Are shoe trees necessary for dress boots and dress shoes/loafers?

[Alozano]

Can anyone give some input on this? I have both a pair of YSL dress boots(Wyatt harness boots), and a Gucci boot with horsebit detail; and recently purchased a loafer from Gucci as well(Jordaan). I've seen this topic come up a lot, but wasn't sure what the general definitive answer was. Do you need shoe trees for these dress boots type shoes, and for loafers and dress shoes, or are they really not necessary? Would it ruin these shoes not to use them? I use them for my western boots, but are they needed for dress boots and loafers/dress shoes?
Also any particular brand of shoe tree that you'd say is the best to use? I've been using Stratton cedar boot trees for my western boots, and they seem really good, but what about for dress boots or loafers and dress shoes? I've seen Woodlore mentioned a lot, are they any better?

 

[KOz]

Are the shoes leather? Use shoe trees. Don't use the spring ones.

 

[Alozano]

Are the shoes leather? Use shoe trees. Don't use the spring ones.

Yes, they're leather. They're the Gucci Jordaan loafers:


There are the two trees I was trying to decide between, and wasn't sure which would be better for my loafers:

Stratton Cedar Shoe Trees for Men

Men's Full Shoe Tree (pair)

Does it matter if the trees are split toe or full?

 

[DorianGreen]

Every shoe will benefit from the use of trees, as they stretch the leather and prevent or mitigate creasing. Someone will swear on dedicated trees, in my experience any quality tree (possibly extending in length and width) will do the job.

 

[SapatoShoe]

Shoe trees are a good idea for all your fancy footwear! They help keep the boots and loafers in shape and absorb moisture. Won't ruin them if you don't use them, but they'll definitely last longer and look sharper with trees.

For dress boots, regular shoe trees should work fine. Loafers are trickier - skip the tree if they're suede, but cedar shoe trees are good for leather ones to prevent creases. Stratton or Woodlore both sound good, pick whichever fits your budget!

 

[maxalex]

Cedar has no advantage over any other wood, but the stubborn myth of its superiority means most shoe trees are made of it, as that’s what people expect. Buy the cheapest wooden shoe trees you can find. Any wood.

 

[actionjbone]

Cedar has no advantage over any other wood, but the stubborn myth of its superiority means most shoe trees are made of it, as that’s what people expect. Buy the cheapest wooden shoe trees you can find. Any wood.

Cedar repels pests. That's its main benefit over other woods.

In most cases, any wood should be fine. But if the shoes aren't worn too often, cedar will help keep the critters from nesting in your shoes.

 

[maxalex]

I prefer not to imagine pests in my shoes (cockroaches? yuck) but at any rate the natural cedar oils dry out over time. Still, no harm using cedar trees, which are often the only option.