To clean Hokas, take the insoles and laces out, brush off the dry dirt, hand wash the upper with cold water and a little mild soap or detergent, and let the pair dry naturally, stuffed with newspaper or a towel, away from direct heat and sunlight. That is Hoka's own method. Hoka's FAQ rules out the washing machine and bleach, so neither appears below.
The steps are for knit and mesh uppers, which is what the Clifton has. Materials differ between models and even between versions of one model, so on an Arahi, Gaviota or Transport, glance at the label first. SneakerSalt is not affiliated with Hoka.
What Hoka tells you to do
Hoka's cleaning guidance comes down to four points:
- Remove the insoles and laces before you start.
- Hand wash with cold water and a mild soap or detergent.
- Dry the shoes naturally, away from direct heat and direct sunlight.
- Stuff them with newspaper or a towel while they dry, to hold the shape and draw out the water.
Note the cold water. Some brands use warm; Hoka's instruction is cold, and it costs you nothing to follow it.
Know which part you are cleaning
Using the Clifton as the example, a Hoka is three different materials stacked up, and each wants a different touch.
| Part | What it is | How to clean it |
|---|---|---|
| Upper | Jacquard knit on the Clifton 10, engineered mesh on the Clifton 11 | Soft brush or cloth only. Cold soapy water or a foam. Never a stiff brush. |
| Midsole | Compression-molded EVA foam (CMEVA) | Foam and a dry cloth, or a damp cloth with a little soap. Blot any painted section. |
| Outsole | Rubber | Bang out the grit, then a firmer brush. This is the one place a stiffer brush belongs. |
| Insoles | Removable | Out, washed separately, dried completely before they go back. |
| Laces | Fabric | Clean separately, or swap for a new pair if they have gone grey. |
The common mistake is using one brush for everything. A brush stiff enough for the outsole will fuzz a jacquard knit.
How to clean Hoka shoes at home, step by step
- Insoles and laces out. Set them aside for later.
- Dry dirt first. If the shoes are muddy, wait until the mud is fully dry. Knock the soles together outside and brush off what falls away.
- Upper. Dip a soft brush or cloth in cold water with a few drops of mild soap and work over the knit in light strokes, following the direction of the weave. Do not soak the shoe or hold it under the tap. If you are using foam, two pumps over the dirty area, ten seconds, then wipe with a dry cloth.
- Midsole. Wipe it along its length. A scuff that is only transferred dirt comes up with a second light pass.
- Outsole. Firmer brush, cold soapy water, then wipe it clean. Pick out any stones caught in the tread.
- Dry. Newspaper or a hand towel inside, room temperature, out of the sun, nowhere near a radiator. Change the stuffing when it is damp.
- Insoles and laces. Scrub the insoles with mild soap and water and let them dry completely. Our insoles and odour guide has more if they smell.
Really nasty dirt: mud, grass and trail grime
With heavy dirt, the order you do things in matters more than the product you use.
- Mud: let it dry completely and brush it off before any water goes near it. Then clean the residue. Mud is surface grime once the bulk is gone, and it comes out well.
- Grass: the soil comes off, but the green acts like a dye and can stay as a faint tint. On fabric, an enzyme stain remover is the usual pretreatment.
- Ground-in grey on a light knit: work in two light passes rather than one heavy scrub. Scrubbing hard is how a knit goes fuzzy.
For trail pairs, the tread is the job. Dry the shoes first, then use the firm brush in the lugs. Hoka's pages for its GORE-TEX models say to air dry at room temperature, the same as everything else.
Walking shoes, leather pairs and the Transport
Hoka's walking shoes and the Transport are cleaned the same way if the upper is knit or mesh. If yours has a leather upper, check the label for Hoka's guidance on that pair. Our foam treats smooth leather as leather: white leather is rated Excellent, and on a coloured one, test it on an inside panel first. It has no bleach or solvents and has not lifted dye on anything we have tested.
Where our foam fits
SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam covers the upper and the midsole without the bucket. Knit and mesh are rated Excellent on our tested list, and on an EVA midsole it lifts surface grime. Nothing needs rinsing, so the pair is wearable once you have wiped it, and the box includes a brush and a cloth. The rubber outsole is rated Excellent as well, so it can go over the outsole once the firm brush has cleared the tread.
The washing machine and the dryer
Hoka's FAQ says no to both the machine and bleach, because they age the shoes quickly and can damage the glue and other fastenings. A Hoka trail blog adds that a dryer or heater can warp the midsole or make the sole delaminate. Hoka's care guide does contain one last-resort drying tip involving the spin cycle, which is not the same as permission to wash them in the drum. Our washing machine guide covers sneakers and washers more broadly.
Keeping Hokas clean longer
- Brush off dried mud the day after a run, before it works into the knit.
- Wipe the midsole while the dirt is fresh. It takes seconds.
- Rotate two pairs if you run or walk daily, so each one dries out fully.
- Keep them away from heaters and dryers, which Hoka links to warped midsoles.
Our mesh and knit guide goes deeper on the fabric.
Questions people actually ask
Can you put Hokas in the dishwasher?
No. We know of no shoe maker that recommends it, and heat is what Hoka's own pages blame for warped midsoles and soles coming apart.
Is Dawn dish soap good for cleaning Hokas?
A few drops in cold water counts as the mild soap Hoka asks for. Keep it dilute: Nike warns that strong dish soap can discolour shoes.
Should you wash your running shoes at all?
Yes, by hand, when they are visibly dirty or start to smell. Nike's advice to clean regularly to avoid tough messes later holds for any running shoe, and a quick clean every few weeks beats a rescue job.
How do I get white Hokas white again?
The same method, done more often, with two light passes on grey areas. Keep bleach away; Hoka says no. Yellowing that survives a proper clean is in the material and will not wash out.
Clean the knit and the midsole in a minute, no bucket: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam, $24, brush and cloth in the box, free shipping, and a full refund within 30 days if it doesn't work on your Hokas.
