To clean New Balance 327s, start dry: brush the grit out of the lugged outsole and the rubber heel wrap, and brush the suede in one direction. Then clean the nylon with a soft brush, a little mild dye-free detergent and as little water as you can manage, blot the suede only if it still needs it, and let the pair air dry for a day. Like every New Balance, the 327 stays out of the washer and the dryer.
There's no 327 care page from New Balance. What follows is its general guidance, fitted to this shoe's materials. SneakerSalt is not affiliated with New Balance.
What a 327 is made of
Most 327 listings describe a suede and nylon upper with an oversized N on the side, New Balance lettering on the inner side, a nylon tongue and a split eyerow. Underneath sits a flared midsole and a lugged outsole inspired by New Balance's 355 trail shoe, with a rubber wrap at the heel. Some versions swap the nylon for mesh: one UK men's listing is suede and mesh, and a unisex one uses split suede with mesh. Kids' pairs get a nubbed rubber outsole.
| Part | Material | How to clean it |
|---|---|---|
| Upper panels | Suede | Dry brush and eraser; one light pump and a blot if needed |
| Panels and tongue | Nylon on most pairs, mesh on some | Nylon: soft brush, mild dye-free detergent, little water. Mesh: foam and wipe |
| The oversized N | Not stated on listings; may vary | Depends on what yours is (see below) |
| Midsole | Not named on listings | Foam, ten seconds, wipe |
| Outsole and heel wrap | Lugged rubber | Brush the lugs dry, then foam and wipe |
| Laces | Not stated | Off the shoe, cleaned separately |
The nylon: the part we haven't tested
Nylon isn't on our tested list, so we don't recommend our foam on the nylon panels or the tongue. Use New Balance's own method there: a light-bristled brush (an old toothbrush works), a little mild detergent with no dyes in it, a test on a hidden spot, then a wipe with a damp cloth. The common advice for the 327 is a soft brush and very little water on the nylon, which also stops damp spreading into the suede next to it.
If yours is one of the mesh versions, that part is easy: mesh is rated excellent for our foam. You can see light through mesh. If you can't see it through yours, treat the panel as nylon until the tongue label or your colourway's listing says otherwise.
How to clean New Balance 327 at home
- Outsole first, bone dry. The lugs and the heel wrap trap grit and dried mud. Brush them out before any water is involved, or the grit turns to paste and travels.
- Brush the suede. Soft brush, one direction. Work any dry marks out with a suede eraser and light pressure, then brush over them to lift the nap.
- Nylon panels and tongue. Soft brush dipped in a little dye-free detergent and water, then a damp cloth. Wring the cloth hard so it doesn't drip at the suede seams.
- Midsole and heel. Two pumps along the flared midsole and up the rubber heel wrap, ten seconds, then a dry cloth.
- Suede, if a mark is left. A single light pump spread over the whole suede panel, not just the mark, then ten seconds and a blot. If it's still there once dry, repeat lightly rather than going in wetter.
- Air dry for 24 hours. Stuff the toes with paper and leave the pair at room temperature, nowhere near a radiator. Brush the suede when it's fully dry.
The N and the lettering. Listings don't say what the oversized N is made of, and it may differ between colourways. If it has a nap like the suede around it, brush and blot it as suede. If it's smooth, clean around it with the damp cloth and test a corner before using anything else on it. Blot over the New Balance lettering on the inner side; don't scrub across it.
On the parts we have tested, SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam covers most of the shoe: excellent on the midsole, the rubber outsole and heel wrap, and the mesh versions, and good, blot only, on suede. No dyes, no bleach, and the bottle comes with a brush and a cloth. Our New Balance guide has the full suede routine.
Black, women's and named colourways
Black 327s: the method is the same, with two additions. Try any cleaner on an inside panel of the black suede before the outside, and wring the nylon cloth extra hard, because a drip that dries on dark suede leaves a ring you'll see.
Women's, men's and named colourways like Moonbeam: New Balance gives no separate care for any of them, so the method is the same. What changes it is whether the non-suede panels are nylon or mesh, and that varies from listing to listing.
Can you wash New Balance 327s in the washing machine?
No. The 327 falls under New Balance's blanket advice: no washer and no dryer for any of its shoes. Suede is the part of a 327 with the most to lose in a drum.
How to keep 327s clean
- Brush the lugs out after a muddy walk, once the mud has dried, before it hardens in the gaps.
- Dry-brush the suede regularly so dust doesn't settle into the nap.
- Common advice for suede is a protector spray once the pair is clean and dry. Our foam won't waterproof it.
Questions people actually ask
Is the suede on my 327s ruined once it gets wet?
No. The marks come from uneven drying, where one patch was wetter than the next. Blot, stuff with paper, dry slowly and brush once dry. Our guide on whether water ruins suede has the detail.
How do I clean shoelaces?
Take them out, put foam on a cloth and pull each lace through it, then dry them flat away from heat, which can deform the plastic tips. Replace them once the tips split.
How is cleaning a 327 different from a 574?
The 574 is suede and mesh, so our foam covers nearly all of it. The 327 swaps much of that mesh for nylon, which we haven't tested, and its lugs and heel wrap need a dry brush first. The suede rules are the same on both.
For the suede, the sole and the heel wrap: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam, $24, free shipping, brush and cloth included, and a refund if it doesn't clean your 327s.
