How to Store Sandals for Winter (Without Ruining Them)

Most sandals do not die from being worn. They die in a cupboard.

Eight months is a long time for a shoe to sit still, and what happens during those months is almost entirely invisible until April, when you pull them out and find the ribbon creased, the sole faintly tacky, and a smell you cannot place.

None of that is inevitable. The routine below takes about fifteen minutes once a year.

What actually ruins sandals in storage

Five things, and only one of them is obvious.

Dirt left on the surface. Sand, salt and dried sweat are not neutral. Sweat salts attract moisture out of the air and quietly work on adhesives over months. Sand is abrasive every time the shoe shifts. Whatever is on your sandals in September will still be there in April, except it will have had eight months to do its work.

Damp. The single biggest killer, and the reason cellars and garages are the worst places you can choose. Trapped moisture means mildew on textiles and softened glue at the seams.

Heat. Attics, airing cupboards, anywhere near a radiator. Heat dries materials until they stiffen and crack, and it softens adhesives at the same time.

Light and air. Direct sunlight fades ribbons. Less obviously, rubber degrades under UV and ozone exposure, which is why you should keep rubber-soled shoes away from electric motors. A freezer, boiler or tumble dryer generates ozone, and storing sandals next to one for a winter is genuinely bad for the soles. We wrote more about how rubber behaves in is rubber vegan.

Compression. A pile of shoes at the bottom of a wardrobe puts eight months of pressure on straps that were never designed to hold a fold.

Step one: clean them properly

Not a quick wipe. A proper one, because this is the last time they will be touched until spring.

Use a damp cloth and, if needed, a small amount of mild soap. Work the sole edges and the seam where the sole meets the upper, since that is where sand and salt collect and where adhesive lives. Do not soak them and do not put them anywhere near a washing machine.

For anything more stubborn, our care guide for vegan leather covers the details.

Step two: take the ribbons off

This step only applies if your sandals have removable ribbons, which is one of the quiet advantages of the system.

Untie them completely. Do not store a ribbon tied, because eight months in a knot sets a crease that will not fully relax, and the fold usually lands right where the ribbon crosses your foot.

Then treat each texture according to what it is:

• Suede rolls loosely. Never fold it, because suede holds a crease.
• Velvet should be rolled with the pile facing outwards, so the nap is not crushed flat against itself.
• Cord is the most forgiving, but roll it anyway. The ridges flatten under pressure.

Store them in a cotton bag or a shallow box, laid flat rather than stacked under anything heavy. If you have built up a collection over a few seasons, this is a good moment to see what you actually have before spring. Ours live in the ribbon collection if you find a gap.

Step three: dry them completely

Completely, not mostly.

Leave them somewhere with moving air for a full 24 hours after cleaning. Room temperature, out of direct sun, away from radiators. Rushing this is how people end up with mildew, because a sandal that feels dry to the touch can still hold moisture in the sole seam and in any textile lining.

If you want to speed it along, loosely crumpled paper inside the footbed pulls moisture out. Newspaper works, though the ink can transfer, so plain paper is safer on lighter soles.

Step four: choose where they go

Somewhere cool, dark, dry and breathable. In practice that usually means a wardrobe shelf or a box under the bed, in the main part of the house rather than an outbuilding.

Two rules matter more than the rest:

Never a sealed plastic bag or box. Plastic traps whatever moisture is already there and holds it against the material for the entire winter. Cotton dust bags, shoe boxes with the lid on loosely, or an open shelf are all better.

Never stacked flat under weight. Stand them upright or lay them side by side with nothing on top. Straps hold their shape when nothing is pressing on them.

If you are short of space, this is also a reasonable moment to be honest about which pairs you will actually wear again. The most sustainable shoe is the one you keep using, a point we made at length in buy less, wear more. Anything you know you will not wear is better passed on now than stored for a year and passed on then.

Step five: what to check in spring

Before the first wear, spend two minutes on this.

Press along the sole seam and look for any lifting. Flex the sole gently to make sure it has not stiffened. Check ribbon ends for fraying, and give everything a quick wipe to lift whatever dust has settled.

If a ribbon has picked up a soft crease over the winter, hanging it in a steamy bathroom for ten minutes will usually relax it. Do not iron it.

Before you put them away entirely

One last thought, since it is September and not November.

You probably have another six weeks in these. A suede or velvet ribbon carries a sandal comfortably into autumn, and most people retire their summer shoes a month or two earlier than the weather requires. We wrote about that in velvet, suede or cord.

When the rain does properly arrive, that is what boots are for.

Frequently asked questions

How should I store sandals over winter? Clean them, dry them completely for 24 hours, remove and roll any ribbons, then store them upright in a cool, dark, dry place with breathable cotton or an open box. Never sealed plastic.

Can I store sandals in plastic boxes? Not sealed ones. Plastic traps moisture against the material for months, which causes mildew on textiles and softens adhesives. Use cotton bags or a box with the lid resting loosely.

How do I stop ribbons from creasing in storage? Untie them and roll rather than fold. Suede and cord hold creases badly, and velvet should be rolled with the pile facing outwards so the nap is not crushed.

Where is the worst place to store sandals? Garages, cellars and attics. The first two are damp and the third gets hot. Also avoid storing rubber-soled shoes near a freezer, boiler or dryer, since electric motors generate ozone that degrades rubber.

More care guidance is on our sandal care page. For the wider argument about keeping things longer, the EU's Sustainable and Circular Textiles Strategy is a good read, and Good On You rates brands on durability among other things.