How To Clean Jordan 1 Like A Certified Sneakerhead!

Imagine spending days setting up to cop AJ1s like the Reimagined, investing in a dope sneaker bot, and actually catching Ws! That’s a dream come true. But what ain’t a dream is you deciding to one day take the leap and flex your precious kicks outside. You gotta show the world your accomplishments at some point, ya know. Arriving at the dreadful part of the story, imagine you return home with muddy Jordans. Horror is real! How the heck you gonna clean them now? But it ain’t the end of the world ‘cause we always got you sneakerheads! This guide is all about how to clean Jordan 1 in case a misfortune as this one occurs. Or it’s simply time to give your Jordan 1s some pampering.  

However, getting your kicks dirty ain’t the only reason you clean your kicks. If you’re a sneaker collector you’d know that you must clean your stored Jordans every now and then. Mold, dust, and other shit tend to cover them kicks after a while. Well, except for the Jordan 1s that dropped lately, they come covered in mold naturally. A special edition indeed!

How To Clean Jordan 1: A Step By Step Guide & Extra Tips!

Shit You’ll Need: 

• Shoe Serum 
• Soft Bristle Brush 
• Hard Bristle Brush 
• Microfiber Towel
• Water Container
• Wet Wipes 
• Leather Care 
• Odor Protector 

This guide focuses on leather Jordans since it’s the most frequently used material in designing Jordan 1s. And you can find the first four items listed above in a SnakerAid kit. That being said, let’s see how to clean Jordan 1!

Step 1

The first thing you gotta do is remove the laces. What you can do is apply a lil cleaning solution, rub them together then let them soak in a water container for a while before you rinse them clean. 

In case your laces are extra dirty and a lil scrub won’t do, you can try throwing them in the washing machine. But not quite literally! To avoid them tangling together or getting lost in the washing machine, you can place them in a laundry bag. After that, let them air-dry. Never ever place them in the dryer, y’all! 

Step 2

How to clean Jordan 1? Time for the real work y’all! As you let your shoelaces soak or whatever, get that shoe brush with them soft bristles to remove the excess dirt off your kicks. Why do this? Well, you gotta remove all the loose dirt to avoid it spreading all over the shoes. 

Step 3 

Time for some wet wipes to remove all stains and surface-level dirt. You can use shoe wipes, but baby wipes work all the same. They’re made to be gentle to the skin, after all. So they definitely won’t be doing any damage to your Jordans. And cleaning them with wipes makes the following process a lot easier. You can also use wipes for everyday on-the-go cleaning. 

Step 4

In a small container half-filled with water, add a lil bit of the shoe serum. Dip the soft brush in this mix and in a circular motion, start scrubbing the dirt off the uppers till foam forms. Don’t be afraid of adding a little pressure when needed. That won’t damage your kicks as the brush is specifically designed for these kinda kicks. 

Step 5

Now’s time to use the hard bristle brush to remove harder-to-reach dirt or to scrub the soles. You can also use a toothbrush for that. But if you got the SneakerAid, there won’t be any need to use other brushes than the ones coming with the packet. 

Step 6

The dirt must’ve all been removed by now. So, what you gotta do now is towel off your Jordan 1s with a microfiber towel, and then set them aside to let them air-dry fully. No dryers and definitely no direct exposure to the sun! This will damage the leather beyond repair. 

Step 7

Y’all might’ve noticed by now that we gave the insoles no attention. But now, we gotta get this one squeaky clean as well! Most AJ1 insoles are removable. So, in this step, you remove them and then use the same soft brush and cleaning serum to scrub the dirt off them. They usually stain around the toes and heels due to sweat and dirt making their way inside. Therefore, you gotta clean them to avoid shitty odors. 

Step 8

This step is optional. But to ensure you have an odor-free Jordan 1s, you can use an odor protector spray after you put the insoles back in. 

Step 9

At this point, how to clean Jordan 1 should be more like how to pamper Jordan 1s! And in this step, you’ll get to pamper the leather by using a leather care serum after they’ve dried up!

Extra Tips

Coming to an end with this guide, you gotta lace them kicks so you don’t look less than a dope AJ1 flexer! And to do this, click here to know all the different ways to lace your Jordans! 

You must also know that any damage done to your Jordan 1s is irreversible. For example, throwing them in the washing machine could lead to them cracking or their shape deforming. Furthermore, you gotta use brushes like the ones mentioned above ‘cause wired ones could leave permanent scratches on your kicks. 

Finally, although this guide is for AJ1s, you can apply the same steps on any all-leather Jordans you got. And now that the Holidays are just around the corner, a SneakerAid makes a perfect Christmas gift for any sneakerhead. For more gift ideas, click here!