Sneaker Cleaning Guides

How to Clean Brooks Shoes: Brooks's Hand-Wash Method, Step by Step
Brooks says "do not, we repeat, do not" machine wash or dry its shoes. Its own hand method for Ghost, Glycerin and Adrenaline pairs, plus smell, black pairs and what to leave alone. Read more...
How to Get Blood Out of Shoes: Cold Water First, Then Enzymes
Blood sets with heat and with alcohol, so the fix starts cold. What to do on canvas, mesh, leather, suede and the heel lining, and when an old stain won't fully lift. Read more...
How to Clean Yeezy 350s: Primeknit, Boost and the Soles
Yeezy 350 V2s are Primeknit on a Boost midsole. How to clean the knit without damaging the weave, scrub the Boost and soles separately, handle Bone, Zebra and other light pairs, and dry them. Read more...
Magic Eraser on Shoes: Fine on Rubber, Risky Almost Everywhere Else
A melamine sponge is a very fine abrasive. That makes it excellent on scuffed rubber soles and a gamble on leather, dark, glossy and faux finishes. How to use one, and where not to. Read more...
How to Get Grease Off Suede Shoes (Fresh Spots and Old Oil Stains)
Oil on suede comes out with powder and patience, not soap and water. The step-by-step for fresh grease, what to expect from old stains, cooking oil vs motor oil, and the fixes that make it worse. Read more...
How to Clean a Birkenstock Footbed (Suede, Leather and Cork Edge)
The footbed is where Birkenstocks look dirtiest. How to clean the suede, nubuck or leather insole evenly, why it goes dark, what to do about smell, and why sandpaper is a bad idea. Read more...
How to Get Dog Poop Off Shoes (Tread, Canvas, Leather, Suede)
Stepped in it? Scrape outside, pick the tread clean, scrub with cool water and detergent, then deal with any mark on canvas, mesh, leather or suede. What works and what to skip. Read more...
How to Clean Jordan 4s: Leather, Nubuck, Netting and Midsoles
A Jordan 4 mixes leather or nubuck, mesh netting, plastic wings and a painted midsole. How to clean each part, how to tell which material your colourway uses, and what won't come off. Read more...
How to Clean Shoe Soles: Treads, Midsoles, Crepe and Clear Soles
Clean the bottom first, then the sides. How to clear a tread, wipe a midsole, deal with gum and dog mess, handle clear, crepe, boot and leather soles, and tell dirt from yellowing. Read more...
How to Get Grass Stains Out of Shoes (Canvas, Leather, Suede)
A grass stain is two stains: brown soil that wipes off and green pigment that behaves like dye. How to treat each one on canvas, mesh, leather, suede and rubber. Read more...
Can You Wash Vans in the Washing Machine? Which Pairs, and How
Vans contradicts itself on the washing machine. All-canvas pairs can survive a cold, gentle cycle; suede, checkered and mixed-material pairs are better by hand. Model by model, and how. Read more...
Can You Wash Crocs in the Washing Machine? What Crocs Itself Says
Crocs' US site allows a gentle cycle for all-Croslite clogs; its UK FAQ says hand wash only. What each page says, the gentlest settings, lined and fuzzy pairs, and how to dry them without shrinking. Read more...
How to Wash Skechers Shoes: Machine Washable Icon, Hand Wash, Drying
Skechers with the Machine Washable icon go in cold and gentle in a mesh bag; the rest get washed by hand. Memory foam and Arch Fit insoles, light-up pairs, slip-ins and how to dry them. Read more...
How to Clean Mold Off Shoes: Leather, Canvas, Suede and Soles
Brush mold off outdoors, then clean by material: the alcohol mix for leather, detergent for canvas, what to do with insoles and the smell, and when a pair can't be saved. Read more...
How to Get Sharpie Off Shoes: Canvas, Rubber, Leather and Suede
Permanent marker and pen ink are dye stains, so they come off some shoe materials and not others. What to try on canvas, mesh, rubber, leather and suede, and what to skip. Read more...
How to Clean White Shoes With Baking Soda (and When Not To)
Baking soda makes a decent scrub for white canvas and rubber. The three recipes and when to use each, the step-by-step, why the vinegar fizz isn't cleaning power, and where baking soda stops working. Read more...
Cleaning Patent Leather: Shoes, Boots, Scuffs and Stains
Patent leather needs very little cleaning and a lot of protecting. How to wipe and buff it, what to do about scuffs and colour transfer, and what heat, alcohol and abrasives do to it. Read more...
How to Get Scuff Marks Off Shoes (and When a Scuff Is Damage)
Most black scuffs are something rubbed onto the shoe, and they come off. Some are the surface rubbed away, and they don't. How to tell, and what to use on each material. Read more...
How to Wash Slippers: Fleece, Sheepskin, Suede, Felt and Rubber
Slippers come in a dozen materials and the label is the only reliable guide. How to hand wash fabric and fleece, when the machine is allowed, sheepskin and suede, and the inside. Read more...
Leather Cleaner for Shoes: How to Choose One and What to Avoid
An honest guide to choosing a leather cleaner for shoes: what each leather needs, what to avoid on the label, cleaner versus conditioner, household options, and where our foam fits. Read more...
How to Clean White Fabric Shoes Without Rings or Yellowing
White cloth shoes show every tide line and yellow from leftover soap or sun. The hand method for canvas, cotton, mesh and knit, common stains, and whether the washer is worth the risk. Read more...
How to Clean Jordans: Leather, Nubuck, Mesh, Patent and Icy Soles
One pair of Jordans can mix leather, nubuck, mesh, patent and a translucent sole. How to clean each, with notes on the 1, 4 and 11, icy soles, and what no cleaner fixes. Read more...
How to Clean Cleats: Studs, Uppers, the Inside and Drying
Clean cleats after every session: knock off the mud, clear the studs, wipe the upper with mild detergent, rinse, stuff with paper and air dry. Knit, synthetic and leather uppers, and the inside. Read more...
How to Clean White Vans and Keep Them From Going Yellow
White Vans go grey from dirt and yellow from bleach and age. How to clean the canvas and the rubber sidewall, whiten them again safely, and handle checkered and white suede pairs. Read more...