To clean adidas Gazelles, let any mud dry completely, brush the suede in one direction, rub small marks out with a suede eraser, and only then give a panel that still looks dirty one light, even blot of cleaner. The gum or rubber sole is a separate job, done with the water kept off the suede edge. Then the pair dries slowly, stuffed with paper, away from heat.
SneakerSalt is not affiliated with adidas. Suede technique in general is in our adidas suede guide; this page is about the Gazelle itself, including the Indoor and the Bold.
Which Gazelle do you have?
The standard Gazelle has a suede upper. The Indoor and the Bold differ from it in ways that change the cleaning:
| Version | Upper | Sole | What it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gazelle Indoor | Premium suede, contrast 3-Stripes; some colourways add synthetic layers | Translucent gum rubber that wraps the shoe | A long seam where gum meets suede |
| Gazelle Bold | Mostly suede, some leather, one pair listed as "satin suede" | Platform: a stacked three-layer sole, rubber outsole, several in gum | More sole to clean, and some uppers need a different method |
adidas calls the Indoor a revival of its 1979 indoor shoe. The details below come from adidas's product listings and the FAQ on its Gazelle pages.
What adidas says, and where we differ
adidas's Gazelle FAQ is the nearest thing to a Gazelle care guide. Let mud dry fully before brushing. Take marks off with a suede eraser, or with a soft cloth slightly dampened with suede cleaner. Finish with a suede protector spray. It also warns that harsh soap and running water can stiffen suede and leave stains. adidas sells a Suede Kit for this, a brush and a natural-rubber eraser.
The one point where our method parts ways: adidas works its dampened cloth in small circles, so the suede never gets soaked. That's adidas's method, with a suede cleaner. With our foam, the rule is press and lift, never circles, because rubbing works the nap flat. Both are after the same thing, which is very little moisture, spread thin.
How to clean adidas Gazelles at home
- Wait for the mud. Brushing it wet can leave a stain. Dry, most of it brushes straight off.
- Laces out, paper in. The paper keeps the toe in shape while you work and takes up damp later.
- Brush one way. On an Indoor, brush the contrast stripes apart from the body so dust from one colour isn't pushed onto the other.
- Erase what's left. Light pressure, then brush the crumbs off.
- The gum sole. Foam on the rubber, the soft brush along it, a dry wipe. Where the gum wraps up around an Indoor, use the tip of the brush and wipe downward, away from the suede.
- Blot the suede if it still needs it. Test inside the tongue first. Then one light pump spread over the whole panel, ten seconds, a folded dry cloth pressed flat and lifted.
- Dry, then lift the nap. Room temperature, out of the sun. Brush when completely dry; suede reads darker while damp.
SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam rates "Good, blot only" on suede and Excellent on gum and rubber. It lifts surface grime and won't reverse a stain that has already set. The brush and cloth for the steps above come in the box.
Gazelle Bold: platform, leather and satin suede
- The stacked sole. Three layers means three joins to brush along before the foam and a wipe. Gum is meant to be that colour; cleaning lifts the dirt on it, nothing more.
- Leather Bolds, and the kids' pair with suede accents. White leather is rated Excellent with our foam. Coloured leather: try an inside panel first. Leave the suede accents dry while you do the leather, then blot them on their own.
- The satin-suede pair. adidas lists one orange Bold as satin suede. We can't say whether that behaves like suede or like satin, and satin isn't on our tested list, so we don't recommend our foam on it. Follow its care label.
- Synthetic layers on some Indoors. Not on our tested list unless the label calls them faux leather. A dry brush and cloth there.
Pink, black and white Gazelles
The colour changes what shows, not the method. Pale pink suede gives away a tide line from one wet patch, so spread the foam to every seam and test inside the tongue first. Black suede hides grime but shows dust and dried salt as a light haze; brush that off while dry. White leather Gazelles are the easy ones. Our foam has no bleach and no dyes, and it hasn't lifted dye on anything tested.
To keep any colour cleaner for longer, do what adidas suggests and finish with a suede protector spray once they're clean and dry. Our foam cleans; it doesn't protect.
Can you wash adidas Gazelles?
Not in a washing machine. No adidas page says a suede Gazelle can go in, and adidas's general shoe guide says not to machine wash shoes at all. Its guides do disagree, since the running-shoe guide allows a gentle cold cycle, but that's for running shoes, and a Gazelle is suede. The dryer is ruled out in every adidas guide that mentions one. Washing by hand means the blot above, not the tap; running water is one of the two things the Gazelle FAQ warns about. Our guide to machine washing suede explains what the drum does to it.
Questions people actually ask
Does Dawn dish soap clean suede Gazelles?
Not well. adidas warns that harsh soap can stiffen suede, and rinsing soap back out of suede takes more water than suede should get. A drop, well diluted, is fine on the gum sole.
What's the best way to wash suede trainers like Gazelles?
Don't wash them; spot clean them. Brush, erase, blot lightly over whole panels, dry slowly, brush again. Puma and adidas both warn against soaking or running suede under water.
What is the best way to clean sneakers?
Dry brush first, then match the cleaner to the material: a blot on suede, foam and a wipe on leather and mesh, a firmer brush on rubber. Dry them without heat.
For the suede blot and the gum sole on any Gazelle: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam, $24, free shipping, brush and cloth in the box. Not clean within 30 days? Keep the bottle; we refund you.
