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Shoe Care

It’s important to keep in mind that shoes need sufficient protection against water and dirt. Remember to weatherproof your shoes periodically, with the most sustainable conditioning products.

How to care for nubuck leather shoes

Do not dry your shoes in a too hot temperature. Stay below 40°C to not dry out the leather.

Clean your boots with a soft brush or cloth and lukewarm water.


Treat the leather with fat that saturates and softens the leather. This makes the surface darker and a little shinier. If you don't want this, just use nubuck and suede impregnation.

Impregnation: apply wax on the leather with your fingers, sponge, or cloth to provide a protecting surface. The leather always gets a little darker from being treated. Apply wax on seams and the edge of the sole. Wipe off excess wax after a while. A suitable product for this is OrganoTex ShoeCare Leather Wax, which you can find at the bottom of the page.

Treat felted wool (and the rest of the shoe if you haven't waxed it) with OrganoTex ShoeCare Waterproofing Spray

How to take care of your suede shoes

Gently brush away loose dust and dirt with a suede brush. Brush in an even direction.

Use a cleaning agent suitable for suede and clean the suede with a sponge or cloth. If the agent is a foam, wipe off excess material before it penetrates the leather. You can use bile soap or such for the cleaning. Let the soap foam in water in a small bowl and then use a sponge or cloth. Let the shoes dry at room temperature.

When the shoes are dry, repeat step 1: gently brush in an even direction with your suede brush.

Use an environmentally friendly impregnation spray suitable for suede and synthetics to protect your shoe from dirt and slush. For example, OrganoTex ShoeCare Waterproofing Spray that you find below on this page.

Clean, care and protect!

When you are done caring for the outside of the shoe, it’s time to take care or the inside. Now and then, give your shoes a rest and use a different pair. Your feet may sweat up to 100 ml every day depending on activity, so it is good to protect the inside of the shoes with an insole (Icebug insoles for example) which also provides great comfort and fit. You can also use wooden shoe blocks when the shoes are resting, as wood absorbs moisture. Use shoehorns when you put on your shoes to make the shoe's heel cap last longer. Different types of shoes require different types of materials to function optimally in varying conditions.

Lost a stud?

Our BUGrip technology is designed so that you will have a good grip even if you drop one or even a pair of studs per shoe. If, on the other hand, you lose more, you should add new ones - and you can easily do it yourself. You can order the studs free of charge from our customer services.

Email us stating which shoe model you have. Send along photos showing the shoes in full and a clear image of the outsoles. Tell us how many studs you are missing, and to which address you want them sent.

Europe: info@icebug.se USA: customerservice-usa@icebug.com

With the help of the photos, we decide if it is worth sending out replacement studs. If too many are missing, or the shoes are too old or worn, it is not certain that the grip can be restored.

We will send your new studs shortly and you will then easily mount them there with elastic glue (for example RubberFix or Shoe Goo) and pliers.

See how it's done:

Help from Icebug

Replace – or visit your local shoemaker

The Icebug Customer Service team offers our customers sustainable service options to extend product lifetime by taking care of shoes with replacement parts such as new laces, insocks, studs, zippers, and leather/textile treatments after cleaning.

When possible, customers are encouraged to visit their local shoemaker to repair shoes with minor defects, where the shoes are otherwise in a wearable condition. Icebug offers reimbursement for minor repairs instead of the customer throwing away or replacing the shoes.

A good example of aftercare is the replacement of lost studs. We send out replacement studs free of charge and have a simple and successful method of attaching them. This significantly prolongs the life of the shoes.

At Icebug Customer Service we are actively trying to make repairs, however small, as environmentally friendly as possible. By supplying retailers and shoemakers with spare studs, we are eliminating unnecessary shipping from/to end customers, who can have a repair done locally.

three people running on a gravel road with running shoes from Icebug

We use our business to do good

At Icebug, we’re committed to making better shoes that help you get out every day – no matter the conditions. Also, we have decided to change our industry by taking responsibility for our footprint. Our goal is to make footwear with great durability, low CO2 emissions and respect for people and planet. Part of the money that you invest in us, we give back to the planet by donating to organizations that, for instance, work to preserve old-growth forests.