No matter if they’re your favorite designer sneakers or your everyday beaters, all shoes inevitably collect dirt. Eduard Shimunov of Cobbler Express puts it simply: “Dirt is dirt. If you walk on the street, you’re going to get it onto your shoes.” While there’s no miracle solution to prevent it (short of wrapping your shoes in a bag), regular cleaning is the only way to keep them looking fresh.
For deep discoloration or serious damage, a professional cobbler can mix a custom dye to restore your sneakers. But for everyday scuffs, stains, and dirt buildup, there are plenty of effective cleaning methods suited to different materials and levels of effort. From applying tinted leather cream with a toothbrush to soaking canvas sneakers overnight in OxiClean, the right approach depends on your shoes. If you want to prevent future stains, consider waterproofing them after cleaning. While I’m not a sneakerhead myself, this process combines two things I love—garment care and detail-oriented cleaning—so after consulting nine experts, I tested the top-recommended methods on my own sneakers.
“We called Imagine Clany Eco when another company cancelled on us last minute for our move-out cleaning. Clany Eco was able to book us and make it out in 2 hours and did an amazing job. We even got our deposit back.”
Best sneaker cleaner overall
Reshoevn8r Premium Shoe and Sneaker Cleaning Solution
Reshoevn8r is widely regarded as the best all-purpose sneaker cleaner, praised for its ability to clean multiple materials without causing damage or discoloration. Sneakers are made from a mix of components—leather, suede, nubuck, textiles, rubber, and metal—so a versatile cleaner is essential. Reshoevn8r fits the bill, working effectively on everything from retro Jordans and Yeezys to Adidas Ultraboosts and Balenciagas. Its mild, natural formula contains fewer harsh chemicals while still tackling tough stains and stubborn dirt. Plus, its oil-derived soaps help condition leather, making it a top choice among sneaker-care professionals.
Reshoevn8r proved its worth when I used it on a pair of heavily worn Li-Ning running shoes—foam-soled ’90s dad sneakers with a mesh and leather upper and a tricky lacing system full of grime-trapping crevices. I hadn’t cleaned them in years and assumed they were beyond saving. But after mixing a few squirts of Reshoevn8r in water (it’s concentrated, so dilution is key), I got to work. A soft-bristle brush cleaned the upper, a hard-bristle brush tackled the soles, and a toothbrush helped reach deep into the nooks and crannies—a technique recommended by sneaker restoration expert Richard Brown. In just 30 minutes, the shoes looked nearly brand new, proving that with the right cleaner and tools, even the dirtiest sneakers can be revived.
Best less expensive shoe-cleaning solution
Jason Markk 8 oz. Premium Shoe Cleaner
Jason Markk is another top-tier sneaker cleaner frequently recommended by experts. While Reshoevn8r edges out as the favorite, some professionals argue that Jason Markk performs better, particularly on leather. Daryll Blanding, co-founder of Clean Sneaker Care in Detroit, believes Jason Markk’s all-purpose cleaner has a “slight edge” over Reshoevn8r’s, noting its impressive conditioning properties. “It brings out the color and gives it a nice sheen,” he says, making it an excellent choice for maintaining leather sneakers.
Tran agrees that the cleaner works great on leather shoes, and Blanding also likes it for suede: “We get all types of dirt levels in the shop, and we’ve been using it consistently for the past two weeks, and it has been handling everything,” he says, including a pair of suede Yeezys.
Best sneaker-cleaning kit
Jason Markk Ready to Use Bundle
The Jason Markk starter kit is “the most complete care system as far as consumers taking care of their sneakers at home,” says Blanding. Although there are several kits from sneaker care brands, I like the Essentials kit for its versatility and long-term usefulness. It comes with our favorite brush and microfiber cloth, plus the brand’s foaming cleanser, which works on suede as well as other materials.
Best cleaner for high-end leather
Saphir Medaille d’Or Leather Renovateur
Saphir is the “the crème de la crème of shoe care,” according to shoemaker Lauren Brinkers, and the brand’s Renovateur leather cream has a cult following among cobblers and footwear experts. (According to Joe Rocco of Jim’s Shoe Repair in midtown, it’s the product Hermès uses on bags.) Rocco uses a rag or an old shirt to apply the cream to sneakers, and then rubs the sneakers with the cloth until the dirt is lifted.
Best less expensive leather cleaner
Tarrago Shoe Cream
Rocco also uses this cream by Spanish brand Tarrago, the maker of our best-in-class waterproofing spray, and says that it “does the trick.” The cream also comes in an impressively wide color range, which you can find on the brand’s website — from melon green to fire-truck red — which can help tailor your shoe-cleaning routine more closely to a pair of brightly colored sneakers.
