WHITE SNEAKERS are eternally stylish footwear that go with just about every casual outfit. Whether you’re wearing a blazer or swim trunks, crisp white shoes provide a clean foundation. Speaking of clean though, there is one glaring flaw to these sartorial work horses. Anything white getting shuffled around at ground level—day after day—will end up dirty, scuffed, and stained with who knows what.
Fortunately, there are some quick and easy ways to bring back that fresh-out-the-box look again and again. We reached out to a man with fresh style to get a few tips on the matter. Los Angeles based content creator Steven Fingar is a noted fan of white sneakers, and he has a talent for keeping them looking brand new.
Turns out, all you will need are a couple of cheap things that you can pick up online, or supplies you probably already have in your home. Fingar recommends using an old toothbrush and something you’ve probably only used to clean your bathroom. “For any scuffs or dark marks, I always try to use a Mr Clean Magic Eraser which usually does the trick on smooth surfaces,” he says.
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This process works for all kinds of canvas sneakers and running shoes. Leather sneakers are covered as well, with a couple variations at the end.
Preparation
- Begin by removing the laces and setting them aside. We will get to them later.
- If you have shoe trees, insert them. If not, then you can use crumpled up paper or an old shirt. This will keep the toe box firm so that you can apply the pressure needed to scrum them clean. With leather sneakers, it will also prevent creasing.
- Place an old towel or sheet down over the surface where you will be doing the cleaning.
Brush off any dried residue
- Using a medium bristled brush, firmly sweep any dried dirt and residue off the surface of your shoe. This should be done in a short, quick back-and-forth motion. A shoe brush or horse hair brush is ideal but any kind of cleaning brush will do. Just make sure not to use a course brush that will scratch the surface.
- Fingar recommends using an old toothbrush to get into any crevices and seams where the shoe brush can’t reach. You can actually use a toothbrush to clean the entire shoe if you don’t have a shoe brush but it will take longer.
Cleaning Canvas and Athletic Sneakers
There are two routes to go here, you can buy an all-in-one sneaker cleaning product. The cleaning solution comes out through a course sponge that is used to scrub the fabric. Or you can use laundry detergent or Dawn soap mixed with water, applied with a toothbrush or shoe brush.
Using Sneaker Cleaner
- Wet a rag so that it is damp but not dripping, then wipe down the entire upper surface of your sneaker. Make sure you get the tongue and along the lace eyelets.
- Follow the direction on the sneaker cleaner to apply to your shoe.
- Use slow, firm circular motions to scrub the entire surface of your sneaker.
- Rinse sneakers under running water in the sink until all excess cleaning solution is removed.
- Repeat steps 2 through 4 as needed.
- Lay out to dry over night.
Using soap and water solution
- Wet a rag so that it is damp but not dripping, then wipe down the entire upper surface of your sneaker. Make sure you get the tongue and along the lace eyelets.
- Place 1 tbs of laundry detergent or Dawn soap in a medium sized bowl. Then fill the rest of the bowl with warm water. OxiClean is Fingar’s detergent of choice.
- Using a toothbush or shoe brush, rinse in the solution until soapy then scrub the entire surface of your sneakers. Dung the brush back in the solution as needed. A toothbrush will be especially useful for crevices, seams, and any stitching.
- Rinse sneakers under running water in the sink until all excess cleaning solution is removed.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 as needed.
- Lay out to dry over night.
Cleaning Leather Sneakers
Fingar noted that he prefers leather sneakers because they are easier to clean, since, “Sometimes all you need is a damp rag to do the trick.” For more stubborn stains, you can use the same shoe cleaner mentioned above or buy a specialty leather cleaner like saddle soap. Believe it or not, toothpaste is just as effective for cleaning white leather sneakers as is for cleaning your teeth. Make sure it is a white toothpaste, ideally with baking soda and peroxide in it.
It is also very important to condition the leather after it has been cleaned so you will need a leather conditioner for the final step. Conditioning not only protects the look of the shoe, but it adds water and stain resistance as well.
Saddle soap
- Wet a rag so that it is damp but not dripping, then wipe down the entire upper surface of your sneaker. Make sure you get the tongue and along the lace eyelets.
- Fill a small bowl with water and place it next to the open can of saddle soap.
- Gentle dip your toothbrush or shoe brush in the water and rub it in circles in the saddle soap until a nice foamy lather is built up.
- Wipe down the entire using small, firm circular motions. Use a toothbrush to get in crevices and clean stitching.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the surface is clean.
- Wipe off all excess cleaning solution with a damp towel.
Toothpaste
To clean your leather shoes with toothpaste, use the same steps as listed above, but skip step 3 and simply place a dime sized amount of toothpaste on your brush. Use the water bowl to add lather as you would when brushing your teeth.
Conditioning
Apply a generous amount of the conditioner to a cleaning cloth. Rub the leather surface of the shoe with the cloth until completely covered. Apply more conditioner to the cloth as needed. You can tell the conditioner has been applied to an area when the leather looks slightly darker and has a shine to it. Let the shoes sit overnight until the conditioner has set in. You can tell the process is finished when the darker color and shine have gone away.
Cleaning Soles
Regardless of what material the upper is made out of, pretty much all sneakers have the same rubber sole. Rubber can be cleaned with a shoe cleaner or toothpaste. In both cases, using a hard bristled toothbrush is the most effective method for cleaning. Wipe them down with a damp cloth first then scrub vigorously. However, if there are especially persistent stains on the soles of your shoes, then a Magic Eraser will get the job done.
How to Clean Shoe Laces
Remember when you took the laces out of your sneakers at the beginning? Well now is the time to get them clean. Place 1 tbs of laundry detergent or Dawn soap in a medium size bowl then fill with warm water (if you did this already then use the same mixture you already have), then simply place the laces in the bowl for half an hour. Once the laces have soaked, scrub them with a toothbrush or shoe brush until they look fresh. Then rinse them under running water until all the soap is gone. Lay them out flat to dry over night.
Thats it! A few simple ingredients and a little elbow grease got your fine white kicks looking good as new.
Read more: Best Cleaning Products
Contributing Commerce Style Writer
Brad is a contributing style commerce editor. After a decade working for menswear brands including J.Crew and Ralph Lauren, Brad switched from selling fashion to writing about it. His words have appeared in Huckberry, Heddels, and The Manual.
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