To clean Jordan 4s, take the laces out, dry-brush the whole shoe, then work panel by panel: foam and a firm wipe on smooth leather, a light pump and a blot on nubuck, a soft brush on the netting, and a blot on the midsole. Air dry them at room temperature. The Jordan 4 has more separate parts than most sneakers, so knowing which panel is which is most of the job.
SneakerSalt is not affiliated with Nike or Jordan Brand, and Nike publishes no Jordan 4 care guide; the steps below follow Nike's general shoe-care advice.
What a Jordan 4 is made of
The original used TPU-coated mesh and TPU lace locks, the "wings". Retros vary a lot: real leather, synthetic leather, nubuck, grid or net mesh, and a rubber herringbone outsole, in different mixes by colourway.
| Part | How to clean it | Our foam |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth leather panels | Two pumps, ten seconds, firm dry wipe | Excellent on white; other colours, test inside first |
| Nubuck panels | Dry brush, eraser, one light pump, blot | Good, blot only |
| Synthetic leather | Two pumps, ten seconds, dry wipe, or a cloth wrung out in warm water with a little mild detergent | Excellent (with patent and vinyl); test inside first |
| Netting and mesh | Soft brush, light foam | Excellent |
| Wings and other plastic parts | Damp cloth with a little mild detergent | Not tested |
| Midsole | Foam, ten seconds, blot; no scrubbing on paint | Lifts surface grime |
| Herringbone outsole | Brush, then mild soapy water or foam | Excellent (rubber) |
| Laces | Foam on a cloth, pull through | Good |
How to clean Jordan 4s at home, step by step
- Prep. Laces out, paper or a shoe tree inside to hold the shape.
- Dry brush. Outsole, midsole, then upper, with a soft brush. Nike starts every clean this way, and it shifts most of the dust.
- Outsole first. Brush along the herringbone grooves with mild soapy water. Wipe it before moving up so grit doesn't end up on the upper.
- Midsole. A pump of foam, ten seconds, then blot. On painted sections, press and lift instead of rubbing.
- Leather panels. Two pumps per panel, ten seconds, a firm wipe with a dry cloth.
- Netting. A light pump, then a soft brush in small strokes so the foam works into the grid, and a blot to lift it out.
- Wings and plastic parts. A cloth barely damp with soapy water.
- Nubuck last. One light pump, blot, never rub. Doing it last means you aren't dragging grime from other panels onto it.
- Air dry. Room temperature, out of direct sun and away from heaters.
For the smooth leather, the netting and the midsole, SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam does steps four to six with nothing to rinse, and the box includes the brush and cloth. It has no bleach and no solvents, and it hasn't lifted dye on anything we've tested, but coloured and synthetic leather still get an inside test first. It works on the rubber outsole too. We haven't tested it on the TPU wings, which is why those get soapy water instead.
Black Cat, Bred, Military Black: check the material first
Colourway names don't tell you the material, and Jordan 4 retros mix leather, synthetic leather and nubuck in different ways. Before you clean a Black Cat, a Bred, a Military Black or a University Blue, run a fingertip across the toe box. Smooth and slightly cool is leather. Soft, with a nap that changes shade as you brush it, is nubuck. Check the box label if you still have it.
Nubuck pairs need the gentle version: a dry brush, an eraser on scuffs, as little moisture as possible, and a blot where a brush won't do. Treat whole panels evenly rather than chasing one mark, so the colour dries even. The suede and nubuck guide covers the blot method in detail, and our Jordan 1 guide covers the leather-next-to-suede problem on another model.
The netting
The netting collects dust in every square of its grid. A soft brush and a light foam lift that. What a cleaner can't do is change the colour of the netting itself: if it has gone yellow with age rather than dirt, cleaning takes the grime off and leaves the yellow. Painting netting is a customising job, not a cleaning one.
Midsole, sole and scuffs
Scuffs on the midsole are often rubber or dirt transferred from something else, and those lift with foam and a blot. Where the paint itself has chipped or worn through, no cleaner puts it back. On the rubber outsole, Nike also suggests toothpaste on an old toothbrush or a damp melamine sponge; keep the melamine on rubber only, because it is an abrasive.
Yellowing that wipes off was dirt. Yellowing that doesn't is in the material, and nothing you wipe on reverses it, ours included. Our guide to yellowed soles goes through the difference.
Can you wash Jordan 4s in the washing machine?
Nike doesn't recommend washing any of its shoes in a machine, and it rules out the dryer because heat can deform shoes. A Jordan 4's mix of nubuck, plastic wings, mesh and a painted midsole gives the drum a lot to damage. A panel-by-panel clean takes about ten minutes.
Questions people actually ask
Why do Jordan 4s look different after cleaning?
Usually because nubuck panels are still damp, which makes them look darker, or because the nap has been pressed flat. Let them dry fully, then brush the nubuck in one direction to lift it.
How do you clean Jordan 4s without shoe cleaner?
Nike's own method: warm water with a small amount of mild detergent or dish soap, a soft brush, and an air dry. Keep that mix off nubuck; dry brush and use an eraser there instead.
Is it okay if Jordans get wet?
How they dry matters more than the soaking: room temperature, stuffed with paper, away from heat. Nubuck pairs are the ones to keep out of heavy rain.
How do you fix scuffs on Jordan 4s?
On leather and the midsole, foam and a wipe or blot lifts transferred marks. On nubuck, a suede eraser, then a brush. Scuffs that have taken off colour or paint are repairs.
Ten minutes, one bottle, every panel: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam is $24 with free shipping, and if it doesn't clean your 4s you get your money back.
