Sneaker & Trainer Cleaning Service

Every pair that arrives at our UK centre goes through the same documented process. First, intake and inspection: we photograph your sneakers, note the materials (leather, suede, nubuck, mesh, knit, canvas) and any existing damage, and run the included authentication check so there's a verified record of exactly what we received.

Next, the pair is disassembled as far as its construction allows (laces out, insoles removed where possible) because dirt hides in seams and under hardware. Laces are cleaned separately or replaced if you've added new laces to your order. Insoles are treated for odour at the source rather than sprayed over.

The upper, midsole, and outsole are then cleaned as three separate jobs. Leather panels get a pH-appropriate cleaner and conditioning afterwards so the leather stays supple instead of drying out. Suede and nubuck are worked dry or with tightly controlled moisture using specialist brushes, then finished with a protector. Mesh and knit are cleaned gently to lift ground-in dirt without stretching or fraying the weave. Foam midsoles are degreased and brightened; rubber outsoles are scrubbed and edge-detailed.

Finally, the pair is air-dried properly (never heat-dried, which cracks leather and warps glue lines), UV-sanitised to kill odour-causing bacteria, given a final quality check against the intake photos, and shipped back to you with tracked delivery.

White leather greys because microscopic dirt embeds in the finish; that lifts well with proper cleaning. Foam midsoles yellow through oxidation: UV light and air slowly change the polymer's colour. Fresh yellowing responds well to treatment; oxidation that has set in over years can be improved but not always fully erased, and we'll tell you which case yours is before we start.

Odour comes from bacteria in the lining and insole, not the outside of the shoe, which is why sprays only mask it. Our process treats the source: insoles are cleaned or treated directly, and UV sanitisation kills the bacteria that regenerate the smell. Creasing on toe boxes is structural wear rather than dirt. Cleaning improves how creases look, because dirt settles into crease lines and darkens them, but no honest cleaner can iron a crease out of worn leather.

Scuffs on leather usually lift or blend well. Colour loss on faded panels is where the optional re-dye (£10) comes in, and yellowed or scuffed midsoles that cleaning alone can't fix are covered by the optional sole paint (£10).

You don't need a sneaker cleaning shop in your town. Book online, and we email a free prepaid tracked label. Drop the box at any Post Office and your pair travels insured and tracked to our centre. The whole journey is visible in your dashboard: received, cleaning, authenticating, shipped back. Standard turnaround is 7 days from arrival; fast-track cuts it to around 3.

Because every order includes an authentication check by the same team that runs our Check 'Em service, you also get something no local cleaner offers: confirmation your pair is genuine, documented before and after cleaning. For anyone buying, selling, or collecting, that record travels with the pair.