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Ron's Tips
Shoe Care
Nubuck Protector (non-silicone)
Nubuck Protector ("Nubuck Dressing") is a non silicone spray that should be used on Nubuck or Suede shoes, or shoes that are a combination of Nubuck or Suede and Leather. It behaves like Scotchgard and makes your shoes stain and water resistant. Non silicone spray is important to keeping the shoe breathable. The can is non-aerosol.
The difference between Nubuck and Leather protective spray is that nubuck is more porous and therefore more absorbent- the Nubuck Protector is made to compensate for that.
It is very important to re-spray your shoes after you clean them and this should be done, depending on how often you wear them, approximately every two weeks. They should also be sprayed anytime they get wet, but only once they have dried.
Leather Protector (non-silicone)
Leather Protector is a non-silicone spray that should be used on leather shoes or shoes that are a combination of Leather and Nubuck or Suede. It behaves like Scotchgard and makes your shoes stain and water resistant. Non-silicone spray is important to keeping the shoe breathable. The can is non-aerosol.
The difference between Leather and Nubuck protective spray is that nubuck is more porous and therefore more absorbent. The Leather Protector is made for leather, but will not damage nubuck and suede- it simply won’t coat as well.
It is very important to re-spray your shoes after you clean them and this should be done, depending on how often you wear them, approximately every two weeks. They should also be sprayed anytime they get wet, but only once they have dried.
Nubuck Bar
The Nubuck Bar ("Velours Cleaner") is what you use on a regular basis to clean and freshen up your Suede or Nubuck shoes and footbeds. When Suede or Nubuck gets worn looking it’s usually because the nap has flattened a bit.
This bar, when used like an eraser, will work the nap back up and also pull up dust and dirt. You use it by rubbing it on the shoe or footbed in one direction. You can switch directions, as long as you’re not going back and forth on one spot which will wear down the nap. If you are going to use it on different colours you should use different ends because of the rubbery texture which can pick up and transfer colour.
Once you have finished cleaning, spray the shoes once again with your Nubuck Protector.
Nubuck Shampoo
This shampoo is designed specifically for nubuck, but can also be used on suede. It is an excellent way to freshen up the foot bed of your sandals or clean any stubborn dirt on your shoes.
The easiest way to apply the shampoo is with a soft-bristle brush or nailbrush. You start by dampening the footbed or shoe thoroughly with a wet cloth or spray bottle. Then pour some of the shampoo in to the lid of the container. Dip the brush in and massage the shampoo into the nubuck. Rinse under running water.
We would definitely recommend using the Nubuck Bar first to get any loose dirt off of your shoes, then shampooing. You will need to re-spray your shoes/sandals after you shampoo them, just make sure your shoes are dry before you spray.
Leather Restorer
This will moisturize and clean all leather shoes.
It is easiest to use when you put a small amount onto a cloth or paper towel, then rub into the leather shoe and let it dry. Once it’s dry buff it off with a dry polishing cloth.
We recommend that you use a Shoe Cream or Polish if you are looking to replace colour, but if all you need to do is clean and shine this is the stuff. It’s a neutral cream so it can be used on all colours of leather; just make sure you use a different part of your polishing cloth because some colour may transfer. You will need to re-spray your shoes/sandals after you restore them, just make sure they are dry before you spray.
Patent Cleaner & Conditioner
This cleaner and conditioner moisturizes the Patent and helps to prevent cracking. This is the only product we recommend you use on patent leather- patent is treated leather and if you spray it with traditional protectors it will cloud the finish. By using this conditioner on a regular basis (as well as cedar shoe trees inside closed shoes) you can prevent your shoes from cracking and they will keep that wonderful shine.
It is easiest to use when you put a small amount onto a cloth or paper towel, then rub into the patent leather and let it dry. Once it’s dry buff it off with a dry polishing cloth.
Cedar Shoe Trees
Our Cedar Shoe Trees are an incredibly important part of prolonging the life of your shoes by taking good care of them. RON WHITE shoes trees are aromatic cedar and fit to your size, so they will work in most of your shoes. They are spring loaded and expand at the toe to accommodate different shoe widths.
Just slide the shoe trees in right after you take the shoes off. In most shoes they can stay in until the next time that you wear them, however special care needs to be taken with shoes made using sacchetto construction. If your shoe is a sacchetto construction (we will be sure to let you know which ones these are) the shoe trees should be left in overnight, to a maximum of one day.
Cedar is a highly absorbent wood, so these shoe trees absorb the moisture from inside your shoe, helping to maintain the original shape, including the shape of the heel. The removal of moisture combined with the re-shaping helps to keep the creases from setting in too deeply at the toe, and also keeps the leather supple. Cedar is also a natural deodorizer. As the shoe trees age, if you find that the shoe tree isn’t as aromatic as it once was, simply take a light sandpaper to it. Our shoe trees have a lifetime warranty against mechanical defect. Back to Top
Active material is durable, woven microfibre. It is also a cinch to clean.
All Day Heels
With over 20 years in the industry and backgrounds in both biomechanics and fashion footwear, Ron has created the first ever All Day Heels® collection. Ron’s signature All Day Heels® incorporate unique constructions, materials and cutting edge technologies – finally making a fashion heel feel wonderful all day.
All Day Espadrilles are
Ron’s signature collection of Espadrilles that have technical properties in their design which allows them to feel wonderful during extended wear. These properties are the same as found in our ALL DAY HEELS including features like arch support, special cushioning materials in the insole (such as NASA created poron), special rubber compounds used in the outsole, or heel cushioning, cradles or support.
Air Relax is a removable insole by Mephisto that is designed to anatomically provide the best possible supprt for your foot.
Allrounder by Mephisto is defined by innovation, functionality and highly attractive designs. It is a modernized collection incorporating Mephisto’s history of walking shoes with today’s ‘fashion athletic’ styling.
Arch Support is the feature in a shoe which supports the foot from underneath your arch. The degree of arch support varies from shoe to shoe as the arch height varies from foot to foot. We have placed our arch supports in three categories: Mild, Moderate and Aggressive. Arch height will also vary based on the function of the shoe i.e. a bedroom slipper will have no arch support at all, whereas hiking boots will have Moderate to Aggressive arch support. When you’re reading about the shoes that you’re interested in, keep in mind that most people can wear all types of arch support with a little getting used to.
Camper Twins really are a proper pair of shoes, although they are not identical. Sometimes the two side by side show one whole picture, and sometimes the difference is more subtle, using different design or colour placement in different areas of the shoes.
Cashmere Suede feels just like it sounds- soft and luxurious.
CIS is the CarbonLite Ionet Suspension (CIS) System that exemplifies Michael Toschi’s demanding commitment to infuse performance, fashion and future edge materials technology.CIS is the world’s first support based in/out sole integration platform, providing durable comfort and positive ground feel.The CarbonLite insole provides a stable, anatomically neutral foot platform.The Ionet Suspension outsole contains four independent response zones favoring the dynamic anatomical movements of the gait cycle. Geometry favors anatomy- this is the essential design achievement of CarbonLite Ionet Suspension.
EVA is a foam that is generally used as padding in sports equipment and footwear. It is lightweight with excellent shock absorption.
Four Point Shock Absorbers The design of the shock absorbers ensures the proper elimination of shock resulting from walking. The specific positions of the 4 shock absorbers offer the foot maximum protection in the key "impact zones" of the foot.
Geox Breathes. Geox shoes have a perforated sole, and a one way membrane in between the outer and inner soles of the shoe. It allows moisture and perspiration in the form of vapour to escape through the membrane, but does not allow water to enter from the outside, thus keeping your feet cool and dry.
Goretex is a patented one way membrane that, when used in footwear, is sewn between the outer material and the inside liner to make the shoe or boot waterproof. ‘One way’ means that heat and water vapour can escape, but moisture cannot enter. This results in a totally waterproof boot which still allows your foot to breathe.
The Heel Height measurement is based on sample size shoes (36-37). Heel heights may increase slightly with size.
Lactae hevea, is from the hevea tree, and is refined in a similar way to cheese. Latex soles made from lactae hevea are made manually, one by one, following a traditional process which creates the air bubble structure of the soles. The flexible soles act like a natural shock absorber, harmoniously keeping in step with the movement of the foot.
The Louis Heel is inspired by high heeled shoes designed for Louis XIV in 1660. Today the term is used to refer to heels with a concave curve, outward taper at the bottom, and often a triangular shape.
Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) was invented by Swiss engineer Karl Muller. During a visit to Korea he made the startling discovery that walking barefoot over paddy fields alleviated his back pain. Back in Switzerland, Muller began to develop a footwear technology that would make the natural instability of soft ground such as Korean paddy fields or the East African savannah accessible also to those who have to walk on hard surfaces.
Wearing an MBT is a work out in a shoe. It puts your feet in an unstable environment which forces you to use muscles that are normally not used when walking on a flat surface. When you are walking in MBTs you are to strike your heel initially, then let the shoe rock you forward into your next step. You will feel new muscles working- you must allow your body to adjust to this new environment, so wear your MBTs in slowly: half an hour the first day, then increase by half hour intervals every time you wear them.
Listen to your body, it will tell you if you’re wearing them for too long. The shoes come with an instructional DVD which will tell you all about the Masai tribe and educate you about how and when to wear the shoes.
MBTs can be worn for a variety of everyday tasks and exercise, but we do not recommend that you wear them during any sports like tennis or racketball due to their instability. It is also not recommended that you wear them if you are pregnant and have not worn them before your pregnancy. Also, you should ease in to them particularly cautiously if you have severe motion sickness or vertigo.
Mobils is a special collection within Mephisto. It's special features include: Removable cork/latex insoles, padded leather uppers and wider, deeper lasts to accomidate fuller fittings
Nappa leather is made from unsplit kidskin, lambskin, or sheepskin. It is characterized by its combination of suppleness and durability. Shoes made with nappa leather are often described as fitting like a glove or feeling like a slipper. When a shoe is lined with nappa leather it is so soft it will often be worn barefoot.
Nike Air Technology is found in a collection of Cole Haan shoes which is a collaborative effort between the two shoe manufacturers. Nike uses encapsulated air to cushion the foot strike in athletic shoes. By joining forces this benefit is brought to fashion shoes to give you added cushioning, comfort and bounce in your step.
Norwegian Welt construction is exceedingly rugged and durable. As opposed to using cement to attach the upper to the sole, a double row of stitching holds the two parts together. This stitching effectively makes all components involved in the construction of the shoe become a single entity. This allows the shoes to relax around your feet, which ends up feeling like a custom made shoe. This sort of custom feel is only present when shoes are sewn instead of glued.
OURS ALONE is a collection of shoes that are exclusively found at RON WHITE either in Canada, in Ontario or in Toronto. This could be because the line is Exclusive to RON WHITE in that region, or because the style is modified to Ron’s specifications, and made for our stores and no one else.
Polyurethane is used in the soles and insoles of shoes in its rubber form. It is a rubber foam which can be applied in different densities to add cushioning and durability to the soles of shoes. It is credited for its long wearing properties.
Poron is a high density, flexible urethane rubber originally developed for use by NASA. With microscopic honeycomb shaped air bubbles, the nature of poron allows the rubber to compress under pressure, giving incredible cushioning without collapsing. Thus poron cushioning is the longest wearing insole you will find in any shoe- when the insole is made from poron this is the last part of the shoe that would ever wear out. It is also shockingly thin and lightweight.
Rocker Soles are shaped in such a way as to rock you forward with every step, perpetuating a smooth walking motion. It reduces fatigue in the foot and body, and is characterized by being turned up in the toe and heel.
Run Off is a removable insole used in many classic Mephisto walking shoes. It is designed to mold to the foot and wick away persperation resulting in the most comfortable wearing experience.
Sacchetto is a luxurious construction used for comfort shoes as it involves sewing the upper directly to the footbed and using no backing, so the seams at no time come in contact with your feet. These two components are then hand sewn carefully to the sole of the shoe- the result is virtually a leather sock being draped around the foot without the interference of glues, fabrics and seams.
Trampolins is a sole system used by Mephisto which maximizes the bounce and cushioning of the natural rubber. It reduces lower body stress by returning the energy to the foot, thus "propelling" the wearing through each step.
Vibram is a company named after its founder Vitale Bramani. Bramani is credited with inventing the first rubber soles for shoes, which were initially used on mountain boots. Vibram soles are designed to provide excellent traction on a wide array of surfaces- they are incredibly durable.
Thierry Rabotin’s Wave sole is a fairly thick sole which has no deep treads, but subtle waves of cushioning. It has a mild rocker sole shape.
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