Swedish Hasbeens cost a pretty penny and deserve respect and care. Just like you need a pedicure every now and then to feel special, these beautiful shoes also deserve a little pampering. In this Instructable, I'll walk you through the steps to clean, weather seal, and extend the life of your wooden shoes.

Step 1: Supplies

Swedish Hasbeens' website advises that you use olive oil to treat the leather and weather seal the wood of your shoes, but I didn't want the wood to get too dark. Instead, I decided to try coconut oil! Coconut oil is clear and a well-known moisturizer, so I figured it would be a suitable substitute.

Supplies

coconut oil
tape (preferable masking tape)
cotton squares
a 120 grit sanding block
teaspoon for measuring

Step 2: Protect the Leather With Tape

Apply tape with caution!

The leather is delicate, so before applying tape to it, I recommend removing some of the tack from the tape by sticking it to your skin a few times first. This prevents bits of leather from coming off when you remove the tape.

Cover the exposed leather and gently press the tape onto the shoe. The tape acts as a safety net for the sanding process, which should be done patiently and with care.

Step 3: Wipe Off Excess Dirt

This is the cleansing portion of the spa treatment! Spritz a paper towel with water so that it's slightly damp. Be careful not to overwet the paper towel, as water can be damaging to the wood. With the damp cloth, lightly brush off excess dirt and prepare the surface for sanding.

Step 4: Exfoliate

A good exfoliant can lift dirt and smooth out blemishes on your skin, and shoes. Sand in one direction, not back and forth, and go with the grain of the wood. Do this until the scuffs, spots, and dirt is removed and you have a clean surface for moisturizing.

Step 5: Prepare the Oil

As I mentioned above, Swedish Hasbeen recommends an olive oil treatment, but if you'd prefer a lighter wood like I do, you can use coconut oil. This tub of oil was rescued from the trash after my cat got into it. I couldn't use it for cooking, as I had originally intended, but it comes in handy for unusual uses like these!

I measured out a teaspoon and that was way more than enough. When I do it again I'll only use 1/2 a teaspoon. Spread a small amount of oil on the cotton square and get ready!

Step 6: Moisturize the Leather

What's the mantra of beauty experts everywhere? Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! The same goes for caring for your leather goods. I started oiling the leather parts first, making sure not to accidentally wipe the wood in the process. The first round of wiping will lift off dirt as pictured above and can rub into the wood if you're not careful. I moisturized twice; once to remove the dirt and once to condition the leather.

Step 7: Seal the Wood

This is the fun part because you have a beautiful clean surface to work with and you can watch the transformation as you work! Spread some oil on the wood of the shoe until it's all covered and protected.

Step 8: Enjoy Your Shoes!

I was so impressed with the results, I had to take a good before-and-after photo! If you're a clean freak like me, this is a necessary step in the process. :)

Repeat these steps on the other shoe and you'll be ready for your next night (or day) out on the town.

I hope you liked my Instructable and please share I Made It! photos if you used this technique on your wooden shoes.

Cheers!