How to Clean Sport Shoes

Keeping sport and athletic shoes clean and ready for use is vital for any athlete, whether amateur or professional. Sport shoes—especially those used for outdoor sports—can accumulate layers of dirt, mud, dust and other debris, and these buildups can change the way you run or maneuver on the court or the field. Thankfully, these shoes are durable, which means they can stand up to a thorough cleaning.

Things You'll Need

  • Washing machine
  • Laundry detergent
  • Soft scrub brush
  • Dish detergent
  • Water
  • Small bowl
  • Towel or paper towels
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Instructions

  1. Washing Laundry

    • 1

      Untie your sport shoes, and remove the shoelaces from the shoes. Also, remove any inserts you have in the athletic shoes. If you are washing more than one pair of shoes, separate the dark ones from the white ones to avoid dye runoff.

    • 2

      Add shoes and detergent to the laundry machine as if you were doing a regular load of wash. Wash the shoelaces with the appropriate color shoes so that no dye runoff ruins white shoelaces. If you are washing multiple pairs of shoes, make sure you do not overload the washer; the shoes will need room to move around during the washing cycle.

    • 3

      Run the machine on a gentle cycle. When the cycle finishes, allow the shoes to air dry in a warm area; direct sunlight may speed up the drying process.

    Hand Washing

    • 4

      Remove shoelaces and inserts from the sports shoes. Wash shoelaces with your next load of appropriately colored laundry, and allow inserts to air out in a dry area.

    • 5

      Mix dish detergent and water into a small bowl until it forms suds. Soak the bristles of a soft scrub brush in the solution, and scrub at the inside and outside of the shoes. Scrub until you remove all dirt, mud and other buildup.

    • 6

      Dry your athletic shoes with plain white cloth or paper towels. Allow shoes to air dry completely in a dry, warm area before returning to use.