To clean Jordans, first work out what your pair is made of, because one shoe can combine leather, nubuck, mesh, patent leather and a translucent sole. Brush the dry dirt off, clean leather and mesh with a light foam or Nike's mild detergent mix, blot nubuck instead of scrubbing it, wipe patent and buff it dry, then let the pair air dry at room temperature. Jordan has no care instructions of its own; Nike's general cleaning guidance is the one that applies.
SneakerSalt is not affiliated with Nike or Jordan Brand; the model names are here only to describe the shoes.
Find your materials first
The Jordan line is not one shoe, and the materials move around from model to model and colourway to colourway.
- Air Jordan 1: covered panel by panel in its own Jordan 1 guide.
- Air Jordan 4: the original used TPU-coated mesh and TPU lace-lock "wings". Retros vary: real or synthetic leather, nubuck, grid or net mesh, and a rubber herringbone outsole.
- Air Jordan 11: patent leather and ballistic mesh, the 1995 design; some colourways use nubuck with the ballistic mesh. The outsole is the translucent "icy" kind.
- The 5, 7, 12, 13, 14 and the rest: check the listing or the label for each panel, then use the table below.
| Material | How to clean it | Our foam |
|---|---|---|
| White leather | Foam, ten seconds, wipe; no hard scrubbing | Excellent |
| Coloured leather | Same, after an inside-panel test | Counts as leather; test first |
| Nubuck or suede | Dry brush and eraser; light pump and blot | Good, blot only |
| Mesh, ballistic mesh, netting | Soft brush, light foam | Excellent |
| Patent leather | Wipe, then buff dry; no abrasive brush | Excellent |
| Synthetic leather | Foam, ten seconds, wipe, after an inside-panel test | Excellent (patent/vinyl row); test first |
| TPU wings | Nike's mild mix on a cloth | Not tested |
| Rubber herringbone outsole | Foam or the mix, firmer brush in the grooves | Excellent (counts as rubber) |
| Icy (translucent) outsole | Soft brush, then the mild mix | Not tested |
| Laces | Off the shoe | Good |
How to clean Jordans at home
- Laces out, dry brush. Nike's first step for any shoe is a dry, soft-bristled brush over the outsole, midsole and upper. Dust in the nubuck and the mesh comes off here.
- Nubuck and suede while they're dry. Eraser on dry marks, light pressure, then brush the nap up.
- Leather panels. Two pumps spread thin, ten seconds, then a wipe in one direction with a dry cloth. Nike warns against scrubbing leather too hard, and you don't need to.
- Mesh and netting. Foam, ten seconds, then a soft brush in light strokes. On a 4, work the netting with the brush rather than a cloth.
- Patent. A thin layer, ten seconds, wipe, then buff dry with a clean part of the cloth.
- Midsole. Foam and a wipe. It lifts the surface grime from rubber or foam; blot painted sections rather than rubbing them.
- Soles. A firmer brush and a little of Nike's mix, warm water with a small amount of mild detergent, on the outsole only.
- Nubuck and suede last, if they still need it. One light pump over the whole panel, ten seconds, press a dry cloth on and lift it off. Keep water to a minimum.
- Dry. Paper inside, room temperature, no heat.
Our own SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam covers most of that list in one bottle: excellent on white leather, mesh and patent, good, blot only on nubuck, pH 7.2 and free of bleach and solvents, with a brush and a cloth in the box.
Air Jordan 11s: patent and the icy sole
The patent is the easy part. The common advice is a soft cloth with mild soapy water, a buff dry, and no abrasive brushes. Patent and vinyl are rated excellent for our foam. Nike publishes nothing patent-specific, so there is no official method to follow here. Ballistic mesh takes the soft brush and a light foam.
The icy sole is where expectations need managing. Clean it with a soft brush and Nike's mild mix; we haven't tested our foam on it. Yellowing is a different matter. We know of no cleaner that reverses a yellowed icy sole, ours included, and the yellowed soles guide explains why age yellowing behaves differently from dirt.
Air Jordan 4s: netting, wings and nubuck
The netting takes a soft brush, never a stiff one. The plastic wings aren't on our tested list, so wipe them with a cloth wrung out in Nike's mix. Synthetic leather can take the foam after a test on an inside panel. Nubuck 4s are the delicate ones: dry brush, eraser, as little water as possible, and a blot where you need more. Our suede and nubuck guide covers the technique in full. Finish with a firmer brush along the herringbone grooves of the outsole.
Black Jordans, old Jordans, and what won't come out
To keep Jordans clean, brush them dry after wearing and deal with marks while they're fresh. Black leather and black nubuck hide dirt and show dust, so brush more and wet less, and test an inside panel before using anything new. Old pairs that have sat in a box clean the same way, only more gently; leather that has already cracked stays cracked.
A cleaner won't remove creases in the toe box; they are folds in the leather. It won't reverse yellowed soles. It won't restore nubuck that has been scrubbed smooth. Everything that is actually dirt is fair game.
Questions people actually ask
Can I put my Jordans in the washer?
Nike doesn't recommend the washing machine for any of its shoes, Jordans included, and the dryer is out too. Clean them by hand; only the laces can go in, on a gentle cycle in a mesh bag.
What is the best cleaner for Jordan shoes?
One that suits every material on your pair: no bleach, no solvents, gentle enough for nubuck and patent. Nike's own guidance is a small amount of mild detergent in warm water. A pH-neutral foam does the same job with less water.
How do you clean Jordans without shoe cleaner?
Use Nike's kitchen-sink version: warm water with a small amount of mild laundry detergent or dish soap, a soft brush, a cloth, and air drying. Keep the soap weak, because a strong mix can discolour the shoe.
How do I clean the inside of a Jordan?
Take the insole out if it lifts, wipe the lining with a barely damp cloth, and let the shoe air out fully before wearing it again. Baking soda overnight helps with smell.
Leather, mesh and patent from the same bottle: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam, $24 with a brush and a cloth, free shipping, and keep the bottle if it doesn't clean your Jordans.
