Although it may not seem important, properly storing your mountain sandals can make a significant difference.
All types of mountain footwear are susceptible to damage when stored for extended periods. Factors such as humidity can lead to unpleasant odors and even mold, while exposure to heat and direct sunlight or improper storage positions can also cause harm.
At RRAT's, we aim to help your sandals stay in pristine condition for as long as possible. That's why we've created this blog to provide you with some small yet valuable tips on how to store your mountain sandals correctly during periods of inactivity.
Check the condition of your mountain sandals
Before storing any pair of sandals, it's essential to assess their condition. Are your RRAT's still usable, or have they reached the end of their lifespan?
It is not worthwhile to store shoes if you plan to replace them in the next season. Examine the sole pattern for excessive wear check for wrinkles, loss of properties, changes in color, and overall wear to make an informed decision.
Once you've determined the status of your mountain sandals, if you've opted not to continue using them, you can contribute to the environment in two ways. Firstly, consider donating the footwear. Ensure they are not excessively worn, and if they still have some life left, they could benefit someone else. If donation isn't feasible, the second option is recycling. Take them to a designated recycling point or use a recycling container specifically for clothing and footwear.
Clean your sandals
Just as when we change our wardrobe, we wash all the clothes we have used so as not to keep them dirty for so long, footwear is the same. In order to better preserve it and avoid deterioration due to humidity (it could be sweat itself) or dirt, we must wash it properly.
While both the RRAT's Y-Mountain, Y-Gravel, and Y-Minimal are suitable for machine washing, we recommend hand washing as a less "aggressive" alternative. All you need for this is water, soap or a specialized shoe cleaning product, a brush with soft bristles, and a clean cloth. This gentler approach helps maintain the quality of the footwear for a longer period.
The first thing we are going to do is moisten the brush and apply soap to it. Next, we are going to carefully pass it over the entire sandal, straps, upper sole, and, as a last element, the lower sole, since as it can contain more remains of dirt and mud than other parts, it can cause us to dirty part of the sandal instead. to clean it.
Once you clean the sandal, it's time to rinse. If you have used neutral soap, the best option is to rinse everything with plenty of water to remove all the product. If, on the other hand, you have used a product specialized in shoe washing, you will only have to take your clean cloth and wipe it through the sandal to remove the remains of the product.
Finally, it remains to dry, so put your sandals on the balcony and let them air dry.
Before saving, organize your space
Sandals can be stored in many places, whether in closets, boxes or shelves, but we must clean those spaces first to have a clean and safe place for our mountain footwear.
Make room for your sandals, organize everything, grab your cloth and regular cleaning product for tables, shelves, etc. And get to work!
As an extra tip, we recommend putting a stick or drops of cedar to neutralize odors.
Time to save!
Now, once we have cleaned our RRAT's sandals and the space where we are going to store them, it is time to prepare everything to store them until next season.
1. Take a last, tissue paper or newspaper and place it between the straps and the upper sole to prevent them from losing their original shape.
2. Take a transparent plastic bag and store your sandals in it or, if you prefer, there are plastic boxes designed especially for storing footwear; they take up a little more, but are more protected. If you want to save space and decide to store them in a bag, you should take into account whether you live in a humid or dry space.
If it is humid, you should make some holes in the bag so that the sandal can breathe, and if it is dry, you should just close the bag.
This option is suitable for enclosed spaces, such as closets, drawers, or dedicated furniture for footwear. However, we are aware that there are also people who prefer to showcase their Y-Gravel, Y-Minimal, and Y-Mountain RRAT's as a collection.
In this scenario, as it is an open space where dust may accumulate, and direct sunlight can affect the items, we recommend cleaning the shelves every two weeks and dusting the mountain sandals every week.
After completing all the steps to properly store your sandals, you can stop worrying about them until the next season! Of course, remember that you must remove any dust or dirt every time you use the sandals before storing them for your next adventure. If you plan to store them for an extended period, follow the steps mentioned above again.
Keep your RRATs looking like new!