To clean adidas shoes, check what the upper is made of before you start, because adidas sells leather, suede, knit and mesh shoes under the same logo and each one wants a different touch. Brush off the dry dirt, give leather and knit a light pass of foam and a wipe, blot suede instead of scrubbing it, and let the pair air dry at room temperature with paper inside. Keep them out of the tumble dryer: every adidas guide that mentions it says no.
SneakerSalt is not affiliated with adidas. Where we report adidas's own advice below, it is in our words, not quoted.
First, which adidas do you have?
A Superstar is leather. A Gazelle is suede. Primeknit and mesh runners are fabric. The Samba OG puts three materials on one shoe: a soft leather upper, suede overlays and a gum sole. Look at the label inside the tongue or the original product listing, find your upper, and follow that row.
| Upper | Typical pairs | Method | Our foam |
|---|---|---|---|
| White smooth leather | Superstar, white Samba | Foam, wait ten seconds, wipe | Excellent |
| Coloured smooth leather | Black, pink or green leather pairs | The same, after a test on an inside panel | Counts as leather; test first |
| Suede | Gazelle, Campus 00s, the Samba T-toe | Dry brush, eraser, then a light blot | Good, blot only |
| Primeknit or mesh | Knit runners, Boost models | Foam, soft brush along the knit, blot | Excellent |
| Gum or rubber sole | Samba, Campus | Foam on the sidewall, brush the texture | Excellent |
| Foam midsole | Boost, Cloudfoam | Foam, wait, wipe; blot if painted | Lifts surface grime |
For models not named here, such as the Tokyo, Handball Spezial, Grand Court, Ozweego or Terrex, the label tells you the upper and the table tells you the rest. Predator boots and other football boots are cleats: clear the studs after every game and clean the upper by hand.
How to clean adidas shoes at home, step by step
This is the routine for leather and knit pairs. Suede gets its own section further down.
- Unlace them. The tongue and eyelet area hold more grime than you'd guess, and laces clean better on their own.
- Brush off whatever is dry. If the pair came back muddy, wait until the mud has dried, then brush. Wet mud smears into leather grain and into the gaps in mesh. Knock the grit out of the tread at the same time.
- Two pumps of foam on the dirtiest panel. A thin layer, not a soak. On Primeknit, work it in with a soft brush following the direction of the knit. adidas's help page warns that hard scrubbing can damage the weave or mesh on Boost models, so go gently.
- Leave it ten seconds. That pause lets the foam loosen the grime from the surface. Wipe straight away and you push the dirt back in.
- Wipe it off dry. A cloth, a paper towel or an old t-shirt. On knit, press and lift rather than rub.
- Finish with the sole. Foam on the sidewall, wait, wipe. A brush gets into the ridges of a gum sole and the textured surface of Boost.
- Air dry. Paper inside to keep the shape, room temperature, out of direct sun. adidas's running guide warns that direct sun can get hot enough to warp or even melt a shoe.
On pink, black or any other coloured leather, test a patch near the inside of the heel first. The foam has no bleach and no solvents, and it hasn't lifted dye on anything we've tested, but ten seconds on a hidden spot is cheap insurance.
The foam in those steps is SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam: water, a plant-derived surfactant, sodium citrate and glycerin, at pH 7.2. The box includes a brush and a cloth, so steps two to six need nothing else. It won't remove creases, and it won't undo a midsole that has yellowed with age.
Can adidas shoes be washed in the washing machine?
That depends on which adidas page you read, because they contradict each other.
- The general shoe-care guide says not to machine wash shoes, because the machine can discolour or damage the fabric.
- The running-shoe guide says running shoes can go in, on a cold, gentle cycle, inside a garment bag or a pillowcase.
- The basketball guide rules out both the washing machine and the dryer.
Our reading: the only adidas page that allows the machine is about running shoes, so leather and suede pairs stay out of it. If you own a knit or mesh runner and want to follow the running guide, stick to its terms (cold, gentle, bagged) and air dry afterwards. The dryer is out whichever guide you follow. Our washing machine guide explains what a drum does to glue, foam and shape.
If you own Cloudfoam, go by the upper on the label: a knit or mesh Cloudfoam is the grey area above, and one with leather or suede panels gets cleaned by hand.
Suede adidas: Gazelle, Campus and the Samba toe
adidas's position is that suede is nearly always spot cleaned, because water can damage it. The tools it suggests are a suede brush used in one direction, an eraser for marks, and suede cleaner put on a towel rather than straight onto the shoe. The Gazelle page adds that harsh soap and running water can leave suede stiff and stained. Brush the nap back up once it's dry.
Our foam is rated "Good, blot only" on suede. Pump lightly, press a dry cloth on and lift it off, and do two light passes rather than one heavy one. On a Samba, clean the leather and the suede overlays separately so foam meant for the leather doesn't creep into the toe. The full technique is in our suede and nubuck guide.
Soles, Boost and yellowing
Gum and rubber soles are the easy part. In our materials table, rubber midsoles rate Excellent, and the sidewall of a gum sole cleans the same way: foam, ten seconds, a brush through the ridges, a dry wipe. Boost and Cloudfoam midsoles are foam rather than rubber; the foam lifts surface grime from them. If a midsole is painted, blot it instead of scrubbing so the paint stays put.
Yellow on a white sole comes in two kinds. Dirt sitting on the surface comes up with a clean. A sole that has gone yellow over years has changed chemically, and no cleaner reverses that, ours included. Our yellowed soles guide shows how to tell which one you have. And don't reach for bleach to whiten adidas: the basketball guide says no bleach on the shoes.
Laces and the inside
adidas's blog soaks white laces in warm water with bleach and uses dish soap for coloured ones. That bleach is for the laces only; keep it off the shoe. If you'd rather not mix anything, our foam rates "Good" on laces: foam along the length, wait, and pull the lace through a dry cloth.
Inside, take the insoles out if they lift out, clean them with a light pass of foam or mild soap and water, and let them dry completely before they go back. If the smell comes straight back, replace them. The insoles and odour guide has the rest.
What not to use on adidas
| Product | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tumble dryer, radiator, hair dryer | No | Every adidas guide that mentions the dryer rules it out, and its running guide warns that heat can warp a shoe. |
| Bleach on the shoe | No | The basketball guide rules it out on shoes. adidas's blog uses it on white laces. |
| Melamine sponge | Soles only | It works by abrasion. Fine on rubber with light pressure after a test; sources disagree on leather, and nothing supports it on suede. |
| Toothpaste | Soles only | Scrubbing soles with toothpaste and an old toothbrush is a known trick. Nothing tests it on leather or suede. |
| Dish soap | Well diluted | A little in warm water is fine on leather, knit and rubber. Strong mixes can discolour some materials. |
Questions people actually ask
What is the best cleaner for adidas shoes?
The one that suits the material. For leather and knit, a mild cleaner with no bleach or solvents, used sparingly. For suede, a dry brush and an eraser first, then a light cleaner on a cloth. Ours is built for the first job and rated "good, blot only" for the second.
Can I use Dawn dish soap to clean sneakers?
A small amount in warm water, yes, on leather, knit and rubber. Concentrated soap can discolour some materials and strip the oils from leather, and on suede adidas warns that harsh soap can stiffen it.
How do I clean my white mesh adidas shoes?
Brush the dry dirt out of the mesh, then foam, wait ten seconds, and work it in with a soft brush in the direction of the weave. Blot with a dry cloth instead of rubbing, and keep bleach off: it's on the avoid list for knit and mesh.
How do I know if my shoes are machine washable?
Read the care label inside the tongue. If it says hand wash, or says nothing about a machine, treat that as a no. For adidas, the only guide that allows the machine covers running shoes, so leather and suede pairs are out.
Two pumps, ten seconds, one dry wipe: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam is $24 with free shipping, the brush and cloth come in the box, and if it doesn't clean your pair within 30 days, you keep the bottle and get your money back.
