A step-by-step guide to make your white leather sneakers look (almost) brand new.

All footwear requires some type of maintenance. But perhaps no kind of footwear shows the need for upkeep more than a pair of white leather sneakers. Time for some spring cleaning!

Here’s what you need to give your white leather sneakers a good cleaning and how to do it.

What You Need

| SNEAKERHEAD FAVORITE | Jason Markk products have become the standard for cleaning leather sneakers.

Here’s a list of everything you need to give your white leather sneakers a good cleaning.

1. Bowl of water

2. Toothbrush

3. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

4. Firm bristle brush

5. Shoe cleaning solution

6. Stain and water repellent

How To Do It: Step-By-Step

1. Remove your laces.

2. Use the magic eraser to clean up around the sole. If there’s not a lot of grime on the sole, the magic eraser will do the job. If it needs a deeper clean, a good scrub from the brush will take care of that.

3. Add some cleaning solution directly onto the brush. Dip the brush in the water and scrub the leather and sole, working into a lather.

4. For places the brush doesn’t quite reach, use a toothbrush with hard bristles. This is a great tool for getting into all the areas where dirt can accumulate, like the ridges around the lace area and the sole.

IMPORTANT QUESTION: Can you wear sneakers with a suit?

5. Wipe off the lather with a towel and allow the sneakers to dry.

6. There are three options for cleaning the laces. 1) Clean them in warm soapy water. 2) Add them to a mesh wash bag and throw them in with your next load of laundry. Or 3) spend a few bucks for a set of new laces.

7. Once the sneakers have dried, spray them with the stain/water repellent and allow to cure for 24-48 hours.

BONUS: For more regular maintenance and quick touch ups, definitely pick up a few packs of these sneaker wipes.

This is the method that I use to clean my white leather sneakers. I know there are lots of homegrown DIY methods out there. If you’ve got one you use and particularly like, chime in below and share it with everyone.

Thanks for reading.

Stylishly Yours,

Brian Sacawa

He Spoke Style

Photography by Rob McIver Photo