How To Take Care of Your Tieks Flats

Do you love Tieks foldable flats? I do too. I'm showing you tips and tricks to keep your Tieks flats looking great for the long haul. Here's how to take care of your Tieks flats.

If you're going to make an investment in designer shoes, naturally you'd want them to last. When I got my first pair of Tieks by Gavrieli ballet flats in 2015, I knew from that moment on that they'd be the only brand of flats I'd be buying. They molded perfectly to my feet and have only gotten better with age. To help you take care of your pricey leather shoes, I'm sharing the tips and tricks I use to take care of my Tieks to keep them looking good. I'm including links to our affiliate Amazon so you can easily find the products you need. I'd like to add that this post is not endorsed by Tieks, so please use any products at your own risk. Be sure to check out their FAQ page for suggestions, or contact their amazing customer service team if you have any questions about your flats.

How to take care of your Tieks flats

First up, let's talk about  cleaning and conditioning your Tieks. I didn't do anything to my Tieks for over a year of owning them. It wasn't until I joined a Tieks by Gavrieli chat group and other people were mentioning conditioning them that I started to wonder if my Tieks needed a little TLC. I looked at a few pairs and noticed that some of my top grain leather Classics were looking a bit dry. I already had Apple Care leather cleaner and conditioner on hand, since that is what I use for my Louis Vuitton bags, and it worked great. Chamberlain's leather cleaners and conditioners also work great (click on that link to view my overview of those products). Another great option is Fiebing's Saddle Soap. To clean and condition, I simply added a small amount of cleaner onto a soft cloth and gently rubbed the surface of shoe. Then, I wiped it with a clean area of the cloth and repeated with the conditioner. I always have a ton of these Zwipes microfiber towels on hand since I try to use them in place of paper towels, so that's what I use since they're super soft and won't scratch surfaces.

Get them on Amazon:

Apple Brand Leather Care Kit Conditioner + Cleaning ClothFiebing's Yellow Saddle Soap, 12 Oz.FRYE Leather Conditioning Cream in Neutral

Now, let's talk about scuff marks. I'm very careful when I walk so I usually don't get a lot of scuffs on my Tieks flats, but they can happen. Luckily, there is Tarrago shoe cream to help minimize the look of them. Tarrago makes a ton of different colors and many of them are perfect matches. In some cases, you may have to do a bit of mixing, especially for more unique colors like Poppy. Be sure to check out my post about how to polish your Tieks leather ballet flats for a list of color matches.

One problem that may arise is dulling or extra wear in the heel area (see photo above). This can be caused by driving in your Tieks flats. The Tarrago polish can help cover these scuffs if you're wearing a selection from the Classics. I'm careful to always have my right foot slightly elevated off the floor to avoid getting any wear to my heel area, but I also have rubber floor mats and I think that helps as well. Or, you could simply remove your Tieks flats before driving.

Tarrago Shoe Cream Jar 50Ml. Black #18Tarrago Shoecream Jar 50Ml. Bordeaux #11Tarrago Shoe Cream Jar 50ml. #101 Magenta

Check out my post about how to polish your
Tieks leather ballet flats for a list of color matches.

Moving on to managing toe wear or the "toe bump." As you may know, Tieks by Gavrieli flats mold to your feet, which is why they're so insanely comfortable. Over time, you big toe can cause a bit of wear to the inner toe box and you could end up with a bump where your big toe rubs the soft leather. Your big toe can also wear through the inner lining of the toe box. Tieks recommends adding a small piece of moleskin to the interior of the shoe to help prevent this if it starts to become an issue for you.

I've got a post about how to add moleskin to your Tieks with a video to show you exactly how I do it. After a year of wear, my Cardinal Red Tieks flats started to get some wear in the toe area and I decided to add a double layer of moleskin (I use this brand) to prevent further wear and to decrease the look of the outward toe bump. It works like a charm! I've now started adding them to all of my Tieks prophylactically.

Lastly, let's chat about Tieks insoles. The leather insoles inside of your Tieks can get a bit discolored over time, which is perfectly normal (and this usually does not involve any odor at all). Personally, I don't really mind the darkening of the insoles, but I have had a pair that got wet on a rainy day and they look a bit uneven inside. I decided to go ahead and add a pair of stay-dry insoles to hide the discoloration. I've since bought several more pairs and wear them in a lot of my Tieks. They do get a bit worn over time so when that happens I just peel them off and replace them. I really like the Summer Soles brand because they're paper thin so they don't take up any space in the shoe, and they come in 4 colors/fun patterns. UPDATE: I bought a pair of Shoeslulu inserts and I preferred them over the other stay-dry insoles. They don't have any adhesive so you can easily switch them between your Tieks. They do have a layer of padding on the bottom so they make take up a little more room in your shoes (but you might be able to peel that padded backing off, I'm not sure). For reference, I bought size 41 and they're a perfect fit for my size 9 Tieks. SECOND UPDATE: I now prefer Odor-Eaters Soft & Slim Odor-Fighting Insoles. They are so thin and prevent patina change. You simply trim them to the appropriate size and you can swap them easily between shoes.

Summer Soles Softness of Suede Stay-Dry Women's Full Length Insoles, 3 Pair, LeopardSummer Soles Softness of Suede Stay-Dry Women's Full Length Insoles, 3 Pair, TanShoeslulu Magic Absorbent Ultra Thin Handcrafted Lambskin Leather Insoles

I hope this helps you take care of your Tieks by Gavrieli ballet flats. I'll keep updating this post as I find new products and my recommendations change.

What do you do to take care of your Tieks flats?
Should I add anything to the list?

Be sure to check out the following posts if you're a fan of Tieks:

Why are women obsessed with Tieks? My honest Tieks review.

How to pick the perfect pair of Tieks shoes.

Why every woman needs a little blue stripe in her wardrobe.

How to add moleskin to your Tieks.