Leather Uppers and Rain

[Sadly Not Yohji Yamamoto]

Most, or all, of what I've come across on shoe care when our shoes meet water relates to the leather soles. However, what is the advice on when water meets your uppers (but haven't soaked through further)?

I've read that the solutions for waterproofing your shoes are not yet recommended and may damage the integrity of the leather. Galoshes seem to be the only clear option, unsightly as they are.

However, when it's only a moderate downpour...
1. Is it safe for the uppers to wear your leather shoes?
2. As long as the insides of your shoes aren't wet and so don't need to be dried with paper towels, what is the common advice for caring for leather uppers exposed to some water? Wipe off the water droplets surely, but then what, if anything else?

Thank you.

 

[breakaway01]

Leather has been used for shoes for thousands of years. You'd think that people would have abandoned the use of leather for footwear long ago if rain was such a problem. IMO you should definitely use shoe trees though so that the uppers keep their shape as the leather dries. Don't heat the shoes to dry.

 

[JohnPatShop]

Even $50 department store leather shoes absorb rain water the same as $200 calfskin. As long as the shoe is not waterlogged and damp through and through, I think you're okay letting it air dry and then using cedar shoe trees.