Can you wash Hokas in the washing machine? Hoka says no. Its FAQ rules out both the washing machine and bleach, because they age the shoes quickly and can damage the glue and other fastenings. The one machine mention in Hoka's care guide is a last-resort drying trick, not a washing method, so the practical answer is to wash them by hand in cold water with mild soap.
This applies to Hoka's running, walking and gym shoes alike: the Clifton, the Transport and the rest. SneakerSalt is not affiliated with Hoka.
What Hoka's FAQ says
The FAQ answer is short. No washing machine and no bleach. The reason it gives is that both make the shoes age fast, and that the glue and other fastenings that hold a running shoe together can be damaged.
That wording explains something people on Reddit find confusing. Some owners put Hokas through the wash once and post that they came out fine. Hoka is not claiming the shoe falls apart in one cycle. It is saying the machine speeds up the ageing, and loosened glue does not announce itself on the day you take the shoes out of the drum.
The conflict: the spin-cycle tip in Hoka's care guide
Hoka's own Cleaning & Care Guide is less absolute than its FAQ, and it is worth being exact about what it says. For shoes that have to be dry within 12 hours, it offers a last-resort tip: run the shoes through the washer's spin cycle to throw out water, and, in a pinch, use an air-dry or gentle dryer setting briefly and selectively.
Three things to notice:
- It is about drying, not washing. As written, it is a way to get water out of shoes that are already wet. It is not a wash cycle with detergent.
- It is labelled a last resort. Not a routine, and not Hoka's general recommendation.
- The rest of Hoka disagrees with the dryer part. A Hoka trail blog says never to put the shoes in a dryer or next to a heater, because it can warp the midsole or delaminate the sole, and its GORE-TEX pages say to air dry at room temperature.
When a brand's own pages disagree, we follow the cautious one. Here that is the FAQ.
Why the drum is a bad idea for Hokas specifically
A Clifton 10 is a jacquard knit upper on a compression-molded EVA midsole with a rubber outsole, all joined with adhesive. The knit itself copes with water; Hoka's hand method uses water too. What suffers is everything a machine adds on top:
- Detergent and agitation on the bonds. The American Cleaning Institute notes that most shoe makers discourage machine washing because detergent and agitation can damage adhesives. Hoka names the glue directly.
- Heat on the midsole. The trail blog's warning is about warping, and the dryer is the first thing it names.
- Bleach in the load. Hoka lists it separately as a no.
Does a mesh bag, a cold cycle or a towel load help?
None of them changes Hoka's answer, and nobody we know of has tested whether a laundry bag protects a shoe's glue. A cold cycle removes the heat but keeps the detergent and the tumbling, the two things the American Cleaning Institute links to adhesive damage. Washing them in with the rest of the laundry only adds agitation.
The dishwasher is a firmer no. We found no shoe maker that recommends it.
If your Hokas already went through the wash
- Keep them out of the dryer. Whatever the care guide's pinch tip says, a full dry on heat is what the trail blog warns warps midsoles.
- Insoles out. Dry them separately; they hold the most water.
- Stuff with newspaper or a towel, as Hoka suggests, and replace it once it is wet through.
- Dry away from direct heat and sunlight. Room temperature, with air moving.
- Inspect the joins once dry. Run a finger along the edge where the knit meets the midsole and along the outsole. A lifting edge caught early is easier to deal with than one you find on a run.
What makers who allow the washer do differently
Some knit shoes are sold as machine washable. Allbirds gives a cold, gentle cycle in a bag for most of its shoes, and Rothy's gives a cold, delicate cycle for most of its styles. Those brands publish a washer method for their own products. Hoka does not, which is why "my Allbirds were fine in the wash" says nothing about a Hoka. Our washing machine guide walks through which kinds of sneakers cope with a drum and which do not.
How to wash Hokas instead
Hoka's own method is quick: insoles and laces out, cold water and a mild soap or detergent by hand, then a natural dry stuffed with newspaper or a towel, away from heat and sun. Use a soft brush on the knit and save a firmer one for the rubber outsole.
For day-to-day dirt, a no-rinse foam saves the basin. SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam is rated Excellent on knit and mesh and lifts surface grime off an EVA midsole: two pumps, ten seconds, a dry cloth. No water soaks in, so there is nothing to dry and no reason to be tempted by the spin cycle. It works on the rubber outsole too, which is rated Excellent; brush the grit out of the tread first. The knit technique is in our mesh and knit guide.
Questions people actually ask
Are Hoka runners washable?
By hand, yes. Hoka's instructions are cold water and mild soap, then a slow air dry. In the machine, no.
How do I get really nasty dirt stains out of my Hokas?
Let any mud dry completely and brush it off first, then clean what is left by hand in two light passes. Grass can leave a green tint, because it behaves more like a dye than dirt.
How do I clean Hokas without ruining them?
Keep three things away from them: the washing machine, bleach and heat. Everything else, a soft brush and some patience, is hard to get wrong.
Is Dawn dish soap OK for washing Hokas by hand?
As the mild soap in Hoka's method, a few drops in cold water is fine. A strong mix risks discolouring the shoe.
Leave the washer for the towels: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam cleans the knit and midsole in about a minute, $24, brush and cloth in the box, free shipping, and your money back if your Hokas don't come up clean.
