How To Clean Your Sneakers
You just couldn’t wait to bust out those fresh white kicks once the snow melted, and now they’re, well, not-so-fresh anymore. In fact, they look straight-up terrible after an accidental step in the mud here, a trip over a dirty, salt-filled snowbank there. But don’t worry, because thanks to the advances of modern sneaker science, getting those shoes back to their fresh-outta-the-box form is easier than ever. But do you spring for the professional-grade sneaker cleaner, or do you just scrap together what you’ve got lying around the house? Let’s investigate.
Behold, Jason Markk sneaker cleaner. For 16 bucks, you get the “Premium Shoe Cleaner” and the bristle brush, which work together in perfect harmony to get out dirt, scuffs, and basically anything else. Another benefit of Jason Markk is that it’s made from 98.3% natural materials, such as coconut oil and jojoba oil (whatever that is), which are gentler on leather (especially important if you spent a lot of dough on your sneakers). And best of all? It smells like grapes.
$16, available at jasonmarkk.com
How to Use It:
First, get a bucket (or a big bowl) and fill it with water. Put some of the solution in the bowl and on the brush itself and swish around the water. When scrubbing the sneaker, work in a circular motion to cause a foaming effect from the solution (wow! bubbles! fun!). Repeat as neccesary, adding more solution to the brush as you go along. Work some of the soap into the cloth lining of the sneaker, as Jason Markk seems to work even better on fabric than it does on leather. Take a dry towel to the sneaker once you’re done and wipe away all that dirt and grime
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Of course, it’s not perfect (note the tough-to-beat scuffs on the midsole), but compared to before, these look pretty damn good. Also, new laces are a must for any sneaker cleaning excursion, but they’re a whole lot cheaper than a new pair of kicks.
If you don’t wanna spring for the pro-grade stuff, then you could always head to your kitchen for sneaker cleaning supplies. Assuming you’re a relatively tidy person, you’ve probably got dish soap and sponges. But the real come-up is if you’ve got the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (seen far right).
How to Use It:
Do your best to scrub away the excess filth with the coarse side of the sponge and dish soap. Then, run the Magic Eraser under warm water and wring out the extra wetness. Take that bad boy to the midsole of the shoe (where scuffs are the toughest to remove), and work some elbow grease in there to get it clean. Work in small areas one-by-one, in a back and forth motion. You can also take the soap to the cloth lining of the sneaker, though don’t expect amazing results.
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Note how the Magic Eraser did work on the midsole scuffs and got all of the dirt out of the toe. These look nearly as-good-as-new. That in mind, repeated use of dish soap on a nice leather sneaker is certainly not advisable.
Well, as it turns out, it seems the best way to clean your sneakers is by just throwing everything you’ve got at them. The Jason Markk sneaker cleaner is amazing at cleaning cloth and sneaker uppers, and can be used a ton without you worrying about ruining the shoes in your dedicated efforts to get them clean. But you also can’t argue with the results the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser delivers. Honestly, you should get one of those and just use it on everything—sneakers, walls, toilets, whatever (though, you know, not at the same time).
By Jake Woolf
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