One unspoken component of Nike Huaraches, particularly white ones, is that their clean, new look is a huge component of their stylishness.
Those who care about their fit know that a huge part of the look is a clean, fresh, newly-bought appearance: that means crisp white coloration, and an unmistakable appearance to your garments.
So if you own a pair of White Nike Huaraches, you might be panicking about a persistent stain or how to clean them without damaging the material: after all, that matte-white pseudo-sheen is half of the look.
How can you properly clean your shoes without either failing to remove the stain or offending dirt, while also ensuring you don’t damage the shoes themselves? Is there a one-fits-all approach?
There are many products on the market that claim to clean shoes for this exact purpose, but stains and dirt are best not waited on for a product online or a shopping trip: if you are concerned about affecting the appearance of your shoes, you will want to take care of them now.
How can you restore your Nike Air Huaraches to their former glory? Read on for a few techniques and tips.
There may be affiliate links in this article. You can read more about this in my disclosure.
What are Huaraches?
Huaraches are actually a traditional style of sandal originating from indigenous peoples based in the area today known as Mexico. The name comes from Purépecha, a language spoken by the indigenous Purépecha people.
The original word is kwarachi, meaning sandal. Although not solely attributed to the Purépecha people, the huarache sandals existed in pre-colonial Northwestern Mexico and have been worn and hand-crafted by indigenous groups for thousands of years.
They are traditionally made with hard-leather woven pattern, a thick leather and now rubber sole that is hand-cut, with weaving and stitching all done by hand. These shoes last a very long time, and have artistic and cultural significance that is imbued into detailed handiwork.
Some modern creations of the traditional huarache sandal have used tire rubber treads on their bottom in their creation, creating a unique and specific look. This is a specific look that Nike aims to recreate in this style of shoe, but differs from the traditional indigenous shoe.
As with many matters of nomenclature among brands, companies are fond of using traditional indigenous groups themselves, or their languages to find names for their products.
This leads people to be dissociated from the actual origin of these languages, cultures and people, so you might consider remembering this next time you hear someone use the word Huaraches to solely mean the branded Nike shoe.
How to maintain color on my Nike Air Huaraches?
If you own a white pair of Nike Air Huaraches, you may already know that owning white shoes for style reasons can be a trying task. Keeping these shoes totally white can be near impossible with the high-maintenance care and preventative measures necessary to keep them clean and presentable after purchase.
The best way to keep your shoes clean is by engaging in prevention, but if it is too late for that, then cleaning expeditiously is next. Consider using what you have on hand to clean your Nike Huaraches, because ordering a product may allow the darker colour to set in and prevent them from becoming a clear and crystal white at all.
Some consistent maintenance can ensure that your Nike Huaraches maintain their colour. Consider investing in a soft-bristle brush, so that you can apply a light abrasive pressure to your shoes without using a harsher bristle brush that may tear the material and reduce its longevity significantly.
If you use your Nike Huaraches for regular wear, consider cleaning them with a soft-bristle brush after every few wears, being sure to remove dirt or other substance from cracks.
If you are concerned, make sure to clean your soft-bristle brush regularly as well, and use a different brush for the sole of the shoe if you are concerned or invested in displaying your Nike Huaraches.
An important aspect of maintaining a crystal white appearance in your Nike Huaraches is a regular deep clean, particularly if you use your Nike Huaraches for exercise or use them on a regular basis.
This will prevent them from yellowing in particular, which even with regular cleaning is a natural side-effect of sunlight damaging the material over time or build up of residue. Deep-cleaning can combat this, so be sure to do one regularly.
Why have my white Nike Huaraches turned yellow?
It can be confusing to understand why your white shoes have turned yellow, even if they have not been exposed to dirt or mud. Of course these components have an impact on the coloration of the shoe, but many white shoes like white Nike Air Huaraches will discolor from exposure to air.
This may sound unusual, but natural oxidation can cause the white to turn yellow over time. Bleach can improve the look of yellow Nike Air Huaraches, but should be used very cautiously.
Consider deep-cleaning with non-corrosive chemicals like dish soap to see if this can make a difference first.
How to deep clean my Nike Air Huaraches?
A deep clean is a great reset-button on the crisp white color of your Nike Air Huaraches.
You will need a soft bristle brush, a clean cloth or rag, dish washing liquid free of any fragrances, baking soda (also known as bicarbonate of soda in some locations), bleach (or hydrogen peroxide), a plastic tub, and rubber gloves for safety while applying.
Remove the laces from your Nike Air Huaraches. These can be cleaned separately and are much easier to attain a classic white look on, else they can also be replaced much easier and far cheaper than the shoe itself.
Run over your Nike Huaraches with a bristle brush, removing any loose dust or dirt as you go before cleaning begins. If they have any caked-on mud that is hard to remove, avoid applying a harsher brush but attempt to get this loose from the material with the soft bristles and your hands.
This will allow the cleaning to be more successful and reach every inch of the shoe.
Mix 1 cup of water, a couple drops of dish soap or dish washing liquid, and a teaspoon of baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda) in the plastic tub you have.
Dip your soft bristle brush in this liquid thoroughly, applying it to your shoes gently with a soft scrubbing motion. Avoid damaging the shoe, but try to apply a light abrasion to everywhere on the shoe that you can with the liquid.
The baking soda will help especially with this, as baking soda helps to naturally whiten many surfaces and substances including teeth.
Once you can visibly see that the majority of the dirt is removed, rinse the shoes with clean water. This is vital, as you should not keep the solution on your shoes for longer than is necessary nor should you soak them for prolonged periods of time.
For this reason, it is advisable to clean each shoe individually with the solution and rinse individually as well, before beginning upon the next shoe. This means there is less concern about potentially soaking your shoes and damaging them or causing them to visibly warp.
Let your shoes dry in the air, or the open sun.
The second option for deep cleaning, that can be potentially more dangerous and difficult, utilizes bleach. This should only be done with white Nike Huaraches specifically, and it is not recommended in general because it can quickly go wrong and damage your shoes.
However, if your staining on the shoe is too difficult to remove and you are invested in restoring the look, consider your choice carefully and make sure to take precautions when cleaning the shoe with bleach.
Bleach is often on hand in many households, and is also known as hydrogen peroxide. In its concentrated form, it can be very damaging to organic matter as well as materials and synthetic clothes as well.
It is often used to whiten surfaces, and clean things, but is mostly used in a diluted form to often still great effect. Bleach is generally concentrated, so be careful when handling it and always wear gloves.
Work in a well-ventilated area, and wear a mask to protect yourself from fumes.
Begin with gloves and mask for this reason. Work in open air if possible, but keep ventilation high and ensure no animals or children will make contact with your working area.
This is because bleach itself is highly corrosive, but when combined with ammonia it produces chlorine gas or other dangerous gases. These are corrosive to the skin and lungs: chlorine is also known as “mustard gas” and is used in war.
Be very careful when working, and make sure the tub you use (and your shoes) have no traces of ammonia on them. Ammonia is found in other cleaning products that are not bleach-based, so take caution and avoid using bleach at all if you have exposed your shoes to these recently without washing them thoroughly.
Remove the laces from your white Nike Air Huaraches before doing any bleach work, as the bleach will interact differently with the laces and may damage them.
Use the soft bristle brush to remove dirt or debris from your shoes, being sure to clean as thoroughly but gently as you can.
Use a plastic tub that is roughly larger than your Nike Air Huaraches as they will be submerged within it. If you are concerned about cleaning them quickly to prevent damage, or your container is only big enough for one shoe, cleaning them one at a time is doable and a good idea.
The amount of time you will soak the Nike Huaraches is low, so it will still be a short task.
Create a mix of bleach and water within the tub at a ratio of bleach and water at 1:4. There should be enough water in the tub to entirely submerge and waterlog your shoes.
Place the Nike Huaraches in the water for 3 minutes, placing the shoe upside down so that the water and bleach can penetrate the material. Be sure to leave them in the water-bleach mixture no longer than 3 minutes, as bleach can very quickly damage and destroy material.
Remove the shoes from the water after 3 minutes, and let them air-dry. If you let them dry in the sun, as the sun is a naturally-bleaching agent thanks to UV light, you can place the Nike Huaraches outside for a brighter white color.
If you are not in a sunny area, letting them dry in the air should still demonstrate a significantly brighter, whiter tone on your shoes.
How to remove odor from Nike Huaraches?
If you are finding there is odor in your Nike Huaraches, this is usually just due to bacterial build-up from use. Allowing air to circulate through your shoes will prevent this build-up from getting worse and should allow it to dissipate.
If you are especially concerned, sunlight can naturally clean bacteria, fungi and odor from shoes, so consider leaving your Nike Huaraches in the sun for a natural clean.
If you find the smell difficult to remove, sprinkle some baking soda or bicarbonate of soda lightly in the shoe and leave overnight. Shake out to remove, or gently wash by hand.
Last update on 2024-03-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API