Cleaning your white leather sneakers starts with removing the laces and excess dirt. Using a horsehair brush, lather up your saddle soap and apply the suds in a circular motion. Wipe the soap off with a microcloth, then apply a leather conditioner like Venetian.
I think that the essentialness of white leather sneakers are the ultimate “yes, but” in fashion.
You know what I mean.
Yes, white leather sneakers are a closet necessity for stylish men (most men, really). But, they’re so hard to maintain.
White attracts stains, light usage can ruin its look—so many grievances.
What if I told you they aren’t actually that difficult to maintain? Instead of avoiding these style staples, read on to find out how to quickly make your white leathers look like new.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need to Clean White Leather Sneakers
Here’s what you’ll need to clean your white leathers, whether they’re high-tops or low-tops, skaters or court shoes.
- At least two horsehair dauber brushes
- Saddle soap
- Warm, not hot, water
- Leather conditioner. I like Venetian because it’s all natural and doesn’t have any harsh chemicals
- A few undyed microfiber cloths, or paper towels, or even old white clothes
How to Get Your White Leather Sneakers Clean and Looking Brand New in Under 15 Minutes
Step 1: Remove the Laces
You’re going to be using some leather specific cleaning agents here, so you’ll start by taking the laces off of each shoe.
Plus, this makes it easier to clean in and around the eyestays, which can be dirt magnets.
Step 2: Get Excess and Loose Dirt Off
Clap the outsoles of the sneakers together a few times. Grab them by the back collar and just slap them against each other so that any loose dirt comes right off.
This way, the soap can focus on the finer dirt particles trying to imbed themselves onto the leather. You’ll also avoid moving bigger pieces of dirt across the surface which can potentially scratch it.
Step 3: Lather up Your Soap
Before you apply the soap to the shoe itself, you’ll create some suds. Suds help spread the soap molecules out more efficiently, as they work with the water to break up the dirt and grease.
You’ll go about this by opening your tin of saddle soap and filling up the top portion with warm water.
Then, you’ll take one of your horsehair brushes, dip into the other side of the container (where the soap is), then dip it into the top part of the tin, into the water. Lather it up by moving the brush around in a circular motion.
Step 4: Lather Your Leather
Go one shoe at a time. Apply the suds onto your shoe in circular motions.
Pro tip: Start in darker, problem areas and work outwards from there.
Really get into the area in and around the eyelets, the sides of the outsoles, and any parts where different pieces of leather meet and are stitched together. These areas have more valleys where dirt can hide and degrade the sneaker.
Get these suds all over the entire upper of the shoe.
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Step 5: Wipe off the Suds
Wipe off all of the suds using your microfiber towel or paper towel.
You want to get it as dry as possible, so you might end up using multiple towels and cloths. You don’t want to accidentally reapply the soap with a saturated cloth.
Step 6: Soap and Dry the Other Shoe
You’ll then repeat steps three through six on the other shoe.
You definitely want to go one sneaker at a time so that one shoe isn’t sitting in saddle soap longer than the other.
Step 7: Condition Both Shoes
Just as your hair needs conditioner after a shampoo, or how your face needs moisturizer after a proper wash, you’ll need to apply leather conditioner onto your shoes after cleaning them.
Apply the conditioner, again Venetian is an excellent option, and apply it to another clean rag or microfiber cloth.
Use small, circular motions (seeing a theme?) throughout the upper of the shoes. For the prior mentioned key areas, like the eyestays and near the outsole, you can use another clean circular horsehair brush to ensure the conditioner gets into tight spots.
Finally, buff the surface with a one or two swipes of the horsehair brush on the surface of the shoe to get rid of any excess conditioner.
Ventian is our favorite leather conditioner. It provides supreme conditioning, slight weather resistance and works on a wide range of leathers without darkening. It's one of the priciest options, but you really can't go wrong with it.
How to Clean White Leather Sneakers with Baking Soda
If you don’t have saddle soap, you can definitely use baking soda. Still, the reason using saddle soap is better is because it contains ingredients specific to replenishing leather.
A lot of leather cleaners have beeswax, neatsfoot oil, or other conditioning ingredients that, while they don’t take the place of a true conditioner, makes it less aggressive on the shoe surface.
To clean your white leather sneakers with baking soda, you’ll do everything in the above tutorial. Instead of using a horsehair brush and soap though, you’ll use a microcloth and a baking-soda-water solution.
The ratio is two to one, water to baking soda.
Really make sure that all of the baking soda has been removed from the uppers before conditioning. It’s not the biggest tragedy if you miss some saddle soap, but baking soda can be harsh on delicate leathers.
That being the case, I highly recommend only using this home remedy when you’re in a bind, say, you need to be out the door in twenty minutes and you’re fresh out of saddle soap.
How to Clean the Laces of Your White Leather Sneakers
If the laces are really grimy, I’m talking they were once white and are now completely gray, your best option is to simply buy new laces. Definitely go for new laces if they’re falling apart.
Otherwise, cleaning white shoe laces is super easy.
First, using a toothbrush, brush off any excess dirt from the laces. Suffice to say, do not put this toothbrush back in your mouth after you’ve done this.
Then, you’ll need just the tiniest amount of bleach to create the cleaning solution: Three tablespoons to a gallon of water.
Make enough to fully submerge your pair, or pairs, of laces.
Let them sit in the solution for five to ten minutes.
You can hang them in a dry cool place to dry or throw them in the dryer with your whites.
A Spa Day for Your Sneakers
Now that you know the tricks of the trade, go out into the world, clad in your white leather sneakers, without the insecurity of ruining them.
Remember that while home remedies are okay once in a while, using saddle soap is truly the most effective and least abrasive way to clean your leather shoes.
Either way, never skip out on the leather conditioner. Your shoes will thank you with renewed youthful suppleness.
Ventian is our favorite leather conditioner. It provides supreme conditioning, slight weather resistance and works on a wide range of leathers without darkening. It's one of the priciest options, but you really can't go wrong with it.
FAQs
What is the best way to clean white leather?
The best way to clean white leather is by using saddle soap lathered with a horsehair brush, before drying with a cloth then applying leather conditioner.
Does white vinegar clean leather shoes?
Yes, however, it’s more abrasive on the shoe than actual leather cleaners are. Always concentrate down the vinegar with an equal amount of water. Then, make sure the leather is bone dry, before applying leather conditioner.
Can you clean leather shoes with dish soap?
As far as home remedies go, dish soap is one of the less aggressive options. The concentrate should be five to one, water to soap. Still, dish soap doesn’t have the conditioning ingredients in it that saddle soap does.
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