How to Clean Dirty Leather Shoes

The best way to clean leather shoes

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the New Balance 550 is one of the most popular shoes on the market. Since New Balance decided to bring it back in 2020, the 550 has proven to be the brand’s most successful foray into the world of hype, limited sneakers. 

Among the best colorways of the New Balance 550 is this one, the collaboration with Aime Leon Dore. ALD took this classic shoe and gave it a purposefully aged look and feel. 

Recently we had a customer drop of his personal pair in the hopes that we could restore it. The shoe was caught in a house fire, and is pretty beat up. Between the ash, smoke damage, and soot, the once-white leather upper isn’t very bright anymore. 

Do you have a pair of leather shoes that could use some work? You’ve come to the right place. We have the best method to clean leather shoes, and I’m about to spill the beans…

Our name isn’t RESHOEVN8R for nothing…let’s show that fire who’s boss and revive these smoke-damaged shoes with the Signature Kit & Sneaker Laundry Detergent. Before you read on, make sure you watch the video to learn exactly how we got this customer’s New Balance 550s looking fresh. 

The same method we used in the video can be used to deep clean any of your leather shoes. Smoke damage or not, it’s important to keep your shoes fresh and clean. Not only will this cleaning method rid your shoes of dirt, it'll flush out germs and bacteria, too. 

Let’s walk through the cleaning process, step by step.

How to clean your Leather Shoes with RESHOEVN8R

The tools you'll need to clean your leather shoes are the Signature Kit and Laundry Pods. These two shoe care stalwarts work in tandem to provide the best clean possible. 

With both of these shoe care tools in your arsenal, you're not only ready to tackle leather shoes you're prepared to handle any dirty shoe in your collection. 

1. Remove the shoelaces and insert the shoe tree

• The shoe tree will provide the necessary structure for a proper deep clean. Leave this in throughout the entire cleaning process, ESPECIALLY when in the washing machine.
  

2. Clean the sock liner, tongue, and upper with the Soft Bristle Brush and Solution.

• Move the brush in a circular motion. Don’t worry about applying too much pressure, the Soft Brush is designed to clean delicate materials.
• Our all-purpose Solution naturally conditions the leather as you clean.

3. Scrub the midsole and deep stains with the Medium Brush and Solution

• Midsoles are especially tricky to clean, make sure you pay close attention to the deeper stains on this area of your shoes.

4. Deep clean the outsole with the Stiff Brush and Solution

• For a next-level clean, use a screwdriver or pick to remove rocks, gunk, and anything else trapped in the traction pattern of your shoes. 
• Don't overlook this step! Cleaning your outsole is crucial to any deep clean. 

5. Place the shoes into your Sneaker Laundry Bag & place one Detergent Pod and your shoelaces into the included pouch.

• The Sneaker Laundry Bag will hold both shoes, up to a size 12.5.
• One Laundry Pod is enough to clean both of your shoes. 

6. Wash your shoes on a normal cycle with cold water, then let them air dry

• Do not under any circumstances put your shoes in the dryer.

You did it! 

Congratulations; you’ve just learned the best method to clean your leather shoes! How does it feel knowing that you never have to live with dirty sneakers again? 

As for our customer and his fire-damaged New Balance 550s,  the results are amazing. The Signature Kit did its job. The shoes are by no means perfect, but they were definitely given a new life thanks to RESHOEVN8R. 

Got a pair of shoes you need cleaned? Click here to get your shoes to us. We’re more than happy to clean them for you. Our expert staff of Shoe Care professionals are eager to help you take your shoes from beat to heat! 

Featured Products