Shoes Tree Deep Dive - on types, usage, maintenance, quality and final thoughts

Shoe trees have been used for centuries by men (and women) looking to keep their shoes in good order. Today, shoe trees come in so many shapes, sizes and materials that it is not surprising that many people feel that “shoe trees are shoe trees.” We’re going to deep-dive the difference in its uses and why we used a specific style for Salve Signore. During our last shoe tree ad run - we noticed a lot of you don’t know what they are for. This guide is for you.

WHAT ARE SHOE TREES?

A shoe tree is a device in the approximate shape of a foot that is placed inside of a shoe to preserve its shape.

Shoe trees undertake 3 primary tasks:

1. Preserve the shoe’s natural shape: After a day of wear, the shoe is stretched due to pressure, moisture and heat. By inserting shoe trees, the leather will reform back to its natural shape.

2. Prevent the onset of creasing: Many shoe trees today work in a spring system that gently stretches the shoe flat. This prevents the shoe from bowing up at the toe, where creases will naturally form across the vamp of the shoe. In addition, many shoe trees have a spreader or spring toe system at the fore part of the shoe trees, which will expand into the shoe and also stretch out the vamp.

3. Wick away damaging moisture: Nine times out of ten why the lining of shoes falls apart is due to moisture caused by sweat. The absorption rate of cedar, maple and birch is much faster than dispensation through airing. Therefore, wooden shoe trees play an important part in wicking away moisture and preserving the construction of the shoe over time.

Shoe trees made from Cedar Wood also benefit from cedars natural oils. The oil of cedar has a fresh, pleasant aroma, leaving a fresh, clean scent. A great ballast against foot odour.

TYPES OF SHOE TREES

Plastic Shoe Trees

Plastic shoe trees are cheap as they are abundant. Their utility is questionable and their effectiveness is mediocre at best as its construction does not mimic your heel. If used for often, the heel of your shoes may be damaged. Still, they are often lighter than their wooden cousins and are preferable when travelling.

Wooden Shoe Trees

Wood is the industry standard for shoe trees. It's easy to work with, it absorbs moisture and it's still used extensively within the shoe industry. Better quality shoe trees tend to use cedar, beech, maple or birch woods. Cheaper wood, such as pine, is also commonly used. There is also different quality woods within the same variation. The heartwood from cedar, for example, is of better quality than the sapwood. Cheaper wooden shoe trees found on eBay tend to use lower quality materials.

Shoe Tree Styles

The Lasted Shoe Tree

There are shoe trees and there are lasted shoe trees. A Lasted shoe tree is the wooden mould - or last - used in the production of a shoe. Only a lasted shoe tree will fit a shoe with absolute precision. Many bespoke shoes will come with a lasted shoe tree, or if you're lucky, some ready-to-wear shoes too. This usually is a 1:1 shoe tree and is the most expensive as it really forms to the shape of the shoe.

The Generic Lasted Shoe Tree

For those of us without the pleasure of a lasted shoe tree, we can have the next best thing: a shoe tree cut from a generic last. The American Red Cedar Shoe Tree pictured above is the most common style. They come in either double or single sizes and commonly use a spring toe to expand into the shoe when inserted. Better quality versions will allow one to adjust the width of the toe, accommodating wider and narrower shoe fits. It is the shoe tree of choice in many parts of Europe, hence commonly known as the 'European Style'. The double barrel style improves stability of mechanism while the split-toe accommodates wider lasts.

The Boot Tree

Boot trees are shoe trees for boots. Boot trees are often used on ankle-high boots and are similar to the generic lasted shoe trees but have a higher ankle area. Their main function is to support the heel counter, which helps preserve the integrity of the higher heel and prevent it from creasing or folding over. The fore part of the boot tree acts like a standard shoe tree and works to gently stretch out the vamp and prevent creasing.

General Purpose Shoe Trees

This type of shoe tree is not cut from any last but designed to work in the same way. Often the shoe tree will operate on a spring and spreader system. The fore part of the tree will either be a split toe or full toe design. A split toe will spread apart as the shoe tree is inserted into the fore part of the shoe and is more efficient in stretching the vamp of the shoe. The full toe stretches the vamp to a lesser extent and is preference for more delicate leathers. The heel can come in different styles, such as the overhang grip pictured above.

Using Your Shoe Trees

Inserting your shoe trees should not be a difficult process. Some people turn the shoe tree on an angle when inserting, others do not. It really depends on what you find most convenient. Different shoes may require slightly different methods.

The Chelsea Boot Tree

The Generic Lasted Shoe Tree

General Purpose Shoe Tree

Removing your shoe trees should likewise not be very difficult. Each shoe tree usually has a feature that assists you with their remove, e.g. a drilled hole, a brass knob or wooden overhang. All one should have to do is pull up and out in a singular motion.

Maintaining Your Shoe Trees

If you've bought a quality shoe tree it will most certainly out last several pairs of shoes. Shoe trees require little maintenance but the following advice will ensure your trees are performing at their best:

• About once a month remove the shoe trees from the shoes and allow them to rest for about 24 hours. Try to find a warm or dry area to get rid of excess moisture within the tree, which will inhibit the absorption rate.

• For cedar wood, sand it with light sandpaper about once a month. This will enhance the absorption rate and ensure it remains aromatic.

• If you have inserted shoe trees in wet shoes allow the trees to dry for about 48 hours before reusing them. Ensure they are placed in a dry, warm place, not immediately next to a heat source.

Cheaper shoe trees will often be made from materials that do not weather well over time. The type of wood used may be prone to decay or attract insects and other pests. Cheaper metal-wear may be prone to rust or tarnishing. Just like shoes, you get what you pay for at the end of the day. Invest in quality and you will not be disappointed.

What Makes a Quality Shoe Tree?

When we started with our passion for shoes - we quickly realized that we needed a cedar shoe tree to take care of our babies. The problem with the that was we only had very few choices with the big box retailers or Beechwood/Firwood/Schimawood shoe trees posing to be real cedar. Worse - the word “cedar” was used for every varnished wood shoe tree we saw locally. Only few reputable retailers sold legitimate real cedar wood shoe trees! So, we decided to travel and learn about the construction of a shoe tree and found a partner willing to work with us so we bring to the market shoes trees of high quality at an affordable price.

So what makes a quality shoe tree?

• Equipment. Many of the smaller manufacturers use older, and less precise equipment. Their equipment is such that the wood is cut quite rough and sanded down, or cut, to size. Better producers use computer-precision equipment, which can rough and finish the wood to fine detail. Better equipment means greater precision, smoother finish and fewer problems with the shoe tree's moving parts and general fit.

• Metalware: Most metalware used in shoe trees is an alloy of some sort - two or more metallic elements. Some alloys corrode quicker than others. Some alloys break easier than others. The integrity of the alloy can vary depending on their respective elements but also the quality of production. If you want your shoe trees to outlast your shoes, then you want a producer who invests in quality metalware, not one who skimps on this and shops at the lowest-bidder. A quality alloy will mean your shoe trees mechanism functions as it should for a very long time.

• Wood, Species, Quality: There is a wide variance in cost and quality between woods and their suitability as shoe trees. Birch, maple and cedar are well-regarded woods used the production of shoe trees. However, this isn't really an indication of quality. For cedar wood, we use Western Red Cedar. Within this species, one can loosely divide quality into three parts: 1. Inner Heartwood, 2. Outer Heartwood, 3. Sap. The closer to the core the better the quality: higher levels of tannin oil (more aromatic and bug resistant), a nicer pinkish color and generally fewer imperfections. The closer to the edge, the more imperfections it has, the less tannin oil there is, the cheaper it will be. Then there is Fir wood a.k.a Chinese cedar... It looks like cedar but is inferior in quality and does not belong to the cedar family. We use the inner and outer heartwood. Many lower quality cedar shoe trees will use the sap, or worse, Fir wood. A common trick is to spray cedar oil on shoe trees that use inferior or fake cedar. A quality wood will look better, smell better and be less prevalent to decay.

Final Thoughts

Shoe trees are a must-have product for any person who is serious about looking after his or her shoes. If you've paid good money for a pair of leather shoes, I'm pretty sure you want them to last and look new for as long as possible. Well, that's good enough for me. But shoe trees will also absorb damaging moisture and is great ballast against shoe odor. There are many styles and models to choose from. I've presented three non-lasted versions that are widely used and work very well. However, we chose to bring the double barrel split-toe shoe tree and this boot tree design as we feel that its the best among the options that we’ve presented. If you are serious about shoes - please go get at least one and rotate them.