We’ve all been in this scenario: you’ve worn your favorite pair of shoes to the very edge of “toss ’em” status. A pair so dirty that when you try them at the club the bouncers assume they came pre-distressed. But here’s the issue… you still think they’re fly. Whether it’s the colorway or the look or the vibe or the time in your life you were in when you bought them — you can’t let this fresh pair die.
“Wait!” You think to yourself. “One go-around in the washing machine will bring this pair back, baby!”
Yeah… don’t do that. Don’t put your sneakers in the washer. Washing your sneakers won’t bring your favorite pair back to life. And it might straight up destroy your shoes if you aren’t careful.
If you’re looking for an answer to the question of whether or not you can put your shoes in the washing machine, the answer is “yes.” Technically. And canvas shoes like Chuck Taylors hold up pretty well in the wash. But be very careful about how you wash expensive sneakers. Depending on the pair in question, sneakers have all sorts of foam, plastics, rubbers, dyes, and glues that the abuse of a washing machine and the harsh chemicals in detergent can mess with.
Plus, when your sneakers are saturated with water, it can be difficult to get them dry, creating an optimal breeding ground for fungi. Not to mention the smell.*
*Also, it may wreck the tumbler balance inside the washing machine during the spin cycle. Similarly, trying to machine dry a clunky pair of AJ3s will almost definitely mess your dryer (and shoes) up.
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If you’re set on washing your Nikes, Jordans, Adidas, Balenciagas, etc. remove the insoles, place your sneakers in a laundry bag, use the coldest setting available on your machine, and select the delicate cycle (avoid spin if you can, for the reason mentioned above). Once your sneakers are washed, put them outside immediately to air dry in the sun. Some shoe dyers use hair dryers to speed up the process. Do not — as referenced before — place your sneakers in the dryer. Aside from the problems it causes your machine, the upper can detach from the midsole once that glue gets heated up.
So what if you do wash them? Well, truth be told, the results will likely be pretty solid the first time. But there’s no second time, the glue will likely have deteriorated or weakened during the first wash.
And if you don’t wash them? What to do instead?
If you want to keep your sneakers looking fresh, you will need a sneaker cleaning kit and a bottle of repel spray. Repel spray will provide a stain-resistant coat for your sneakers and a shoe cleaning kit will allow you to spot clean or scrub more difficult stains or substances.
I’m going to refrain from suggesting a specific brand of shoe cleaner here because if we’re being honest, they’re all kind of the same. We always include one in the Sneakerhead Gift Guide, if you’re in the market. The kit comes with a soft brush and a solution that works on suede, leather, canvas, and whatever else your sneakers are made of.
Above all things, keeping your sneakers looking fresh is all about maintenance rather than one big clean. So if you want to get the most mileage out of your favorite pair of sneakers, clean them right and hand clean them often.
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