Amongst the top players of the signature Nike shoes are the Air Force Ones. Nowadays, the Air Force Ones hold a special place in all Nike fans, and shoes enthusiasts. But let’s be real, they can get really dirty, especially if you don’t clean them regularly.
The white Air Force Ones particularly get unreasonably dirty. The good thing about the Air Force Ones though is the fact that they’re leather. Not real leather, but you get the picture- they’re not cloth.
So, there are quite a few ways to wash them, but which is the best one?
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Supplies You Need For Cleaning Air Forces Ones
There are quite a few things you will need. Some are regular household items, but you might still have to pop up to the local store to grab a few things.
The supplies that you need to clean your Air Force Ones are:
- Container;
- Dish soap;
- Bristle brush;
- Abrasive sponge;
- Stain remover.
Step 1 – First Wash
The first thing you need to do before washing the shoes is taking out the laces. If you’re not good with putting laces back in, do be sure to take a mental note of how they go in.
Now grab a container with warm water, and put some dish soap in it and mix it up. After mixing it, put some dish soap on the bristle brush as well, and start scrubbing the Air Force Ones.
Do not scrub too harshly, and use even pressure when doing so. Scrub until the results are satisfactory. Also, scrub inside of the of the shoe as well – the collar, topline, and counter lining.
Once you’re done, grab a dry towel and wipe the Air Force Ones completely.
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Step 2 – Collar, Topline & Counter Lining
Grab the stain remover and start spraying the collar, topline and counter lining until it is evenly damp. Get the bristle brush and scrub the topline, counter lining, and collar.
Add a bit of stain remover if needed.
Once you’re done with that part, wipe it with a dry towel to get the top foamy layer. Then, run the bristle brush under water to clean it a bit, and resume brushing the collar, topline, and counter lining with soapy water this time.
Dry off with a towel once done.
Step 3 – Stuff The Shoes
To remove the creases and make the shoes much crispier than usual, you can stuff the shoes with either newspaper, bags, or socks.
Just shove the newspaper inside of the shoe so that it reaches the toe cap. This will make it so that the leather extends and doesn’t go back to its creased position.
Step 4 – Another Wash
Now repeat the first step, but with an abrasive sponge. At this point, there is no need to use dish soap, a regular hand soap will do just fine. But you can still use dish soap if you see more stubborn stains.
After drying with a towel, leave the shoes at a 60-degree angle, so that they can air dry. Avoid putting them in direct sunlight or cold temperatures. They need to dry out on room temperature, and under the shade.
There is no exact figure of how long will they take to dry, but it usually take 3-7 days.
Step 5 – Laces
I recommend shoving the laces in the laundry machine when you’ll be doing the regular wash. But if that is not an option, just grab a container and fill it up with warm water.
Add some dish soap to it, and submerge the laces. Mix it up, and then add a little bit of dish soap to a toothbrush. Go through the laces with a toothbrush and brush both sides.
Same as the shoes, leave them out to air dry.
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