You can tell a lot about a person and their style from the shoes that they wear. Don’t make people think you’re messy and unkempt just because you don’t know how to keep your shoes clean. You can keep any pair of footwear from your leather boots to your blue suede shoes looking fresh as long as you know how to properly clean them. Here’s your guide to the best shoe cleaner.
What’s Here
In this article, we’re going to review a variety of different shoe cleaners for all kinds of shoes. We’ve only found the best, and it should be easy for you to find the best kind of cleaner for whatever shoe you have. A lot of these cleaners will also work on other items in your home.
Best Shoe Cleaner
The best shoe cleaner depends on what material your shoes are made up of. You’re going to want to clean your leather shoes differently than your suede shoes. First, check what material your shoes are made up of, then learn how to clean them.
1. Weiman Leather Cleaner and Conditioner
Best Leather Shoe Cleaner
If your shoes are leather, try Weiman Leather Cleaner and Conditioner Spray. This spray not only cleans out dust and dirt from smooth, finished leather, it also conditioners the leather. This spray keeps your shoe’s leather supple and a UV protected, so the leather won’t damage or discolor in the sun’s harsh rays.
2. Kiwi Suede and Nubuck Cleaner
Best Suede Shoe Cleaner
Suede is one of the easiest materials to damage, especially in harsh weather and water. Which is why you should always weather protect your shoes. Try Kiwi Suede and Nubuck Cleaner spray. This spray will clean and loosen up dust and dirt on the suede. It also comes with a soft brush top that removes loose dirt, without sacrificing the suede’s naturally soft and supple texture.
If you want to get just a brush and not a spray, try the stiff bristles of the Allen Edmonds Suede Brush. Use this brush to buff away surface stains from any suede or nubuck shoes. You then can use the softer rubber side of the brush to simply refresh the leather’s textures.
You also can use this tool on suede or nubuck clothing and furniture.
3. Nikwax Footwear Duo Pack
Best Boot Cleaner
Don’t forget about your rugged outdoor shoes, they need some love too. Try The Nikwax Footwear Duo Pack WWFL combo pack. This product gently cleans smooth leather, and won’t remove the durable water repellent coating from the manufacturer.
After you clean your boots, apply the waterproof wax to give your boots more water repellency.
4. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Durable
Best Sneaker Cleaner and Best White Shoe Cleaner
Believe it or not, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Durable is all you need to take out those scuffs on your sneakers. Simply wet and wring the eraser, and rub out any stains from dirt, grass or any other marks on the rubber toe box and trim, leather sides and eyelets of the sneaker.
5. Soap or Brushes
Best Shoe Cleaner for Jordans
Since Air Jordans are collectibles, you want to make sure you clean them properly. Here’s the best way to do that.
- First, remove and clean the shoelaces. You can put shoelaces in the washing machine, just make sure you put them in a mesh laundry bag to avoid tangles. You also can handwash the laces with soap. If your laces are white and need some brightening, scrub them with baking soda, rinse well and then dry them completely.
- You’ll want to use a dry, soft cloth or soft-bristled brush to wipe away any dirt or debris from the surface of your Air Jordans. Be sure you are not using any hard pressure to do so, or you will just work the dirt deeper into the shoe.
- Also, make sure you do not wash your Air Jordan’s under running water, this will saturate the shoes and could cause the sole to separate. Instead, use a damp cloth the wipe away stubborn dirt.
- If you need some soap, try a drop of rhe Dr. Bronners soap we linked above, which is safe to clean the entire surface of your Jordans including the tongue. If the dirt is still not coming out, try a combination of oxygen paste and water, or non-gel whitening toothpaste or cornmeal to brush the dirt away.
Before you wear or store your Air Jordans, make sure they are completely dry before using them. Always air dry them before you store them. You can do this by stuffing your shoes with a newspaper which will eliminate the moisture, so your shoes won’t be moist and smelly when you use them again.
You also can try putting a silica pack inside the shoes to avoid moisture or add some baking soda that will act as the deodorizer.
6. Jason Markk’s ‘Repel’ Spray
Best Shoe Cleaner To Protect Your Shoes
To weather protect your shoes, try Jason Markk’s ‘Repel’ Spray which smells absolutely fantastic. You also could try Crep Protect Waterproofing Miracle Mist, which doesn’t smell as nice but is more trusted at fighting off moisture and stains. If you want your shoes to survive a night on the sticky floors of a dive bar, the Jason Markk’s spray is for you. If you hope to pass your beloved shoes down to your grandchildren one day, try Crep.
7. Jason Markk’s Quick Wipes
Best Shoe Cleaner Wipes
Jason Markk’s also has a signature soap that smells just as wonderful as the repel spray. Since this soap hit shelves a decade ago, it has quickly become the gold standard for sneaker cleaning solutions, and it’s now available in a wipe!
Its pleasant grape scent makes scrubbing scum and dirt off your sneakers less disgusting. It’s also 98.3% natural, so it not harsh on your shoes or hands.
8. The Laundress
Best Shoe Cleaner for Odor
The more you wear your favorite pair of shoes, the more they stink, regardless of how hygienic you are. Thankfully, The Laundress has a solution. This is the same company John Mayer partnered with to make his out west laundry detergent. And John Mayer knows good laundry detergent, have you even seen him in a dirty shirt?
This shoe deodorant will take out the stench and funk in your shoes with the scent of fresh, crisp, leafy greens, orange, rose, eucalyptus and jasmine, with a hint of musk. Don’t even feel ashamed of taking off your shoes at someone else house again as long as you spray your kicks with this spray.
Clean Your Shoes
Now that you know the best shoe cleaner and the best way to clean and care for any type of shoes, clean your shoes!
Remeber to check what your shoes are made out of before you clean them. Also be very careful when cleaning your Air Jordans, after all, they’re collectibles.
For more tips and tricks on men’s grooming, style and fashion, check out our blog.
