Shoe Usage Instructions

MARTIN VALEN guarantees the quality of all its products.

Exchange requests are accepted within 100 days following the delivery date, provided that the product has not been worn or used. Unfortunately, returns cannot be accepted if the care and wear instructions have not been followed. Please read the instructions carefully.

Not Sure About Your Shoe Size?

Our shoe sizes follow Italian/EU sizing standards.

Our products fit slightly larger than sneakers produced in the Far East. For this reason, please check the length of your foot in CM before placing your order.

Try on the right and left shoe separately.

Please try your shoes on a clean surface. Products with dirty or worn soles cannot be resold to another customer.

When putting on and taking off lace-up shoes, the laces must be loosened. For laceless styles, a shoehorn should be used.

After putting on the shoes, tie the laces securely and check whether the fit is suitable for your feet. Shoes may feel larger if the laces are not tied properly.

For foot health, shoe models that are half a size larger are generally considered more suitable.

You can adjust the fit of your shoes by changing the insole, making them feel half a size larger or smaller.

For detailed information, please check our size chart or contact our team. Our team will guide you in the best possible way. If you would like to exchange your size, please create a return/exchange request. We will be ready to send you a new size.

Shoe Wear Instructions

Martin Valen guarantees and undertakes product replacement in cases of manufacturing defects. Deformations caused by use contrary to the care and wear instructions are considered user-related damage and are not covered by exchange or return policies.

To preserve the shape, comfort, and quality of your product for a long time, please carefully follow the care and wear instructions.

Perspiration absorbed by shoes evaporates within 24 hours. Therefore, wearing your shoes with 1–2 day intervals allows them to air out and helps extend their lifespan.

Wet or damp shoes should be dried at room temperature. They should not be dried near radiators or under direct sunlight. Direct heat contact may damage the structure of wet shoes.

Shoes exposed to strong spotlights or intense sunlight for extended periods may experience color changes or fading. For this reason, please store your shoes in a dark, dry place.

Since we use natural, genuine leather in our shoes and avoid chemicals as much as possible, color transfer to socks may occur. This is normal with natural leather. We recommend wearing socks in the same color as the shoes or dark-colored socks.

Shoes made from natural calf leather may have small marks on the leather surface. These are part of the natural character of the leather. This natural epidermal appearance is universally accepted as normal for leather shoes.

To preserve the shape of your shoes, we recommend storing them with shoe trees.

Unless a shoe is specifically stated to have a “waterproof” feature, all types of footwear may let water in. Even if a shoe is marked as “waterproof,” prolonged contact with water may still cause slight water penetration.

Crafted by Hand. Made with Character.

Each Martin Valen pair is handcrafted by our artisans, each with at least 25 years of experience. Instead of the uniformity of mass production, we choose true craftsmanship that gives every product its own character.

For this reason, the small differences inherent in handmade production are not defects; they are the signature of a unique pair made especially for you. Your feedback is valuable to us, as it helps us take quality even further with every new production.

Shoe Cleaning Instructions

Shoes must never be washed in a washing machine or by hand.

You can clean your shoes with special shoe cleaning products or with an alcohol-free, damp cloth.

Please avoid contact with hot water.

White shoes can be cleaned with cleaning kits designed specifically for white footwear. If you do not have such a kit, you can achieve excellent whiteness with a homemade cleaning set using an old toothbrush, toothpaste — preferably containing hydrogen peroxide — and baking soda.

Are your laces dirty? Fill a 0.5-liter plastic bottle with 4–5 cl of bleach and 0.4 liters of warm water. Then place your laces inside and shake. After 3 hours, your laces will look brand new.

Never use chemical cleaning products such as acetone, alcohol, or similar substances for shoe cleaning under any circumstances.

Suede, nubuck, and similar shoes are more delicate than smooth leather shoes. Cleaning and care should be carried out with special care products, such as brushes and erasers.

Leather shoes can be maintained with polish in their own color or with a natural leather polish.

After wearing your shoes for a while, creases may appear in certain areas. To reduce these creases, use shoe trees. Insert the shoe trees and apply heat to the creased areas with a hair dryer to help reduce the creasing.

For more information, you can contact our team. Our staff will assist you with the care of shoes made from special materials.

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