How important are shoe trees?
For our grandparents were Shoe Trees indispensable, nowadays they are often of no importance anymore and often even laughed at. But how important are they really? Very clear answer: Whether one Shoe Trees is required depends on the processing of the respective shoes. If it is not high-quality leather shoes, but inexpensive models made of synthetic materials with taped seams, the use of a shoe tree is useless in most cases. The investment would hardly be worth it, as the price for a good one Shoe Trees often even exceeds the cost of inferior bargain shoes. The situation is different with high-quality leather shoes. Here is a Shoe Trees even urgently advised.

What is the purpose of a shoe tree?
A good Shoe Trees maintains the shape of the shoe, smoothes out wrinkles and actively supports drying. Ideally, the shoes should be equipped immediately after taking off with the tensioners. At this time, the leather is still warm and thus flexible, so that the shoe is gently shaped in this way. The fact that this is actually necessary explains the following fact: every time shoes are worn, the feet inevitably fray from body heat. However, leather tends to buckle in the subsequent drying process after wearing, which is especially true of the shaft. The shoes would therefore shorten over time, but shoe trees prevent this.

What material should a good shoe tree consist of?
In the trade consumers get shoe trees made of wood, plastic and sometimes also made of a foam. But beware: shoe trees made of synthetic and foam are not breathable, so that the shoes can not dry optimally. In addition, they usually offer no optimal fit, that is, they do not fill the shoe enough. The leather may contract and shrink so that the shoe feels significantly tighter after drying. Shoe trees made of wood have a better fit and deprive the leather of the excess moisture. The drying process is optimally supported. In addition, shoe trees made of wood prevent unpleasant odors, which ultimately prevents the notorious „sweaty feet“. Incidentally, beech and cedar have the greatest possible absorbency. Both woods are among the most widely used and proven materials in the field of shoe trees.

What different types are there?
The simplest and best-known type is called spiral shoe trees. A sturdy, taut spring ensures a perfect fit in these shoes, which are offered by the Bama brand among others. The application is extremely easy: simply grasp the tensioner at the front of the wood and push it into the shoe. Slightly more elaborate are screw shoe tensioners (for example from Delfa). With a special screw mechanism, the desired tension can be set individually in these designs, so that any size deviations can be compensated without any problems. With Schraubschuhspannern it is even possible to stretch too short shoes to a certain extent.
Vollholzschuhspanner are considered in this area as the ultimate, but they are also the most expensive variant. With these tensioners, the interior of the shoe is completely filled. Conversely, this means that the shoe is put under tension not only in the longitudinal direction, but also in the transverse direction (especially in the area of ​​the toes), which ensures particularly optimal results. As a rule, however, such exclusive shoe trees must be made exactly to the dimensions of the respective shoes.

What should be considered when buying?
On good materials (best wood) and above all on a perfect fit. Regardless of the type and materials used, the shoe trees should always match the personal shoe size. If the tensioner is too small, it can not fulfill its effect, if it is too big, the shoe is overstretched.