How to Clean Nike Air Force 1 at Home — A Proper Hand-Wash Routine

White Air Force 1s show every speck of dirt and scuff. The good news: the smooth leather upper is quite easy to clean — what matters is gentle pressure, patience, and drying them properly.

What you need

• Laces removed, washed separately.
• Plastic or wooden shoe trees, or plain paper, to hold the shape and prevent creasing while wet.
• A bowl of warm water and a dedicated shoe cleaner; if you don't have one, mix 1 teaspoon of mild dish soap into about half a liter of water.
• A soft-bristle brush for the upper and tongue, a stiffer one for the rubber sole.
• A microfiber cloth for wiping and blotting.

Step 1: Soak the laces

Drop the laces into the cleaning solution and let them soak while you work on the shoes — grime loosens on its own. Wash them and hang them to dry completely.

Step 2: Scrub the upper and tongue

Dip the soft brush into the solution and scrub gently in circular motions, 2–3 passes per section, including the inner lining where sweat accumulates most. For the tongue, lift it lightly with one hand and brush softly with the other.

There's no need to press hard to "work the solution into the leather" — extra force only scratches the finish.

Step 3: The rubber sole and stubborn marks

The outsole collects the most dirt. Use the stiff brush (or a dedicated eraser) for 1–2 passes until clean. For small sticky marks around the heel or toe, wrap the microfiber cloth around a finger, dip it, and rub for a few minutes.

Step 4: Wipe off the soap

With a damp, well-wrung cloth, wipe the whole upper, tongue, and heel. Blot the inner lining repeatedly to pull out remaining soap. Soap residue can leave blotches as it dries — wipe more thoroughly than you think you need to.

Step 5: Air dry

Leave the shoes in a ventilated spot and let them dry fully for about a day before wearing or storing them. No direct sunlight — heat blisters the leather, weakens the glue, and shortens the shoe's life.

Deodorize the insoles

Put about a cup of baking soda in a sealed container, place both shoes inside, close it, and wait 24 hours. Take the shoes out and tap them upside down to remove all the powder before wearing.

For heavy, long-built-up sweat odor, replacing the insoles works better than repeating deodorizing cycles.

What not to do

• Machine wash: the spin cycle and large water volume loosen the midsole glue.
• Bleach, strong alcohol, or acetone: they yellow the midsole, fade color, and strip the finish.
• Direct sun drying or heat drying.
• Scrubbing smooth leather areas with a stiff brush to "erase" scuffs.

When to hand them to EXTRIM

Set-in stains, fully yellowed soles, deep upper scuffs, or persistent insole odor rarely improve with home treatment. EXTRIM's shoe cleaning and spa service cleans by material (deep cleaning from 150,000 VND per pair, 2026 reference), deodorizes the lining, and treats yellowed soles — soles can be re-soled to add years of wear.

👉 Send photos of your AF1 pair for a condition assessment

Public case studies

Photos in this article illustrate the process — they are not a before–after record with a public case code. EXTRIM does not use illustrative images to promise results for every pair.