Text: Emanuel Kristing
Published 2022-03-15Wipe down the upper and sides of the sneaker with a slightly damp cloth, before running a damp sponge over the sides of the leather sole. This is usually enough to loosen more stubborn dirt.
Sometimes, a more thorough cleaning and restoration process is needed, especially after your sneakers have been exposed to less clement weather conditions. To do this, you will need a bowl of warm water – we recommend a temperature of about 40°C – and a shoe brush suitable for the material of your sneakers. Firmer brushes, for example, should not be used on cotton mesh sneakers as they can tear the fabric.Wearing just one pair of sneakers day-in and day-out is often a false economy. Try not to wear the same pair more than two days in a row as all footwear needs time to rest and let the material breathe. For leather sneakers, not giving them time to rest can cause them to become discoloured after just a couple of seasons.
In this section of our guide, we share our best tips for restoring the original appearance of your sneakers, but this will only be effective if you follow the cleaning and waterproofing steps described above.
Place your sneakers on some newspaper or a worktable, making doubly sure that they have dried completely after cleaning them. You should also ensure that the polish you choose matches the colour of your shoes. Saphir's shoe polish comes highly recommended and is available in a range of colours, including white. Apply a small amount to a polishing cloth and gently go over the area that needs attention, using a small, circular motion. This should leave your sneakers looking almost 'box fresh' once more.
Having cleaned your sneakers and left them to dry, it is time to waterproof them. Lay some newspaper on a flat surface and, if possible, choose a well-ventilated area as waterproofing spray tends to have a rather 'powerful' aroma. For canvas sneakers, almost all brands of waterproofing should be enough. But for leather and suede, which are much more sensitive materials, we recommend a dedicated, high-quality product such as Jason Markk Repel or Saphir Renovateur. We always recommend waterproofing new shoes as soon as you get them home, even if certain stores may claim that they have already been waterproofed.
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