Sneakers, kicks, athletic shoes, trainers, whatever you call yours, there’s a right way to treat em and a wrong way. If you want yours to last and look their best for as long as possible, be sure to give them a regular dose of TLC. Here’s where to start:Pick your pair and give ‘em air: The way we see it, your best options are either canvas or leather kicks. Unless you’re OK with sweat-soaked feet, skip the patent leather and weird synthetic combos no matter how cool they may look. Canvas or leather will allow air to circulate throughout the shoe and allow your dogs to breathe – thereby minimizing the opportunities for foot-funk to gain a toe-hold. Also, let your kicks breathe without you in them– air them out after every wearing, dose the insides with a foot spray before wearing again and give them every other day off.
Walk like a (clean) man: Want to peep your kicks pristine? Then treat them more like you would a dress shoe and keep them out of dirt’s way – side-step puddles, don’t stomp around in mud, stay out of the sandbox, avoid construction sites, barns and bars with sawdust-strewn floors.
Hey, just stuff it:The only way to prevent creases on leather kicks is to preserve them in amber, which does defeat the fun of ownership a good bit. Instead, bust out your kicks as often as you like, but stuff ‘em when you get home – either with a shoe tree, wads of newspaper or clean socks – anything to help maintain and support the original shape of the leather and to prevent creases from settling in.
Paint one on:Check for scuffs and dirt every couple of wearings – before your kicks start looking dingy. Remove surface dirt on leather with a little bit of soap and a damp cloth. If you have scuffs, our favorite cover-up is Kiwi Liquid Shoe polish in black or white.
In a truly desperate moment we’ve even went so far as to hide a few small dings in the leather with a black Sharpie pen and White-Out. For canvas kicks, the classic Clorox Bleach Stick is great for cleaning up white soles and minor spots.
Another way to instantly freshen up your kicks? Wash your laces or buy a fresh pair if your old ones are beyond redemption.
