In short: Nike, Jordan, Adidas and Converse use different materials, so they are cleaned differently. Clear soles yellow easily, suede hates water, and soft rubber soles discolour over the years. One wrong step ruins a pair faster than the dirt does.
They are all sneakers, but each line has its own weak point. This article goes brand by brand, saying plainly what you can do at home and what is better left to a technician. For the full service and pricing, see shoe cleaning.
- Why each line has its own method
- Nike and Jordan
- Adidas
- Converse and Vans
- How far you can go at home
- What to avoid
- When to bring it to the shop
- Reference pricing
- Frequently asked questions
Why each line has its own method
One sneaker usually carries four groups of material at once: the upper (fabric, leather, suede or mesh), the midsole (foam or cushioning pellets), the rubber outsole, and the glue holding them together. Hot water, a washing machine or a strong solution can be safe for one group and destroy another.
So the right question is not what to wash shoes with, but what this pair is made of. Identify the materials first, then pick the method.
Nike and Jordan
The clear sole on Air Max and Air Force 1
The transparent sole, often called an icy sole, yellows over time. That is the rubber oxidising, not dirt, so no amount of scrubbing removes it. Bringing it back needs a dedicated yellowing removal process, and how far it recovers depends on the pair. Our technician looks at the actual sole and tells you the realistic result before you agree.
Leather on the upper
Air Force 1 and most Jordans use real or synthetic leather. Leather is never soaked. It is cleaned with a leather cleanser and then conditioned; left dry for too long it cracks along the toe crease.
Suede and nubuck on Jordans
Many Jordan 1 colourways have suede or nubuck panels. This is the easiest material to ruin at home: water applied the wrong way leaves tide marks, and hard brushing wears the nap away. It is cleaned dry with a dedicated brush, then the fibres are brushed back up. How to care for it is covered in caring for suede shoes.
Colour bleeding from the sole onto the upper
Pairs with a dark sole under a light upper sometimes get colour creeping upwards, especially when the shoe is damp. That is treated by hand, point by point, and a heavy case needs a colour touch-up. See also colour bleeding and fading.
Adidas
White cushioning pellet soles
White pellet midsoles pick up dirt quickly and yellow over time. The pellets clean up well but do not tolerate heat: hot drying or harsh sun shrinks the midsole and kills the bounce. We clean them, then dry them cool, never with heat.
Knit uppers
A knit upper is one continuous stretchy piece. Hard brushing frays the yarn and stretches the shape, so it is worked gently panel by panel with a shoe tree inside while drying.
Stan Smith, Superstar and the leather versions
A smooth white leather upper shows everything: one scuff or a small stain is immediately visible. The rubber shell toe on a Superstar is cleaned separately because the material is nothing like the upper.
Converse and Vans
Both lines use canvas uppers and soft rubber soles, and because they are affordable many people throw them straight into the washing machine. The canvas does survive it, but the drum knocks the sole about and the glue between upper and sole gives way, so the sole separates later on.
Soft rubber soles have their own habit: the white sole yellows and the rubber foxing picks up black marks from the road. That is treated separately with a rubber solution, not with the one used on the canvas.
Light canvas shoes also pick up dye from jeans around the ankle and heel. The longer that mark sits, the deeper it works into the fibres.
How far you can go at home
Everyday dirt on canvas and fabric shoes is something you can handle yourself:
- Remove the laces and insoles and wash them separately.
- Dust them off dry, brushing loose dirt away with a soft brush before any water goes near them.
- Mix a mild solution and test it on a hidden spot first.
- Work panel by panel, wipe straight after with a damp cloth, and never leave soap sitting on the shoe.
- Pack them with paper to hold the shape and dry them somewhere airy, out of harsh sun.
The full steps for each material are in how to clean shoes at home.
What to avoid
- Washing machine: warps the shape, loosens the sole glue, frays the mesh.
- Strong bleach on a coloured upper: eats the colour in patches, with no way back.
- Soaking a leather or suede pair: colour runs, the leather stiffens, the nap mats down.
- Hot drying or harsh sun: shrinks the sole and yellows the rubber further.
- Toothpaste and baking soda on a yellowed sole: cleans the surface only, it never reaches rubber that has already oxidised.
When to bring it to the shop
Four cases where doing it yourself rarely works:
- Clear or white soles that have yellowed: these need a dedicated yellowing removal process, see soles yellowed for years.
- Suede or nubuck panels matted or marked with oil: treated dry, and one wrong step ruins the nap.
- Colour bleeding or fading: this needs a colour touch-up, not cleaning.
- A strong smell inside: the odour sits in the insole and the foam, so it needs sanitising and then full drying, see smelly shoes.
If the tread is worn smooth, cleaning cannot save it and it is time to consider shoe resoling or shoe repair.
Reference pricing
| Service | Price | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Basic cleaning | 90,000d | Converse, Vans, fabric and canvas uppers |
| Deep cleaning | 150,000d | Leather, suede and nubuck uppers |
| Sole yellowing removal | 150,000d | Clear soles and white soles that have yellowed |
| Deodorising and sanitising | 300,000d | Gym and running shoes with a strong smell |
| Premium shoe cleaning | 250,000d | Limited editions and expensive designer pairs |
These prices are a guide. The technician looks at the actual pair, photographs its condition, then confirms the price. See the full list at shoe cleaning pricing or book online.
Frequently asked questions
How much does cleaning Nike shoes cost?
It depends on the upper. Fabric or mesh versions are 90,000d, leather or suede versions 150,000d. If the sole has yellowed, add sole yellowing removal at 150,000d.
Can Jordans be washed with water?
Not the leather and suede parts. We clean those dry and only use water on the fabric, then dry the pair completely before handing it back.
Will a yellowed icy sole look brand new again?
Usually not completely. Yellowing removal brightens it considerably, but how far it recovers depends on how far the rubber has oxidised. We say so beforehand, so your expectations are right.
How long does it take?
Normally 3 to 4 days. If you are in a hurry there is the Express package at 200,000d, back within 24 hours. Bring the shoes to the shop at 1/56 Nguyen The Truyen, Tan Son Nhi, Tan Phu, or book a slot and we collect them anywhere in Ho Chi Minh City.