Best way to clean white canvas sneakers? Also desert boots?

[Alcibiades]

1st post in the forum...

I recently bought these and have worn them a couple of times (Blue swoosh)
http://uscheckout.apc.fr/browse.cfm/4,137.html

I have searched the forum and realize most people like to wear canvas shoes (particularly chucks) a bit dirty, but these shoes are strying to get dirty in the canvas and sole, and I'm don't think it looks appropriate for this style of shoe. I mostly have worn leather sneakers through my entire life, so this is my first real experience with canvas...

What's the best way to wash canvas shoes like this? Washing bashine, spot cleaning, etc?

In addition, I got a pair of desert boots from Barneys co-op (pic is not online yet). I understand desert boots are supposed to get that worn in look. How do you guys care for them?

Thanks

 

[TJS1589]

The canvas shoes I'm pretty sure you can just thrown in the washer. The desert boots though I am not quite sure.

 

[Alcibiades]

Originally Posted by TJS1589

The canvas shoes I'm pretty sure you can just thrown in the washer. The desert boots though I am not quite sure.

Washing machine won't mess up the construction of the shoes?

 

[Bsides]

basicly ya rock em dirty or buy new ones. hopefully you didnt pay tons of money for canvas shows.

 

[Oxnard]

I dunno about the canvas, but if you are concerned about getting the desert boots dirty (I am assuming that they are suede) the best thing to do is, from the start before you even wear them, to get some suede protectorant spray. They sell that kinda stuff at big department shops (ala nordstroms, barneys, Macys, NM, etc.), but if you have any kind of a cobbler nearby I would take them there, as they tend to be the most knowledgeable about shoe-material cleaning (especially with suede).

 

[impolyt_one]

depending on the kind of shoe, white canvas sneakers can bleed yellow all over the shoes from the midsole when washed, and then they're ruined for good. This is true of Vans true whites, etc. I've seen it happen often and don't like to machine wash white canvas sneakers. Converse All Stars aren't prone to this in my experience.

 

[brohymn]

Guess that's what you get for buying over-hyped, bland, 140 dollar canvas nikes

 

[Francis91]

A brush, soap and water is all I've ever needed to keep my JPs clean.

 

[Alcibiades]

Originally Posted by brohymn

Guess that's what you get for buying over-hyped, bland, 140 dollar canvas nikes


I love the shoes; very clean look. I think they were a good buy. I just have to keep them reasonably clean.

I'll probably go to town on these tonight / tomorrow with some water, soap, etc and maybe some white shoe cleaner for touch ups.

 

[lemon]

To clean my white vans I:
stuff paper towel in the shoes so the inside doesnt get wet and remove the laces
wet the outside with cold water
get a bowl of hot water and soap
use the hot water/soap to clean the shoes using a brush
let them dry
???
profit

 

[zubin]

dry clean

 

[lyubm]

How exactly dry cleaning works? I took my canvas loafers to dry cleaner and he refused to take them, anyone have experience with dry cleaning and canvas shoes? Shoes i'm talking about have leather lining inside and canvas outside, basically inner layer is leather and canvas on top of it, when i tried washing them myself, leather bleeding through canvas and it's game over.
Is there any hope getting leather bleeding stains off canvas? Leather touching canvas so wet washing won't work.

 

[ConcernedParent]

Throw em in the washer; they will shrink a bit though. And if the laces are not white, take em off, they will stain the shoe.

 

[Gus]

To clean white Jack Purcell's I just wash them and they look great. I let them air dry.

For desert boots or any suede try this http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=70189

 

[Dewey]

back in my restaurant days, i would run my white chucks through the hobart

came out wet, but nearly white as new