To clean Yeezy 350s, brush the dry dirt off first, then clean the Primeknit upper with a light foam or mild soapy water and a soft brush, using as little pressure as the dirt allows, and do the Boost midsole separately with a firmer brush. Don't soak them, and give them about 12 hours to air dry at room temperature. adidas publishes no Yeezy-specific care, so what follows is built from the materials and the common method.
SneakerSalt is not affiliated with adidas or Yeezy.
What a 350 V2 is made of
The Yeezy Boost 350 V2 has a re-engineered Primeknit upper with a monofilament stripe down the side, a Boost midsole and a rubber outsole. Three different surfaces, and the one thing they share is that none of them should be soaked.
| Part | Material | How to clean it |
|---|---|---|
| Upper | Primeknit | Soft brush, light foam or mild soapy water, gentle strokes |
| Side stripe | Monofilament | Same as the upper; blot along its edges |
| Midsole | Boost | Firmer brush, a little mild soapy water |
| Outsole | Rubber | Firmer brush, water, sole only |
| Laces | Textile | Off the shoe, cleaned separately |
What adidas says, and doesn't
adidas has no care page for Yeezys, and its general shoe guides contradict each other. Its running-shoe blog allows a cold, gentle machine wash in a garment bag or pillowcase. Its help page warns that machine washing can discolour or damage the fabric, and that hard scrubbing can damage the weave or mesh on Boost models. Its basketball guide says not to use a washing machine or dryer at all. Where they agree is drying: no dryer in any adidas guide that mentions one, and air drying at room temperature, away from direct heat.
None of that was written for the 350. The warning about scrubbing the weave on Boost models is the part that fits it best, and it's the reason the method below is gentle on the knit.
How to clean Yeezy 350 V2s, step by step
- Laces out. They clean better off the shoe, and you can reach the tongue.
- Brush everything dry. Soft brush on the Primeknit, firmer brush on the Boost and the outsole. Do this before anything wet touches the shoe, or the dust turns to mud in the knit.
- The upper, one area at a time. Two pumps of foam, ten seconds, then the soft brush in light strokes and a dry cloth. If you're using soapy water instead, dip the brush and tap it nearly dry first. The aim is to clean the surface of the knit, not push water through it; common advice is that soaking lets water reach the glue.
- The stripe. Same treatment, then blot along the edges where it meets the knit.
- The Boost. A firmer brush with a little mild soapy water or foam, worked into the texture, then wiped off with the cloth. Our foam lifts surface grime from midsoles, Boost included; yellowing is another matter, covered below.
- The bottoms. Firmer brush, water, sole only. Gunk in the tread comes out more easily once it's dry: pick out the worst, then brush.
- Dry for about 12 hours. Paper inside, room temperature, no radiator, no sun, no dryer. Don't judge the knit until it's dry; damp fabric looks darker.
For the upper we'd use our own SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam. Primeknit is a knit, and knit is one of the materials it's rated excellent on; the method adds no water, and the soft brush and cloth come in the box. More on knit uppers in our mesh and knit guide.
Bone, Zebra, Cream and other light colourways
Pale pairs like Bone, Cream and Zebra show every mark, but the method doesn't change. What changes is patience: two light passes with drying in between, rather than one heavy scrub of the kind adidas warns can damage the weave. On patterned uppers such as Zebra, blot rather than wipe across the pattern and turn the cloth often, so grime isn't spread from one part to the next. Our foam has no bleach and no dyes and hasn't lifted dye on anything tested; on a rare colourway, test the inside of the heel first anyway.
Black pairs show dust and pale marks plainly. Same method, a little less water.
If your pair's upper isn't Primeknit, the steps above may not fit it; test a hidden spot before you do the whole shoe.
Yellowed or grey Boost
Grey Boost is often dirt sitting in the texture, and a firmer brush gets most of it out. Yellowed Boost is another question. We can't promise that any cleaner reverses it, ours included, and we'd be suspicious of anyone who does. Our yellowed soles guide explains why age yellowing is a different problem from dirt.
Washer, dryer and bleach
Since adidas contradicts itself and says nothing specific to Yeezys, the safe reading is the cautious one: hand clean them. A machine cycle is a long soak, and keeping water away from the glue is the whole reason for the method above. The dryer is out in every adidas guide that mentions it. Bleach is out too; it's on the common list of things to keep off these shoes.
Yeezy 500s, 700s and slides
This page is about the 350. For a 500 or a 700, check what the upper is made of before you start and clean by material. Suede panels get a light pump and a blot, as in our suede and nubuck guide; mesh gets the soft-brush method above.
Yeezy Slides are injected EVA foam, which our foam hasn't been tested on. The common advice is mild soap and water with a soft brush, a rinse, and air drying out of the sun. Keep them away from heat; it can warp EVA.
Questions people actually ask
Can you put Yeezy shoes in the washer?
adidas gives no Yeezy instruction either way, and its general guides disagree. Since soaking is the main risk to a 350, we'd keep them out and clean by hand.
How do I remove gunk from the bottom of a shoe?
Let it dry, pick out the worst with something blunt, then use a firmer brush with a little water on the sole only. Wet gunk smears; dry gunk crumbles.
Can I use Dawn dish soap on white Yeezys?
A drop in a cup of water on a brush is fine on knit. Wipe it back off with a clean, damp cloth so no soap dries in the fabric.
For the knit, the stripe and the laces: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam, $24 with a brush and a cloth, free shipping, and your money back if it doesn't clean your 350s.
