Washing Nike and Adidas trainers: Keep your footwear flawless with our cleaning tips

A fresh pair of Nike or Adidas trainers can give you considerable street cred and a vintage pair can be even cooler – if you keep them in good nick. Fortunately, there's a lot that can be done at home to clean a dirty pair of trainers. Whether its your pair of Nike or Adidas trainers, or just a regular sport shoe, read on for our helpful tips.

Although many modern washing machines come with a sport shoe setting, this doesn’t mean all trainers can be washed this way. Always check with the manufacturer.

Can you ever wash trainers or shoes in the washing machine?

While Adidas and Nike don’t recommend this for their footwear, some manufacturers may allow machine washing. If they do, simply follow these steps:

1. Remove the shoelaces and wash them separately. 

2. Place the trainers in a mesh laundry bag to prevent them getting caught in the drum.

3. Add a few colourfast towels to provide more cushioning to your shoes.

4. Choose an appropriate wash setting – usually around 30C and gentle.

5. Add a high-quality laundry detergent. Make sure it’s safe for shoes.

6. Wait for the cycle to finish before drying your shoes naturally. You can stuff newspaper inside to help absorb water.

How to clean white Nike shoes

Nike recommend washing their shoes by hand. Give them a soft brush first to remove loose dirt, then mix warm water with a little detergent to form a cleaning solution. Brush this into the soles and dab it onto the uppers before blotting any excess with a clean microfibre towel. Repeat until clean and then air dry. For quick easy cleaning, using wipes, such as ones from Cleankit, help keep your shoes clean and fresh, with quick-drying action. 

How to clean Nike Air Max

The same cleaning method as above still applies. However, due to the larger rubber section on the sole of the shoe, you might want to avoid using a brush for this area and stick with a soft cloth instead.

How to clean Adidas shoes

Similar to washing Nike trainers, Adidas recommend using a soft brush to remove loose dirt from your running shoes and then hand washing with a mixture of detergent and water. They also suggest airing your insoles and using a small amount of baking soda to help remove unwanted shoe smells. Using a dry-wash spray, like Cleankit, helps elimainate odours from the inside of shoes quickly. You can also try our hacks for banishing foot odour.

What should I NOT do?

Never dry your trainers close to a radiator as it could warp the shape. You should also avoid using harsh chemicals, like bleach, and cleaning brushes as this can damage many fabrics. Remember: using an unsupported cleaning method could damage your shoes and invalidate any warranty.

Next time you need to clean your trainers just put your best foot forward with these tips. Remeber - Not all trainers are suitable for machine washing. Always check the label first and follow the care guidance given by the footwear manufacturer.