:::OFFICIAL SNEAKER CARE/MAINTENANCE POST::: (It's back!)

[ohwtfitzsean]

Ouch. I have had 3M crack on me like that. What material is on those De La High SBs. I have seen plenty of pairs but not up close. Cracking looks like plastic.

Depending on what the material is, you could carefully try applying some sealant based glue over it but my concern would not be that crack. Its that if you saw that, then there are possibly more cracks/damage that will follow. Do the other areas around the heel some brittle?

With most SBs, you can wear them forever due to the rubber midsole and the sole being stitched onto the shoe. With minimal care suede and leather will last quite a while (since the older sbs had mostly real leather and suede).

However I hate to say that since the de la highs had that special material on the heel - they were well past their wearable shelf life. Even if you were to repair the cracks, the pressure will be transferred to other areas which will crack. Id put them on the shelf as is or if you want to preserve them then repair the cracks and then put them on the shelf. Its a risk of wearing older shoes.

Youd have been lucky wearing them 3 years ago without them cracking. Let alone putting (what looks like a DS shoe) , an 8 DS year old shoe through its paces. Even an ND pair wouldnt keep up. The real way to preserve shoes is to wear them. I know it sounds odd. But its the truth. New materials turn brittle over long periods of time. Used/broken in materials last alot longer.

At some point they turn from a wearable product to eye candy, if your storing DS pairs. Not all shoes and materials are meant to withsrand the test of time - key is spotting which ones are versus arent.

Plastics, 3Ms, dry out and crack. Leather, suede can turn moldy. Synthetics peel off. Glue deteroriates. Foam crumbles. Air Bubbles deflate. Rubber lasts the longest but even that will discolor. Mesh is a safe material but whens the last time you seen a fully mesh shoe. Even stitching looses its strength and comes undone , sometimes.

A huge issue with plastics (think backtabs on 3s and 4s), is its the first thing to crack or break off. And I say plastics (bc it could be anything per say, for sake of discussion) I am referring to the quality of the material and its proneness the material becoming brittle as it ages and cracks...

For me, I would use that perspective when deciding to wear vs store DS shoes. If it can crack or peel off then wear it. If it can crumble, or deflate and your okay with maybe doing a sole swap later , then store it.

There are very few shoes, I can only think of 5 off the top of my head that you can store 10-15 years (carefree with no maintenance) and rock out and wear without having to do work to them. And even then they may need to be touched up or repainted.

At the end of the day, they just shoes. They are worth as much as you paid for them, so hopefully its not a new pickup for you. I wouldnt wear them anymore unless you want to just turn em into beaters.

Thanks for the reply! I actually bought (cheap af) the shoe , and the issue is not actually bad, I think I can stick it back with some kind of glue or something. Pair was used once and just cracked according to the owner.

 

[coach js]

what's really the best shoe protector? I've never used any.
should I use protector spray?
or is it not really worth it

 

[feelingood]

what's really the best shoe protector? I've never used any.
should I use protector spray?
or is it not really worth it

I have been ritually using Kiwi Suede Protector - for the past 12 years. I tried alot of different brands but truely feel this works the best. If its not suede, its not worth using a protector spray, btw.

 

[coach js]

I have been ritually using Kiwi Suede Protector - for the past 12 years. I tried alot of different brands but truely feel this works the best. If its not suede, its not worth using a protector spray, btw.

perfect response. thank you

 

[B-Fresh]

What other Jordans are durabuck?

I want to avoid all of them.

Jordan 13 playoffs-
I tried the dish wash soap and water and it cleaned it, but it's starting to yellow and I have a little bit of marks on them that won't go away.

I was to also re-dye the black suede, I know angelus black is low-key purple, I heard about jacquard dye might try that.
What would you recommend for black dye?

I just noticed you have the Bordeaux's in your avi lol. I like that shoe and only wore it like 10 times and now the ****s are cracking.

Its not suede. Its durabuck. I did a typeout on durabuck a few pages back. Really nothing that can be done other than to wear them out before the durabuck falls apart.

Durabuck is Nikes patented "fake suede". Sadly synthetic materials do not withstand the test of time versus real suede or real leather. Since real suede doesnt peel off. It can get damaged but wont peel off like your describing.

 

[feelingood]

What other Jordans are durabuck?

I want to avoid all of them.

Jordan 13 playoffs-
I tried the dish wash soap and water and it cleaned it, but it's starting to yellow and I have a little bit of marks on them that won't go away.

I was to also re-dye the black suede, I know angelus black is low-key purple, I heard about jacquard dye might try that.
What would you recommend for black dye?

I just noticed you have the Bordeaux's in your avi lol. I like that shoe and only wore it like 10 times and now the ****s are cracking.

If its black suede/durabuck, there is a spray/suede repair that works well. Just like all sprays, becareful and tape off. It was called suede renew or something like that. I used it on my Cough Drop Foams where the durabuck eyelids began losing color and turning grey. If I recall right it was Melotonin brand, and you gotta make sure to buy the black one. Its basically black dye that sprays on and dries. If the suede is unique colors, or lighter colors or if your doing a full restoration (i.e. strip the paint or the shoes are badly damaged) thats when you really need to use dye.

Luckily my avi bourdeuxs are still wearable and havent started cracking yet. As far as which Jordans are not durabuck.. Id say about 99% of suede looking Jordans are durabuck. Its rare that JB gives us suede but those varisity 6s, the most recent PSG 5s, travis scott 4s (although I havent seen a pair in hand to be sure), Fear 5s, Fear 4s, Stealth 3s, Graphite 14s . But issue with JB is that even if they give us suede, its always low quality. However some of the shoes I listed above are exceptions, you gotta just keep your eye open. I wouldnt avoid all Durabuck or Sythetic suede shoes, I would just plan to wear them and not store them.

Dishsoap, did you make sure to dilute it well with water? I usually use dishsoap for oil stains, and it works well - but due to them being different colors it can leave some color behind. Ill pour a tiny drop onto a towel, run it under warm water while scrubbing the towel onto itself until it becomes less soapy and more diluted. Take a pic and let me see, and how old is the shoe?

 

[B-Fresh]

If its black suede/durabuck, there is a spray/suede repair that works well. Just like all sprays, becareful and tape off. It was called suede renew or something like that. I used it on my Cough Drop Foams where the durabuck eyelids began losing color and turning grey. If I recall right it was Melotonin brand, and you gotta make sure to buy the black one. Its basically black dye that sprays on and dries. If the suede is unique colors, or lighter colors or if your doing a full restoration (i.e. strip the paint or the shoes are badly damaged) thats when you really need to use dye.

Luckily my avi bourdeuxs are still wearable and havent started cracking yet. As far as which Jordans are not durabuck.. Id say about 99% of suede looking Jordans are durabuck. Its rare that JB gives us suede but those varisity 6s, the most recent PSG 5s, travis scott 4s (although I havent seen a pair in hand to be sure), Fear 5s, Fear 4s, Stealth 3s, Graphite 14s . But issue with JB is that even if they give us suede, its always low quality. However some of the shoes I listed above are exceptions, you gotta just keep your eye open. I wouldnt avoid all Durabuck or Sythetic suede shoes, I would just plan to wear them and not store them.

Dishsoap, did you make sure to dilute it well with water? I usually use dishsoap for oil stains, and it works well - but due to them being different colors it can leave some color behind. Ill pour a tiny drop onto a towel, run it under warm water while scrubbing the towel onto itself until it becomes less soapy and more diluted. Take a pic and let me see, and how old is the shoe?

 

[B-Fresh]

It's from 2011. How they look to you?

If its black suede/durabuck, there is a spray/suede repair that works well. Just like all sprays, becareful and tape off. It was called suede renew or something like that. I used it on my Cough Drop Foams where the durabuck eyelids began losing color and turning grey. If I recall right it was Melotonin brand, and you gotta make sure to buy the black one. Its basically black dye that sprays on and dries. If the suede is unique colors, or lighter colors or if your doing a full restoration (i.e. strip the paint or the shoes are badly damaged) thats when you really need to use dye.

Luckily my avi bourdeuxs are still wearable and havent started cracking yet. As far as which Jordans are not durabuck.. Id say about 99% of suede looking Jordans are durabuck. Its rare that JB gives us suede but those varisity 6s, the most recent PSG 5s, travis scott 4s (although I havent seen a pair in hand to be sure), Fear 5s, Fear 4s, Stealth 3s, Graphite 14s . But issue with JB is that even if they give us suede, its always low quality. However some of the shoes I listed above are exceptions, you gotta just keep your eye open. I wouldnt avoid all Durabuck or Sythetic suede shoes, I would just plan to wear them and not store them.

Dishsoap, did you make sure to dilute it well with water? I usually use dishsoap for oil stains, and it works well - but due to them being different colors it can leave some color behind. Ill pour a tiny drop onto a towel, run it under warm water while scrubbing the towel onto itself until it becomes less soapy and more diluted. Take a pic and let me see, and how old is the shoe?

 

[feelingood]

It's from 2011. How they look to you?

They look great. Not bad at all. Very well kept, kudos. To clean that yellowish part, try some oxiclean diluted in water.

If the foam/rubber midsole doesnt have texture, you can use a gum or suede eraser and they take it right off. But with 13's , the pod parts have bumps. So I wouldnt rub them against a gum eraser just to be safe.

 

[B-Fresh]

Thanks man. Have you ever heard of jacquard dye tho?

And someone recommend to use salon care 40 on the pods, how do u feel about that?

I wasn't to try that more than the spray because with the spray I'll have to tape up the whole shoe and I worry that I'll spray on to other parts by mistake.

They look great. Not bad at all. Very well kept, kudos. To clean that yellowish part, try some oxiclean diluted in water.

If the foam/rubber midsole doesnt have texture, you can use a gum or suede eraser and they take it right off. But with 13's , the pod parts have bumps. So I wouldnt rub them against a gum eraser just to be safe.

 

[HellRazor1978]

I saw a guy on YouTube clean the soles of his Space Jams using a toothbrush with Oxyclean, dishwasher soap, and cold water. Seemed to work really good. I tried it on mine and got fairly good results.

 

[B-Fresh]

Got that link?

I saw a guy on YouTube clean the soles of his Space Jams using a toothbrush with Oxyclean, dishwasher soap, and cold water. Seemed to work really good. I tried it on mine and got fairly good results.

 

[HellRazor1978]

Found it.

 

[feelingood]

o

Thanks man. Have you ever heard of jacquard dye tho?

And someone recommend to use salon care 40 on the pods, how do u feel about that?

I wasn't to try that more than the spray because with the spray I'll have to tape up the whole shoe and I worry that I'll spray on to other parts by mistake.

oxiclean.

do not use salon40 unless you know what your doing since it will eat away the glue on your shoe.

 

[Cnowledge]

i recently got a all patent leather shoe (jordan 4 hot punch). what best way to clean an maintain??

 

[feelingood]

i recently got a all patent leather shoe (jordan 4 hot punch). what best way to clean an maintain??

clean when it gets dirty. Dont worry about preventive. If patent leather gets scratched or scuff, use rubbing alcohol on a pad or something to clean it.

 

[imabkboy]

What other Jordans are durabuck?

I want to avoid all of them.

Jordan 13 playoffs-
I tried the dish wash soap and water and it cleaned it, but it's starting to yellow and I have a little bit of marks on them that won't go away.

I was to also re-dye the black suede, I know angelus black is low-key purple, I heard about jacquard dye might try that.
What would you recommend for black dye?

I just noticed you have the Bordeaux's in your avi lol. I like that shoe and only wore it like 10 times and now the ****s are cracking.

For the pods on your 13s if you haven't already, try Mr. Clean magic eraser.
Like feelingood said if you try 40oz cream make sure you tape off so you dont get it anywhere else.
Another way that i stumbled across is by using Barge cement. RaleighRestorations posted a while back that he cleared the bleeding on the grey/red 13s this way
As far as the suede redye once i discovered Jacquard i wont use anything else. You can use the DyeNaFlow or Textile line

 

[B-Fresh]

Will the magic eraser cause the pod bumbs to fade?

feelingood said that gum and suede erasers will make it fade.

Imma get that jacquard dye as well.

I have pics on here of the shoes, from what u seen, how much do you think they need a re-dye?

For the pods on your 13s if you haven't already, try Mr. Clean magic eraser.
Like feelingood said if you try 40oz cream make sure you tape off so you dont get it anywhere else.
Another way that i stumbled across is by using Barge cement. RaleighRestorations posted a while back that he cleared the bleeding on the grey/red 13s this way
As far as the suede redye once i discovered Jacquard i wont use anything else. You can use the DyeNaFlow or Textile line

 

[imabkboy]

Will the magic eraser cause the pod bumbs to fade?

feelingood said that gum and suede erasers will make it fade.

Imma get that jacquard dye as well.

I have pics on here of the shoes, from what u seen, how much do you think they need a re-dye?

No the magic eraser literally dissolves away as you use it, it wont damage the pods at all. I'd say you still have a lot of life left before you need a redye, but if you do make sure you get a suede brush to reset the nap

 

[feelingood]

Will the magic eraser cause the pod bumbs to fade?

feelingood said that gum and suede erasers will make it fade.

Imma get that jacquard dye as well.

I have pics on here of the shoes, from what u seen, how much do you think they need a re-dye?

nah. Magic eraser should be safe. It pretty much falls apart on it own when you use.

Personally, Id try oxiclean first. If that dont work then try the magic eraser (just follow the instructions on the box if you never used magic eraser before and try not to rub it as hard as you can... Dont use it on any other surfaces or any midsole other than white since it can strip the paint if you rub too hard. Magic Eraser does have a sand paper type grit to it , but it is only noticeable on painted surfaces and/or if you rub it on the surface too aggresively.)

If its a tough stain or set in, I would leave it alone. It wont be anything anyone other than you would notice. Id say you did a fine job storing them. All shoes have minor imperfections or blemishes, so chaulk it up to that.

You dont need to redye anytime soon.. Id avoid painting unless if you HAVE to restore them. Its one of those last ditch resort type of things. No need in rebuilding or dissemble an engine if all it needs is a oil change/tune up.

Also I use to hear back in the day, people use to sware by using toothpaste to clean white midsoles. Never tried it.

Personally, I usually stick with a) rubbing gently with a gum or suede eraser - though on some finishes it can damage if you rub too hard. Ive only had two shoes that got damaged by this method, both being New Balances as NB uses some wierd dull film finisher on some midsoles and it rubs that right off and leaves a scuff mark. b)oxiclean or other soap based cleaners. If its food/oil your trying to clean, use dishwasher soap. If its grass, mud, or etc use oxiclean or laundry detergent (oxiclean is a whitener so its better on white midsoles).

No matter what you clean or what you use to clean, I have learned its always best to test a small area or if you have alot of shoes pick a beater pair that resembles it the closest and test it on that first.

There are midsole cleaners in a spray bottle that work well, but never found them necessary. But when you spray them, it has the consistency of shaving cream. If you dont have the heart or the mind to test methods (which invietably we all damage shoes this way - its a trial and error/ learning process), then use this and save the headache or possible heartache.

Im always here to help, so just lmk.

 

[amiina]

Update to my space jams:

Before:

After:

 

[B-Fresh]

Got some oxiclean, I'm guessing you were talking about the powder version? I saw a spray too, how do you feel about that?

Also is the oxiclean for the whole shoe or just the midsole/pods and the sole?

nah. Magic eraser should be safe. It pretty much falls apart on it own when you use.

Personally, Id try oxiclean first. If that dont work then try the magic eraser (just follow the instructions on the box if you never used magic eraser before and try not to rub it as hard as you can... Dont use it on any other surfaces or any midsole other than white since it can strip the paint if you rub too hard. Magic Eraser does have a sand paper type grit to it , but it is only noticeable on painted surfaces and/or if you rub it on the surface too aggresively.)

If its a tough stain or set in, I would leave it alone. It wont be anything anyone other than you would notice. Id say you did a fine job storing them. All shoes have minor imperfections or blemishes, so chaulk it up to that.

You dont need to redye anytime soon.. Id avoid painting unless if you HAVE to restore them. Its one of those last ditch resort type of things. No need in rebuilding or dissemble an engine if all it needs is a oil change/tune up.

Also I use to hear back in the day, people use to sware by using toothpaste to clean white midsoles. Never tried it.

Personally, I usually stick with a) rubbing gently with a gum or suede eraser - though on some finishes it can damage if you rub too hard. Ive only had two shoes that got damaged by this method, both being New Balances as NB uses some wierd dull film finisher on some midsoles and it rubs that right off and leaves a scuff mark. b)oxiclean or other soap based cleaners. If its food/oil your trying to clean, use dishwasher soap. If its grass, mud, or etc use oxiclean or laundry detergent (oxiclean is a whitener so its better on white midsoles).

No matter what you clean or what you use to clean, I have learned its always best to test a small area or if you have alot of shoes pick a beater pair that resembles it the closest and test it on that first.

There are midsole cleaners in a spray bottle that work well, but never found them necessary. But when you spray them, it has the consistency of shaving cream. If you dont have the heart or the mind to test methods (which invietably we all damage shoes this way - its a trial and error/ learning process), then use this and save the headache or possible heartache.

Im always here to help, so just lmk.

 

[B-Fresh]

Oxiclean? My ****s piss yellow.

Update to my space jams:

Before:

After:

 

[feelingood]

Got some oxiclean, I'm guessing you were talking about the powder version? I saw a spray too, how do you feel about that?

Also is the oxiclean for the whole shoe or just the midsole/pods and the sole?

The spray is easier. Whether its powder or spray or laundry detergent, dilute it in warm water. Use it for the midsole/pods.

If your soles are piss yellow, you can use saloncare40 . But as mentioned a few times already, you need to be careful as the stuff eats away the glue on the shoe.

Oxiclean may help. Or redying your soles light blue, is even safer and a better way.

 

[B-Fresh]

Is oxyclean safe to use on all soles of any brands?

The spray is easier. Whether its powder or spray or laundry detergent, dilute it in warm water. Use it for the midsole/pods.

If your soles are piss yellow, you can use saloncare40 . But as mentioned a few times already, you need to be careful as the stuff eats away the glue on the shoe.

Oxiclean may help. Or redying your soles light blue, is even safer and a better way.