How To Store & Care For Your Over The Knee Boots

OTK boots how to OTK boots, aka over-the-knee boots are a hot commodity for fall and winter style. I personally just picked up a pair of OTK boots and didn’t totally know how to store them properly. In fact, they’ve just been sitting inside their original box with tissue paper. So, I thought it was about time I figured out how to store them and share it with you guys.

Before you slip them on or store them away, there is a bit of prep work that I highly recommend doing to ensure that your boots last as long as possible.

Maintenance

Protect the longevity of your boots by taking them to your local shoe repair shop to get Topy Soles applied to their soles. Topy soles will protect your boots from excessive wear, damage and make them non-slip. Topy is a high-quality rubber sole that can be applied to both men’s and ladies shoes and boots so you may want to drop off a few pairs along with your OTK boots. You can expect to pay around $35 plus tax for the Topy Soles on a dressier pair of boots.

Sprays & Protectants

Depending on the fabrication of your boots, whether they are leather, suede or a synthetic that will determine which kind spray protectant you’ll want to apply. Once you bring your new boots home, it’s best to waterproof them with a treatment spray. A quality waterproof product will help protect your boots from rain, snow, puddles and maybe even a spilled cocktail. Make sure to choose a product that is safe for the material of your boots. Your safest bet is to visit your local shoe repair shop with your boots and have them recommend the proper spray. Most shoe repair places will recommend re-spraying your boots on a monthly basis depending on the amount of wear they get or how long they’ve been sitting in the closet.

Storage

The most important thing you can do when it comes to storing your tall boots is helping them keep their shape with boot shapers. Boot shapers will prevent any creases or wrinkles from forming in the material. Boot shapers are fairly inexpensive and easy to find at any shoe repair shop or organizational store. If you have trouble finding boot shapers that are as tall as your OTK boots, you can use some acid-free paper to fill up the remaining space.

If you’re willing to spend a little more, you may want to pick up fancier boot shapers that are typically made out of cedar wood which will help fight odors and moths.

In between seasons when you’re storing your boots away for months at a time make sure they are completely dry before tucking them away. You may also want to wrap your boots in a fabric bag to avoid dust.

Moneyworth & Best Boot Shaper, $19.99 CAD, Hudson’s Bay – I popped into Moneyworth & Best and the same boot shaper is actually $24.99 there so your best bet would be to shop through The Bay for this particular style and they come in an assortment of colours.