Properly storing and supporting footwear in a temperature and moisture-controlled environment prevents mold, bacteria, and odor and helps shoes last decades. Helping shoes last takes a concerted effort, requiring more than simply piling shoes on a closet floor. Shoes left in damp, dark, overloaded closets, attics, or basements can become unusable in just a few years. Collapsed, wet shoes will deteriorate exponentially over time so preventative maintenance like moisture control and structural care is essential to ensure longevity. Shoe trees will preserve the shape while climate-controlled storage protects shoes from extreme temperature and humidity that turns leather and plastics brittle, weakens fabrics, and causes glue to lose adhesion.
