How to take care of Repetto shoes : my tips

how to take care of repetto

How to take care of Repetto shoes ? This is the first question I asked myself before buying them. Indeed, when I go shopping for my wardrobe, I always wonder about the maintenance of a item to know if it will be easy, if I need special tools, etc.

How to take care of Repetto shoes : the story of the brand

Repetto’s ballerinas are shoes that made me dream. I’ve never done ballet but this brand is fascinating for many little girls – or less little !

Repetto is THE brand of ballerinas. It reminds me of grace and lightness. Manufactured in France, the founder Rose Repetto created her famous ballerinass in 1947 in a nearby workshop of the Opéra National of Paris. Then in 1956, at the request of Brigitte Bardot, Rose creates the Cinderella ballet flats.

Cinderellas is one of the legendary models of the brand. The shoes are open just to the birth of the toes. They are adjustable with a cotton lace that made its famous node. Cinderellas have 10 mm leather heel. From the dancing expertise, the “stitch and return” is a unique manufacturing process developed by Madame Rose Repetto. It’s is used to make all the pointe shoes and shoes. The sole is stitched inside out before being returned, bringing comfort and unmatched flexibility.
The other version of Cinderella is Camille’s with a small 3 cm square heel.

The peculiarity of luxury shoes, including, Repetto ballerinas are their fragility. Indeed, more a pair is luxurious and sophisticated, more the sole is thin, delicate and requires special care. When I bought my Repetto, I was a little disappointed that no advice was given in the shop. On the site, a few tips are given to maintain the leather or fabric but nothing on the (leather)  sole so I wanted to share some tips and tricks to keep as long as possible our pretty shoes !

how to take care of repettohow to take care of repetto

How to take care of Repetto shoes : Four basic rules

  • Pose a pad under your ballerinas

As I said, the luxury shoe soles are of great delicacy, so it is essential to pose a pad. The pad can protect the leather sole from wear and humidity, provide comfort for walking and non-slip action.
A great debate anime shoe lovers: pose the pad before or after wearing a bit the shoes. I personally think it is better to set the pad before wearing your shoes. Indeed, off the two pairs of Repetto I bought, I could not wait to wear one of them so I wore my Camille for a night out. What a mistake! The sole has begun to sag, has asperities and thus the laying of the pad is somewhat less optimal.

If you are looking for a good parisian address, I advise you to Norbert Bottier 164 avenue de Suffren in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. I recently discovered his shop which is all in authenticity and warmth. Norbert has excellent advice for shoe care and his work is high quality.
For pads, it will cost 24€ and a short week to wait before wearing your new babies.

  • Never wear them two days in a row

I am faithful to this rule for ten years now and I have seen the difference on my shoes. Leather is a living material that needs to dry and ventilate. Alternate your shoes helps to preserve them for a longer period of time.
For Repettos, I think 48 hours is not too much to let them breathe.

  • Special leather cleaning

    milk, waterproofing, polishes, etc.

Clean, maintain tissues and leathers are important steps.

  • In case of rain

The rain is not our shoes’ BFFIt’s essential to dry the shoes before storing them again. The heat sources (heaters, fireplaces, etc.) need to be banished, ambiant air must do its job. Best to stall  them as much as possible vertically.

My little extra tips? I like to keep tissue paper or crumpled craft paper so that the shoes retain their shape and the humidity is well absorbed.

Other post about Repetto :

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