Using the following practical and functional tips, you will be able to keep and maintain your white shoes made of leather clean and organized all the time.
When a significant amount of time, thought, and most likely financial investment has been put into locating the ideal pair of white sneakers – whether they are your classic, but ever-relevant Chuck Taylors or a pair of exquisite leather kicks made by Common Projects – maintaining their white color should, of course, be the top priority.
I mean, what’s the sense of wearing a pair of Saint Laurent court classic high-tops that cost $695 if the ivory leather has unattractive scuffs all over it? And never mind the social faux pas posed by soles made of yellowed rubber.
To summarize everything, having a pair of white sneakers that are always spotless requires a significant time and financial investment. However, if you put in the effort, the reward will be well worth it.
Angie Dita, a designer for Vans Classics, Megan Wellemeyer, a luxury brand manager at Keds, and David Mesquita, vice president of the fashion set’s go-to shoe and bag miracle fixer Leather Spa, were the three industry professionals that I spoke with to get their advice on how to best preserve and protect the priceless shoes.
(And if you needed another reason to invest in a pair of leather sneakers versus canvas, Megan notes that the former tend to keep cleaner for longer, so consider taking her advice and purchasing a pair of leather sneakers instead.)
Apply a stain and water repellent pretreatment to your fresh new shoes as soon as you take them out of the box and before you wear them for the first time.
Mesquita is so confident in the Leather Spa nano-technology spray that he compares it to skincare products when it comes to treating canvas and leather.
“It’s supposed to not close the pores of the leather, so it’s still breathable,” he explains, explaining the purpose of the treatment.
(I should also mention that I use it on all of my shoes and bags.
) Angie uses a Jason Markk repel agent for her leather Sk8-Hi Zips, and a ScotchgardTM spray to protect the fabric of her basic Vans slip-ons before applying it.
This allows Angie to keep both pairs of shoes clean.
When it comes to canvas, Megan from Keds multitasks with a water resistant spray designed for winter boots. A single application of the spray is not sufficient either.
Be sure to do this approximately once every couple weeks.
The Trick Is to Perform Routine Spot Cleaning:
All three of these instructions stress the importance of removing any scuffs or stains as soon as possible; otherwise, the marks will become embedded in the material, whether it be leather or fabric.
It might sound like an extra effort, but once you arrive home and take your shoes off, take a few extra minutes to give your kicks a careful once-over for smudges and other such things.
This will ensure that your kicks are in pristine condition for the next time you put them on.
After that, move on to spot cleaning.
Angie is prepared with a variety of whitening tools, including: Either a cleaning agent designed for Vans or an essentials kit designed for Jason Markk, along with a collection of microfiber brushes of varying sizes.
(Like I said, dedication.) Angie offers this piece of advice, saying that when cleaning white suede or canvas, you should be careful not to scrub too vigorously.
“Wash carefully, then do it again until the area is clear.
” Additionally, she enjoys using shoe wipes (genius).
For spot cleaning leather, David recommends using a cleaner cream and a paper towel, and he mentions that his team has sought the assistance of Tide stain remover pens in order to clean canvas.
Under no circumstances should you ever put your canvas sneakers in the washing machine.
(I’m going to assume that the thought of putting your leather sneakers through a spin cycle has never crossed your mind.)
Megan issues a word of caution, stating that “the wear and tear of the machine as well as the heat of the dryer might cause the shoes to discolor even further and even rip or tear them.
” In addition to this, running the gorgeous white-on-white rubber through the washing machine will almost certainly cause it to take on the dreaded yellow tint.
What other factors contribute to the yellowing of the rubber? And what steps can you take to fix the problem?
White rubber can suffer the same fate as vampires when exposed to the light.
Therefore, it is best to keep your shoes inside, away from the direct sunshine.
In addition, David recommends spot-cleaning the rubber whenever it is necessary with water that has been combined with a gentle soap and a little brush.
The primary objective here is to forestall the development of unsightly, yellowed soles. However, Megan proposes using Retrobrite as a last resort.
Retrobrite is a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, OxyClean, and cornstarch, and it is reportedly something that can be made at home.
Having said that, the procedure of mixing sounds like it could be dangerous (protective eyewear and gloves are suggested), so I’m thinking it would be preferable to avoid this situation from occurring in the first place.
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