In short: removing stains from shoes has to suit both the stain and the material; the wrong method spreads the stain further.
A grease splash at a street food stall, a ballpoint pen line, a spilled coffee, a piece of chewing gum stuck to the sole. Each stain needs a different treatment, and the wrong one is often worse than doing nothing: the stain spreads, or sets permanently.
This article is a quick reference by stain type and material. For an overview of other shoe conditions, see our shoe cleaning service.
Four rules before you touch it
- Act as soon as possible. Fresh stains sit on the surface; old ones have soaked into the fibres.
- Blot, do not rub. Hard rubbing pushes the stain deeper and roughens fabric or strips colour from leather.
- Work from the outside in. Go from the edge of the stain towards the centre so it does not spread into a ring.
- Test on a hidden spot first. The tongue or the inside edge of the heel is the best place to test.
Reference table by stain type
| Stain type | Fabric, canvas | Smooth leather | Suede, nubuck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grease | Sprinkle cornflour or talc, leave a few hours to absorb the oil, dust off, then wipe with diluted washing-up liquid | Blot with a dry cloth, sprinkle an oil-absorbing powder, then wipe with a leather cleaner | Only use an oil-absorbing powder and brush; never use water |
| Ballpoint ink | Dab gently with alcohol on a cotton bud, changing the bud often | Alcohol can easily lift the leather colour too, so send it to a shop | A suede eraser for light marks; send heavy ones to a shop |
| Coffee, tea, soft drinks | Cool water and neutral soap, blotting layer by layer | Wipe immediately with a damp cloth, let dry, then condition | Blot dry immediately, let dry, then brush. Send water marks to a shop |
| Chewing gum, glue | Hold ice in a plastic bag against it until hard, then lift it off with a plastic card. Do not pull while soft, or it will stretch and spread | ||
| Paint | Wet water-based paint wipes off with water straight away. Dried paint or oil paint needs a solvent suited to the material, so send it to a shop | ||
| Grass, red soil | Let dry, brush off what is stuck, then wipe with soap | Wipe with a damp cloth, let dry, then condition | Let dry completely, then brush with a suede brush |
With coffee, tea and other coloured stains, always use cool water. Hot water tends to set the stain deeper into the fibres.
What not to use
- Nail polish remover, acetone. It melts plastic surfaces, fades leather and breaks down glue. This is the most widely shared tip and also the one that causes the most damage.
- Laundry bleach. It eats colour, yellows fabric and makes fibres brittle.
- Petrol, kerosene. They leave a smell and a mark that is harder to remove than the original stain.
- Scouring pads. They scratch leather, roughen fabric and remove the surface finish altogether.
When cleaning takes the colour with it
Some stains come out but leave a patch lighter than the area around it. This is usually because a strong product has lifted some of the leather colour. At that point the problem is no longer cleaning but colour restoration; see our article on colour bleeding and fading.
When to send them to a shop
- The stain has dried and been there for days.
- The stain is on suede, nubuck or light-coloured leather.
- You tried once and the stain started to spread.
- Luxury shoes you do not want to risk.
- You are not sure what the stain is.
At Foxpro, tough stains are covered by our deep cleaning package at 150,000d for leather, suede and nubuck, or our basic cleaning package at 90,000d for fabric and canvas. Our technician identifies the stain before choosing a product, and tells you upfront if it may not come out fully.
Dried-in stain, or you do not want to risk it?
Take a close-up of the stain and tell us what it is if you remember, then attach it when you book. Our technician will tell you upfront whether it can be fully removed and what it costs.
Frequently asked questions
Do oil and grease marks come out completely?
Fresh marks usually come out almost entirely if the oil is drawn out before cleaning. Old marks that have soaked into fibres or suede normally only fade.
How do I get chewing gum off a sole?
Chill it until it hardens, then lift it off in pieces with something blunt, never a sharp blade, which scratches the sole. What is left is treated with a rubber-safe solution.
Can ballpoint ink be removed?
On fabric there is a chance; on light leather it is hard, because the ink bites into the colour layer. Do not rub alcohol on leather, or you will bleach a patch bigger than the ink mark.
What does the shop charge for stubborn stains?
It is priced as deep cleaning at 150,000d for leather and suede, 90,000d for fabric and canvas. Any colour lost after treatment needs touching up, quoted separately. See shoe cleaning.