While properly caring for your shoes with polish and wax can keep them shining for decades, you don't want to overlook the outsoles, as waiting too long to resole the shoes can ruin them—no matter how great you care for the upper leather.

Red Moose wants to help you look your best from head to toe with three ways to know when it’s time to resole your shoes.

1. Check for Imperfections

The outsoles of the shoe should be smooth and firm, so run your fingers over the center of the outsole to see if you notice any wrinkles or softness—that indicates that the thickness of the leather is weakening and the leather outsoles need to be replaced.

2. Holes Mean Bad News

If you're not testing for the thickness of the leather regularly, you won't notice outsole damage until holes begin to appear. It goes without saying that they need to be resoled at this point, as you don't want the unprofessional look of having a hole in your shoe. In addition to a poor appearance, holes can also allow water and moisture to damage the interior of the shoe.

3. Look for Exposed Stitches

Wearing out the center of the outsole will create holes, but if you happen to put pressure on the edges or toes when you walk, you risk exposing the stitching that keeps the leather outsoles in place. If you are able to see the stitching, it's a sure-fire sign that the shoe needs to be resoled. This is also perhaps the most critical thing to look for because if the outsole becomes totally worn along these edges, the shoe may not be able to be repaired at all.

With these simple methods, you won't have to worry about sabotaging your entire shoe game because you lacked sole.