by Linda Ann Nickerson

Created on: February 08, 2009

Spiffy Sneakers

Have your leather athletic shoes become dirty and dingy?

Those pristine tennis shoes, soccer cleats, basketball high-tops, gym shoes and other leather sports footwear do not stay fresh and clean for long. Active kids and adults can really wear down the shine on those Adidas, Etnes, Nikes, Pumas, Reeboks or other pricey sports shoes in a big hurry.

Certainly, you can toss canvas sneakers (such as Converse or Keds) into the washing machine. But what can you do to clean genuine leather athletic shoes?

Keeping Leather Sneakers Clean

Of course, the best way to keep your leather sports shoes clean and fresh is to prevent them from becoming really dirty or soaking wet in the first place.

Immediately after purchasing a new pair of leather athletic shoes, you can spray the outside of each one with a leather protection product. This will make your new sports shoes more waterproof and stain-resistant.

Most athletes try to reserve their best leather sneakers for actual sports use only, particularly if they participate in team sports. Those uniform soccer, basketball or other athletic shoes will stay clean a lot longer, if they are saved for practices and games.

Why not use an alternate pair of sneakers (or last year's pair) as everyday knock-around shoes, so the spiffy new pair will remain fresh and spotless?

Leather Sneaker Care

After wearing your best leather sports shoes, you can keep them in optimum shape by wiping them down with a soft cloth. Open the laces, and pull back the arch tongue to air out the insides of your leather sneakers. Spray the inside of each shoe with a freshener spray.

Avoid tossing your fancy sports shoes in a heap in the garage, mudroom, locker or the back seat of your car. Place them in a soft breathable tote bag, or store them neatly on a clean shelf.

Leather Sneaker Cleaning

Eventually, your super athletic sneakers will probably become soiled somehow. But you can clean them up quickly and easily.

Save an old toothbrush for shoe-cleaning. (Be sure to store it with your shoe care or cleaning products, so you will not use it in your mouth later by mistake.) Grab a tube of whitening toothpaste. Scrub the shoes with the toothbrush, using plenty of toothpaste. Then wipe them with a clean damp rag and dry them thoroughly.

Your leather sneakers will whiten up nicely, and the minty scent will make them smell fresher too.

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