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Whether you got your new Nike Jordans for playing basketball or just because you like the way they feel and look, you’re going to want to keep them looking their best. Prevention is the most effective plan to keep your Jordans clean and wrinkle-free. When you ignore a crease or a stain for too long, you’ll only prolong the eventual maintenance you’re going to have to do anyway and you risk permanent disfiguration.
Cleaning
When you first get your Jordans, they should be free of any creases. If you happen to get a pair that’s been squished in a box too long, you may have to clean them with a solution that soaks the upper canvas to straighten out the creases. Use a sneaker shampoo and thoroughly moisten the shoes. Rub the uppers with a plastic or rubber-tipped brush in the direction of the nap on the material to get it to lie appropriately. Use the brush to smooth out the crease. Clean your shoes with the same products, brushing them in the same direction of the nap after wearing them a while.
Laces
New laces can work wonders for pulling the upper fabric in line if the shoes develop a crease. The strength of your old laces may have weakened to the point where they don’t provide enough tension on the material to keep them straight and smooth when they’re on your feet. If you see the side beginning to sag a little, splurge on a new pair of laces. Keeping your shoes tied snugly around your feet will help pull out the beginnings of new creases and get them to act right before you develop a crease that takes a whole lot more effort to remove.
Hanging
In addition to ridding your shoes of errant creases, by using vinegar you’ll also refresh them if they’ve picked up the smelly sneaker odors so often a part of your Jordan experience, especially if you’ve been wearing them in some really intense athletic games. Fill your bathtub with hot steaming water and pour in a bottle of vinegar. Hang your Jordans from the shower curtain with clothespins attached to the tops. The weight of the soles will drag down the sneaker and pull out the creases while the steam from the tub softens them up. At the same time, the vapors will kill any foot smells you’ve noticed lately.
Ironing
When all else fails, you may need to heat up your iron to rid the shoes of creases. Protect the color and any plastic or rubber designs by using a towel between the iron and the shoe. Move the shoes over the pointy end of an ironing board and lay the towel on top of the part that’s creased. Set the iron at medium heat and after it’s sufficiently warm, rest it over the towel on the crease. Hold it there for about 10 seconds and check to see if the crease is gone. Repeat until the uppers are smooth and wrinkle-free. After ironing, keep your Jordans crease-free by storing them with a shoe insert or stuffing them tightly with socks to keep their shape.
