To clean Nike shoes, do what Nike itself recommends: brush the loose dirt off the outsole, midsole and upper with a dry, soft brush, clean the shoe with warm water and a small amount of mild detergent, and let it air dry at room temperature. What changes from pair to pair is the material. Leather takes a gentle wipe, mesh and Flyknit a soft brush and light pressure, suede and nubuck a blot, and the sole depends on whether it is rubber or foam.
This is the general guide for Nike sneakers. Jordans and white Air Max 270s have guides of their own. SneakerSalt is not affiliated with Nike.
Nike's own method, and its warnings
Nike's cleaning guide is short and sensible. In order:
- Dry brush first. Nike's first step is to "Remove loose dirt from the outsole, midsole and uppers using a dry, soft-bristled shoe brush." Most of what looks like a stain on a dusty pair goes here.
- A weak wash. Nike's mix is warm water with "a small amount of mild laundry detergent or dish soap." Dip a soft brush, work over the shoe a section at a time, and wipe away the suds with a clean, damp cloth.
- Air dry. Room temperature, laces out, paper inside to hold the shape.
Three warnings sit alongside it. Strong soap is a problem: Nike says a high concentration of dish soap "can cause discoloration or strip out natural oils." On leather, Nike tells you to avoid scrubbing too hard. And heat is out: the dryer's heat can damage shoes, so Nike's advice is to let them air dry.
A no-rinse foam replaces step two with less water. SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam goes on with two pumps, sits for ten seconds and comes off with a dry cloth, with a soft brush in the box for the first step. It is pH 7.2 with no bleach, dyes or solvents, which matters on a shoe with three materials sitting side by side.
Cleaning Nike shoes by material
Nike uses leather, canvas, mesh and Flyknit, suede and nubuck, patent, and foam and rubber soles, often several on one pair. Find out which panel is which before you start; the care label or the product listing is the place to check.
| Material | Approach | Our foam's rating |
|---|---|---|
| White leather | Foam or Nike's mix, gentle wipe, no hard scrubbing | Excellent |
| Coloured leather | Same, after testing an inside panel | Counts as leather; test first |
| Mesh and Flyknit | Soft brush, light pressure, no bleach | Excellent |
| Canvas | Foam or mild mix, soft brush | Excellent |
| Suede and nubuck | Dry brush, light pump, blot | Good, blot only |
| Patent | Foam, wipe, buff dry | Excellent |
| Rubber cupsole | Foam, firm wipe | Excellent |
| Foam midsole | Foam, gentle wipe; blot if painted | Lifts surface grime |
| Laces | Off the shoe | Good |
Leather
Two pumps on one panel, ten seconds, then a wipe in one direction with a dry cloth, turning it as it greys. Light pressure is enough, and Nike specifically warns against scrubbing leather too hard. On white leather Nike's white-shoe guide also suggests a Magic Eraser, baking soda and vinegar, or micellar water for stubborn marks, and rules out bleach. Go carefully with the first two: our own guide treats melamine sponges and baking-soda pastes as abrasives that can leave a dull patch on the leather's coating, so keep the eraser for the rubber and don't scrub baking soda into the upper. The full method is in the white leather sneakers guide.
Mesh and Flyknit
Knit is the material most easily damaged by enthusiasm. A soft brush, light strokes that don't snag the yarn, and patience. Nike's mesh and Flyknit guidance rules out bleach and harsh chemicals. Foam is rated excellent here; two pumps per area is plenty, because the aim is to clean the knit, not soak it. Our mesh and knit guide has more on knit uppers.
Canvas
Canvas Nikes clean like any canvas: foam or the mild mix, a soft brush, a dry cloth. Nike's white-shoe guide is unusual in recommending bleach for white canvas, one tablespoon to a quart of water. Vans says the opposite about its own canvas, that chlorine bleach yellows it. We'd start with a surface clean and leave the bleach out.
Suede and nubuck
Nike rules out bleach on suede. The rest is the usual suede advice: as little water as you can manage. Brush dry in one direction, one light pump over the whole panel, ten seconds, then press a dry cloth on and lift it off. Never circles. Brush the nap back up once dry. The full technique, including how to avoid water marks, is in our suede and nubuck guide.
Patent
Nike publishes nothing specific on patent leather. Patent and vinyl are among the materials our foam is rated excellent on: a thin layer, ten seconds, a wipe, then buff dry with a clean part of the cloth so it doesn't streak.
Soles, midsoles and the Air unit
Rubber cupsoles take pressure. Foam along the side, ten seconds, a firm wipe; scuffs come up with a bit of effort. Foam midsoles are softer, and some are painted, so wipe them gently and blot the painted ones rather than scrubbing. The foam lifts surface grime from both.
Outsoles get the dry brush from Nike's first step, then a firmer brush with a little of the mild mix in the tread. On Air Max pairs, the common advice is a soft brush around the Air unit. We haven't tested our foam on the unit itself, so we'd stick to the brush there.
Yellow is a separate problem. Surface yellowing from dirt comes off. Rubber that has yellowed with age has changed chemically, usually put down to oxidation, and no spray reverses that, ours included. The yellowed soles guide sorts one from the other.
Air Max, runners and everyday Nikes
- Air Max 90, 97, 270 and the rest: work out what the upper is made of, clean it by the table above, and keep to a soft brush near the Air unit.
- Running shoes, such as Pegasus, Free Run and ReactX models: if the upper is mesh or knit, treat it gently, and dry them stuffed with paper overnight rather than wearing them damp.
- P-6000, V5 RNR and other retro runners: check which panel is which and go panel by panel.
- Black Nikes: same methods, but a pale patch shows more on black, so test an inside panel first and keep the soap weak, as Nike advises.
- Jordans: the same Nike guidance applies; the model differences are in our separate Jordans guide.
Deep cleaning a really dirty pair
For a pair that has been through a muddy field, work in rounds instead of one wet scrub. Let the mud dry and brush all of it off. Laces go into a mesh bag on a gentle cycle, the one thing Nike allows in the machine; insoles come out to air. Then give each panel a light pass, let it dry, and go again only where it needs it. Finish with a night at room temperature, stuffed with paper.
Washing machine and dryer
Nike's answer on the washing machine is no for the shoes themselves; only the laces are cleared for a gentle cycle. The dryer is out too. If you are tempted by the machine anyway, that question has its own guide; for a dirty pair, the method above takes about as long as loading the washer.
Searching for how to wash Nike Tech Fleece, hoodies, sweatpants or an Elite bag? Those aren't shoes, and their sewn-in care labels are the instructions to follow.
Questions people actually ask
Can you use Dawn dish soap on Nike shoes?
Yes, a little. Nike's own mix allows dish soap, but only a small amount in warm water, because a strong solution can discolour the shoe or strip out natural oils.
Can Nike shoes be washed?
By hand, yes; that's Nike's method above. In a washing machine, Nike says no, apart from the laces.
Why did my white Nike shoes turn yellow?
Usually one of three things: dirt that a clean will lift, bleach residue, or age. Nike keeps bleach off leather, suede and knit altogether. Age yellowing on rubber is permanent.
Can you clean Nike shoes with toothpaste?
On the soles, yes: Nike's white-shoe guide suggests toothpaste and an old toothbrush for stains there. Keep it on the rubber and wipe it all off, because it is a mild abrasive that leaves a residue, and nothing we found tests it on leather, suede or mesh.
Leather, mesh, canvas and soles from one bottle: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam, $24 with a brush and a cloth in the box, free shipping, and keep the bottle if it doesn't clean your Nikes.
