Mould removal and treatment
Treatment of affected footwear and packaging, with products and methods chosen for each material: leather, suede, textile, mesh, synthetics and printed cartonboard.
Mould removal and treatmentRescued. Restored. Retail-Ready.
Specialist mould remediation for footwear and apparel stock
When a consignment arrives with mould, we inspect, treat and sign off every unit in-house at our Lancashire facility, then return it to your warehouse ready for sale.
Or call us on 07411 247116
Mould-affected stock does not have to be written off
Imported footwear can spend weeks in shipping containers without climate control. Condensation, natural materials and cardboard packaging create the conditions for mould, and it is often not visible until the container is opened.
By then you have a consignment you cannot sell, a supplier conversation to have and a decision to make quickly. Re-Store Footwear gives you another option. We remediate the goods and the packaging, record what we find, and release only the units that pass final inspection.
Why footwear goes mouldy in transitBefore and after remediation
Real units from a recent consignment, photographed at our Rossendale facility. Mould affects the goods and the packaging, inside and out, so we treat all of it.
Trainer toe and seams
Inner heel lining
Inside the shoe box
Outside the shoe box
Brand marks have been obscured to protect our client’s confidentiality.
See more before and after photographsOur remediation services
Everything from first inspection to repacking is carried out under one roof.
Inspection, re-grading and repackaging
Unit by unit inspection, fresh tissue paper, boxes remediated or replaced only where necessary, and labels kept so every unit can be reconciled.
Inspection and repackagingCosmetic repair and specialist cleaning
Removal of glue marks, scuffs and finish inconsistencies. If a mark cannot be removed without risk to the material, we record it and refer it to you.
Cosmetic repair and cleaningFaulty footwear repair
Repair of structural faults such as detaching uppers, broken eyelets and stitching defects, agreed after we have reviewed samples.
Faulty footwear repairOur five-stage remediation process
Every unit passes through all five stages. Nothing is released until it has passed final inspection.
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1. Inspection and triage
Each unit is unpacked, inspected and checked for mouldy odour. What we find sets the level of treatment and whether the packaging can be saved.
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2. Treatment
Affected goods and salvageable packaging are treated with industry-standard products selected to remove mould at source and reduce the likelihood of it returning. Methods are matched to each material.
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3. Controlled drying
Goods are held in a ventilated drying area with good air movement until fully dry.
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4. Repackaging
Footwear is restuffed with new tissue and returned to its box. Labels and identifiers are kept or reapplied, so the consignment can be reconciled against what you sent.
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5. Final inspection and sign-off
Each unit is inspected again and checked for any remaining odour. Units that do not pass go back for further treatment. Only units that pass are released as retail-ready.
Case study: 3,800 units recovered in 18 days
A UK retailer received a container of imported footwear and clothing. On opening there was a strong musty odour, and mould was visible on a large share of the goods and packaging. Because contamination of this kind is uneven, and untreated units raise the risk of mould returning once repacked, we treated the whole consignment as exposed.
- 2,996 of 3,000 pairs of footwear and all 800 garments released retail-ready
- A heavily stained batch of around 68 pairs held back for a second, more intensive treatment
- Every original shoe box remediated, with none replaced, so stock went back on sale in its own packaging
- The four pairs that could not be saved were sealed, labelled and recorded
- units remediated in a single consignment
- 3,800
- released retail-ready
- 99.89%
- from receipt to completion
- 18days
- shoe boxes replaced
- 0
Who we work with
Retailers
Recover affected stock and get it back on sale in its original packaging, instead of writing it off.
Remediation for retailersBrands and importers
Deal with affected consignments before they reach your customers, with a record of every unit.
Remediation for brands and importers3PLs and warehouses
A specialist to call when inbound stock fails inspection at devanning, with the capacity to take whole containers.
Remediation for 3PLs and warehousesInsurers and loss adjusters
Documented remediation with a clear paper trail, a formal limitations statement and no opinion on causation or liability.
Remediation for insurers and loss adjustersWhy businesses choose Re-Store Footwear
All work in-house.Every unit is handled at our own facility in Rossendale, so we control the process, the traceability and the records.
Treatment matched to the material.Leather, suede, textile, mesh, synthetics and printed boxes each need a different approach.
We do not pass marginal stock.If a unit cannot be brought to retail standard without risk of damage, we record it and refer it to you.
Reporting you can rely on.A mould confirmation report is included, with progress updates on larger jobs and a completion statement at the end.
Backed by footwear supply chain experience since 1985
Re-Store Footwear is built on Elegant Shoes Limited, which has worked in the UK footwear supply chain since 1985. That experience of sourcing, shipping and handling imported footwear is what we bring to every consignment we remediate.
About Re-Store Footwear
Partnership
Selected UK remediation partner for I’m Biotechnology
Re-Store Footwear is the selected UK remediation partner for I’m Biotechnology (I’m bio), one of the leading global manufacturers of mould cleaning and prevention solutions. We use I’m bio’s water-based products as part of our treatment process.
Read I’m bio’s article on the partnership (opens in a new tab)Trusted by UK retailers and brands
Frequently asked questions
More questions answeredYes. We choose products and methods for each material, so leather, suede, textile, mesh and synthetics are each treated appropriately. If a mark cannot be removed without risk to the material, we record it and refer it to you rather than release it.
Where a container shows clear signs of mould, we usually recommend it. Contamination is uneven, and units that look clean can still carry mould. Leaving them untreated raises the risk of it returning once the stock is repacked.
Mould spores are naturally present in the air, so no treatment can make goods permanently immune. We remove mould at source, dry goods fully before repacking and give you storage guidance to reduce the risk. Once goods leave our facility, storage conditions are outside our control, so we do not offer a guarantee against recurrence.
It depends on the volume and condition of the stock. As a guide, a recent consignment of 3,800 units was completed 18 days after it arrived with us. We can inspect samples before you commit to a full job.
Only where a box cannot be satisfactorily remediated.
We price per unit, and a mould confirmation report is included. Send us a few photographs or samples and we will give you a quote.
Have a consignment affected by mould?
Tell us how many units are affected and upload a few photographs of the mould. We reply to every enquiry within 24 hours, and we can inspect samples before you commit.
- Call 07411 247116
- Email bilal@elegantshoes.co.uk
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm