How to Clean Leather Shoes

Co-authored by Marc Sigal and Eric McClure

Nothing brings an outfit together quite like a pair of sleek leather shoes. If you’ve got a great pair of leather shoes, cleaning them regularly will help you protect your investment. Don’t worry, this isn’t the complicated process you may be imagining. So long as you have the right tools at your disposal, cleaning your leather shoes is a breeze. Just keep in mind that leather has a tendency to shrink, dry out, and crack when it gets wet, so keep your leather shoes at home on rainy days and don’t use water to keep your kicks clean.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Genuine Leather

1
Take out your shoelaces to protect them while you clean. If your leather shoes have shoe laces, pull them out gently and set them aside. Never use any leather cleaning products without removing the laces, since they’re typically made of cloth and leather cleaner and polish may stain them.
- If your laces are dirty, place them in a mesh bag and toss them in the washing machine to clean them.
2
Remove dirt and debris with a soft-bristled brush. Lift the shoe up in your nondominant hand and gently rub the brush against the surface of the shoes to remove dirt with your other hand. Brush gently and take your time to keep the bristles from scratching the leather. To be thorough, run the brush along the seams and soles of your shoes.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.}
- You don’t need to clean your leather shoes if they’re already pretty clean. This is a good idea if you just got home and you notice a few scuffs or chunks of dirt sticking to your shoes, though.
- Avoid using anything with hard bristles, like a wire brush, since you could scratch the leather if you aren’t extremely careful.
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3
Remove stubborn scuffs and marks with a leather cleaner and soft brush. Squirt a small dollop of leather cleaner on a soft-bristled brush and gently wipe the surface of the leather with the bristles. Work the cleaner into the leather by moving the brush back and forth like you’re dusting your shoes. Continue brushing until the dirty leather is restored to its former glory.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.}
- Leather cleaner is certainly a unique product, but it’s really helpful if you want to make cleaning your leather shoes easy.
- You can use a clean microfiber cloth if you don’t have a soft-bristled brush.
- Avoid using water to clean your leather shoes. Water causes leather to shrink and it may dry the leather out over time, which can make your shoes stiff and wrinkly.
4
Sprinkle talcum powder over oil and grease stains to soak them up. If you have a tough oil or grease stain on your leather shoes, cover it with an absorbent powder, like talcum or baby powder. Let it sit for 2-3 hours to absorb the oil. Softly brush the powder away with a soft brush.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.}
- It’s pretty satisfying to brush that powder away and see that greasy mark disappear. This works because the powder lifts the moisture from the oil or grease out of the leather.
- You can also use cornstarch to absorb oil stains, but you must leave it on for 7-8 hours to fully absorb the oil.
5
Condition your leather shoes after you’re done cleaning to protect them. Use the same brush or cloth you used to clean the shoes, or grab a fresh one. Spread a bead of leather conditioner on top of your leather shoes and spread it around with your brush or cloth. Wait a few minutes for the conditioner to dry, then brush or wipe off any dried-out flakes of conditioner.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.}
- Use a leather conditioner that matches the color of your shoes. For example, if you have black leather shoes, pick up a black leather conditioner.
6
Buff your shoes with a leather polish to make them shine like new. Grab a soft cloth and scoop up a small dollop of wax or cream leather polish. Rub the surface of each shoe with the cloth using small, circular motions. Wipe excess chunks polish away with a fresh cloth until your shoes look uniformly shiny and smooth.^{[5]
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- Avoid applying shoe polish to the non-leather parts of your shoes.
- Shoe polish isn’t mandatory, but it will keep your shoes looking brand new!

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Suede

1
Brush your suede shoes with a special suede brush. Buy a suede brush at a shoe store or online. These brushes have special nylon bristles that won’t damage the suede while cleaning it. Brush the suede gently in a smooth back-and-forth motion. Brush the entire surface of each shoe to remove scuffs and stains.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.}
- It might seem unnecessary, but if you want to keep your suede shoes looking amazing, you really do need a suede brush. Using a regular soft-bristled brush just won't work as well.
- In case you were curious, suede is actually a type of genuine leather that has been sanded down to make it soft and give it texture.^{[7]
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2
Use a rubber pencil eraser to remove scuffs and smudges. Rub the eraser on the surface of the scuff or smudge mark. Move in the same direction to keep from damaging the suede. Wipe away any eraser residue with your suede brush.^{[8]
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- Some suede brushes have a rubbery surface on the side or back of the bristles. This rubbery surface is explicitly designed to remove scuffs and smudges, so use that instead of a pencil eraser if your brush has one of these sides.
3
Remove greasy residue by soaking them in cornstarch. Rub a small amount of cornstarch directly into the stains. Use enough cornstarch to completely cover the suede’s fibers. Allow the powder to sit for 2-3 hours. Then, brush the area with a suede brush to knock the powder off and get rid of the greasy stain.^{[9]
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- Believe it or not, cornstarch will also lift out old grease stains that have completely set into the suede fibers.^{[10]
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  Research source} Don’t throw out that beat up pair of suede shoes without trying this first!
4
Apply a silicone-based spray to weatherproof your suede shoes. Spray your shoes with a shoe protectant spray immediately after you’ve brought them home if you can. If they haven’t been treated yet, now is the time! Spray your shoes after every cleaning. Hold the can an arm's length away from the shoes and spray the protectant evenly over the fibers.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 January 2020.}
- Basically any suede waterproofing spray you find at a sneaker or shoe store will work.
- Suede is a beautiful fabric, but it’s quite fickle when it comes to water and tough weather. Weatherproofing your shoes will keep them safe if it starts drizzling on your way home from work. Still, do your best to keep your shoes dry.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Patent Leather

1
Wipe your shoes with a mixture of mild soap and water. Remove and wash your shoelaces in a mesh bag if they look a little beat up. Wet a clean cloth and add a drop of mild liquid soap. Gently rub each side of your shoes. Wipe them clean with a wet, clean cloth.^{[12]
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- Patent leather is basically leather that has been treated with plastic to give it a glossy finish.^{[13]
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  Research source} Unlike genuine leather or suede, this glossy layer will repel water, so you can get these shoes a little damp without damaging or shrinking them.
2
Remove scuff marks using hand sanitizer and a cotton swab. Dip a cotton swab in a small dollop of hand sanitizer. Carefully rub the swab against any unsightly scuff marks. Then, wipe off any excess hand sanitizer or residue with a clean cloth.^{[14]
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- In a pinch, you can also buff your shoes with petroleum jelly.
3
Polish your shoes with mineral oil and a clean cloth. Mineral oil is the main ingredient in most commercial patent leather shoe cleaners, so there’s no need to buy a special patent leather cleaner. Pour 4-5 drops of the mineral oil on a clean cloth and rub it over the surface of your shoes. Use a second clean cloth to buff your shoes until they shine.^{[15]
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- You can use a cotton ball instead of a clean cloth if you prefer.^{[16]
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Expert Q&A

Question

How do you clean light colored leather shoes?

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Marc Sigal is the Founder of ButlerBox, a dry cleaning and shoe care service based in Los Angeles, California. ButlerBox places custom-designed, wrinkle-resistant lockers in luxury apartment buildings, class A office buildings, shopping centers, and other convenient locations so you can pick up and drop off items 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Marc has a BA in Global and International Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Marc Sigal

Shoe Care Specialist

Expert Answer

First, avoid using water to clean your leather shoes. Water will make the leather shrink, so keep them dry if you can. Use a soft-bristled brush or microfiber towel to wipe away any dirt or debris and polish your leather shoes regularly to keep them looking new. You can also use a leather conditioner to make the leather easier to work with as well.
Question

How do I clean muddy leather shoes?

Community Answer

First of all remove all dirt and from your shoes with ragged cloth and use small water if it requires. Then, after, apply saddle soap to remove all small dirt and stain.
Question

How can I remove water stains from leather shoes?

Community Answer

Use vinegar or lemon juice. Take a cloth or soft toothbrush and dip it in watered down vinegar or lemon juice. Then gently rub the shoe to remove all stains. Take a dry cloth and properly dry the shoe. This method should not only remove water stains but also help to keep your leather shoes well maintained and shiny.