Cedar shoe trees need almost nothing from you. The short version: keep them dry, keep them bare, sand them once a year.
Daily use
Take your shoes off, unlace them properly rather than heeling them off, and put the trees in while the leather is still warm. That is when it is most willing to move back into shape. Toe block first, press until the spring takes up the tension, then let the heel seat itself. Firm contact, not forced.
Refreshing the scent
When the smell fades, the wood is not spent. The surface pores have closed. Rub the flat faces with fine-grit sandpaper, 180 to 220 grit, for a few seconds until you see fresh wood and smell cedar again. Once a year is plenty.
What not to do
- Do not oil, wax, varnish or lacquer them. Any finish seals the wood and stops it absorbing moisture.
- Do not wash them or let them soak. Wet cedar can swell and distort.
- Do not dry them on a radiator. Fast drying splits wood.
- Do not force a tree into a sodden shoe. Let the shoe air first.
Storage
The best place to store a shoe tree is inside a shoe. If you must store them loose, keep them somewhere dry and out of direct sun.