This simple purchase will extend the life of your favorite pair of dress shoes

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Allen Edmonds InstagramWe’ve already covered the four pairs of dress shoes every guy should have in his closet on Insider Picks. Now we're turning our attention to what you can do to make all of them last longer.

One easy investment you can make to extend the longevity of your lace-ups or loafers is to get yourself a set or two of shoe trees. Shoe trees are inserts (ideally made of cedar) that you place in your shoes to help them aerate and keep their shape while they sit idle in your closet.

Throughout the day, your feet sweat and leave your shoes to absorb the resulting moisture. Without proper care, the leather will retain that moisture and make your lace-ups stink and their leather crack. Cedar shoe trees will help to absorb that moisture and dry the lining of your shoes, preventing rot. 

"Cedar shoe trees remove excess moisture produced by your feet and are therefore critical in maintaining and extending the life of leather shoes," Evan Fript, cofounder of popular men's dress shoe startup Paul Evans, told Business Insider. "Any investment made in a high-quality pair of leather shoes should be accompanied by the purchase of a cedar show tree."

If you’re spending over $200 on a quality pair of shoes, chances are it’s worth it to throw in a few extra dollars for a shoe tree, to help keep them presentable for as long as possible. This model from Allen Edmonds is cedar and very highly reviewed. While you don’t need a set for every pair of loafers in your closet, it’s a good idea to rotate your shoe trees to whichever pair you’ve most recently worn. Also, if your shoe trees seem to be retaining a bit too much odor from your shoes, you can lightly sand them down to reveal a fresh bit of cedar.

Dress shoes can be one of the more expensive items in your closet, and if you’re looking for an easy way to extend the life of your favorite pair, these are a simple and effective solution. Next time you’re leaving the store with a fresh pair of wingtips, it’s best to walk out with a set of shoe trees to go with them.

Allen Edmonds Woodlore Adjustable Men's Shoe Tree, $19.95, available at Amazon.