To clean white Nike Air Max 270s, brush the loose dirt off while the shoes are dry, clean the textile upper with a light foam or Nike's mild detergent mix and a soft brush, wipe the foam midsole gently, and use only a soft brush around the Max Air unit. Then let them air dry at room temperature. Nike's general advice rules out bleach, harsh cleaners, hard scrubbing and the washing machine, and all four matter on a white pair.
SneakerSalt is not affiliated with Nike.
What a 270 is made of
Nike describes the Air Max 270 as a woven and synthetic fabric upper with mesh details, a two-piece foam midsole, the Max Air 270 unit and rubber on the outsole. Nike has no care page for the 270 itself; its general cleaning guide is the one that applies. Each part wants something slightly different.
| Part | What it is | How to clean it |
|---|---|---|
| Upper | Woven and synthetic textile, mesh details | Foam or Nike's mix, soft brush, light strokes |
| Overlays | Synthetic | Foam after an inside-panel test, or Nike's mix on a cloth |
| Midsole | Two-piece foam | Foam, gentle wipe, no hard scrubbing |
| Air unit | Max Air 270 | Soft brush with Nike's mix, then dry it off |
| Outsole | Rubber | Firmer brush, a little of the mix |
| Laces | Textile | Off the shoe, cleaned separately |
How to clean white Air Max 270s, step by step
- Unlace and brush dry. A soft brush over the upper, midsole and outsole, as Nike's guide starts. On white textile a lot of the grey is dust that comes off right here.
- Mix, if you're using it. Warm water with a small amount of mild laundry detergent or dish soap, well diluted, per Nike. Keep it weak: Nike warns that a strong dish soap mix can discolour shoes.
- The upper, one section at a time. Two pumps of foam, ten seconds, then the soft brush in short, gentle strokes and a dry white cloth. Nike's instruction is to brush gently, and on mesh that also means not snagging the yarn. Stop when the cloth comes away clean.
- The overlays. Our foam treats synthetic overlays like other synthetic leather: test it on an inside panel first, then a thin layer, ten seconds and a wipe. A cloth wrung out in Nike's mix works too.
- The midsole. Foam along the side, ten seconds, wipe with light pressure. It lifts the surface grime from the foam. If your pair has a painted or coloured section, blot that instead of wiping.
- The Air unit. A soft brush with the mix around and across the unit, then dry it with the cloth so no drips sit on it. We haven't tested our foam on the Air unit and don't use it there.
- The outsole. A firmer brush in the tread, a little of the mix, sole only.
- Dry. Paper inside, room temperature, no dryer, no radiator, out of direct sun.
For the upper and midsole we'd use our own SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam, rated excellent on mesh and textile, with no bleach and no dyes. A soft brush and a cloth come in the box, which covers most of the list above.
How to get 270s white again
A white pair that has gone dull usually needs two things done separately: dirt lifted, and the yellow sorted into what can and can't be helped.
- Grey textile: two light passes beat one hard one. Let the upper dry between them; damp fabric looks darker than it is.
- Yellow from dirt: comes off with a normal clean.
- Yellow from age: rubber that has yellowed over years has changed chemically, usually put down to oxidation, and no spray reverses that, ours included. Our yellowed soles guide explains the difference.
- Bleach: Nike says it's best not to use bleach or other harsh cleaning products on these. On a white pair the temptation is real; the risk is a yellow pair.
- White and black colourways: work from the white parts outward and blot along the line where the colours meet, so you don't drag grime across it.
White Air Max 90, 97, 95, Plus and 1
The same Nike guidance covers every Air Max, but each model is built differently, so check what your upper is made of before you start. Then clean by material. Smooth white leather is the material our foam is rated best on; if your 90s are all-white leather, the white leather guide has the method. Mesh and knit panels are covered in the mesh and knit guide. Suede gets a light pump and a blot, never a scrub. Whatever the model, the Air unit gets the soft brush only.
Machine and dryer
Nike's answer for every pair, including the 270, is no washing machine; its washer article even notes the shoes can damage the machine. The dryer is out because its heat can deform a shoe. Clean them by hand, as above.
Questions people actually ask
Are Nike Air Max 270 machine washable?
No. Nike doesn't recommend putting any of its shoes in the washing machine. Clean them by hand and let only the laces go through a gentle cycle, which Nike allows.
Does Dawn dish soap help whiten shoes?
It cleans rather than whitens. Nike's own mix allows a small amount of dish soap in warm water, and more is not better: a high concentration can discolour the shoe.
How do I keep white Air Max white?
Brush them dry after muddy days, clean marks while they're fresh rather than letting them set, and let the pair dry fully between wears.
Keep the white white: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam, $24 with a brush and a cloth, free shipping, and keep the bottle if it doesn't work on your 270s.
