What is the difference between cleaning and restoration?

A deep clean lifts dirt, stains and odour and returns the pair to its best current condition. Restoration goes further, addressing what wear has already changed: re-dyeing faded panels, painting tired midsoles, resetting flattened suede, and replacing laces. Every restoration includes the full clean first, because there is no point restoring colour over embedded dirt.

How much does sneaker restoration cost in the UK?

The Clean 'Em deep clean is a flat £60 per pair anywhere in the UK, including free tracked shipping both ways and a free authentication check. Restoration work is added per pair at checkout: new laces £5, re-dye £10, sole paint £10. You only pay for the work your pair needs.

Can you fix yellowed midsoles?

Usually, yes. Yellowing is oxidation in the rubber and foam rather than surface dirt, so washing alone will not shift it. We treat it with controlled UV work and, where the material suits it, sole paint. Results depend on how far the oxidation has gone, and we will tell you honestly what to expect before we start.

Will re-dyeing damage a valuable pair?

Not when it is the right call, but it is not always the right call. On a collectible pair, original finish carries value, and heavy re-dyeing can cost more than the fade does. We look at the pair first and recommend the lightest work that gets the result. If we think restoration would hurt the pair, we say so.

How long does restoration take?

Standard turnaround is 7 days from when your pair reaches us, covering the clean, any restoration work, drying, and quality checks. Fast-track is around 3 days for £15 extra. Delicate materials are never rushed through drying, because heat and haste are what damage luxury finishes.

Do you restore designer shoes as well as sneakers?

Yes. Leather and suede restoration applies just as well to designer loafers, boots and dress shoes as it does to trainers. The materials behave the same way, and the same care in method matters more on an expensive pair, not less.

Restoration

Sneaker & Designer Shoe Restoration

Cleaning removes what sits on the surface. Restoration goes after what the wear has already changed: faded panels, yellowed midsoles, flattened suede, tired laces. Every restoration starts with the full Clean 'Em deep clean at £60, then adds only the work your pair actually needs, with a free authentication check and free tracked shipping both ways.

Free authFree postUK-wide

Service details

What we handle, typical problems we fix, and how we care for your footwear.

Designer and collectible sneakers
Leather trainers with scuffed toe boxes and creasing
Suede and nubuck that has gone flat or shiny
Yellowed midsoles and discoloured rubber sidewalls
Faded colour blocks and worn panels
Luxury shoes and loafers kept in long-term rotation

Real results from real orders

Every pair below went through the standard Clean 'Em deep clean. No filters, no tricks. Drag the slider to compare.

Trainers before professional cleaning, covered in mud and ground-in dirt

The same trainers after the Clean 'Em deep clean, restored and bright

BeforeAfter

Pull the slider to reveal the clean result

What restoration actually involves

Every pair begins with the same deep clean: dirt lifted out of the upper, stains treated by type, odour drawn out of the lining and midsole foam, and the whole pair dried properly rather than quickly. Only then is it possible to judge what restoration is worth doing, because a large share of what looks like damage is dirt that has been there long enough to look permanent.

From there the work is specific. Faded leather and canvas panels can be re-dyed where the material takes colour evenly. Midsoles and rubber sidewalls that have yellowed with age can be brightened. Suede that has gone flat or shiny is brushed back so the nap stands again. Laces that no longer come clean are replaced.

What restoration cannot do

Restoration is not repair. Split soles, torn panels, failed stitching and collapsed heel counters are cobbler work, and sending them to us wastes your time and money. We would rather turn a pair away than take payment for something we cannot improve.

Deep creasing is the other honest limit. Cleaning and conditioning soften the appearance of creases in leather, but the fibres have already folded and no process undoes that completely. Anyone promising otherwise is describing a photograph, not a pair of shoes.

Restoration on collectible and designer pairs

On a valuable pair, the original finish is part of what makes it valuable. Heavy restoration can leave a pair looking newer while being worth less, which is not a trade most owners want to make once it is explained.

Our default on anything collectible is the lightest work that achieves the result: a full clean, careful conditioning, and restoration only where fade or yellowing is genuinely distracting. Every pair also passes a free authentication check while it is with us, so you get a written record of what you own alongside the work.

Cleaning prices at a glance

One flat price for every pair, whatever the brand or condition. No quotes, no surprises.

Service	Price	What's included
Clean 'Em deep clean	£60	Deep clean, stain removal, odour elimination, leather conditioning, suede protection, UV sanitisation, free authentication check
New Laces	+£5	Fresh laces to finish the look after a deep clean.
Re-Dye	+£10	Even out faded panels or colour blocks where the material allows.
Sole Paint	+£10	Brighten midsoles and rubber sidewalls on suitable pairs.
Fast-track turnaround	+£15	Around 3-day turnaround instead of the standard 7 days
UK tracked shipping (both ways)	Free	Prepaid tracked label to send your pair in, tracked return delivery to your door
Reading pickup & drop-off	Free	Skip the post entirely if you're in the Reading area

Each pair is priced at the Clean 'Em package rate. Free tracked shipping and complimentary authentication included.