Okay guys, so yesterday I finally got around to tackling a chore I’d been putting off forever: cleaning my beat-up Air Jordan 5 “Grapes”. Man, they were lookin’ rough – dirt all over the suede, yellowed mesh, just plain grimy. Figured it was time for a deep clean. Here’s exactly what I did, step-by-step.
Spotting the Mess & Gathering Stuff
First things first, I pulled the shoes out and really looked ’em over. Biggest problems: dark marks on the white mesh tongue and sides, dirt ground into the purple suede collars, and that icy sole was lookin’ kinda blah. You know how it is. Rummaged around at home for cleaning stuff. Here’s what I grabbed:
- Basic sneaker cleaner kit (had some leftover from before)
- A couple of soft-bristled brushes – one smaller, one bigger
- Microfiber cloths (super important for suede!)
- Old toothbrush (for scrubbing small spots)
- Small bowl for mixing cleaner
- Cold water (never hot!)
Didn’t wanna use anything too harsh that might mess up the suede or the materials.
Getting Down to Cleaning
Took the laces out right away and tossed them in a little soapy water to soak. Okay, time for the shoes themselves.
Started with the white mesh parts. Mixed some sneaker cleaner with cold water like the bottle said. Dabbed a little of the solution onto a microfiber cloth first, rubbed it gently onto a small spot – gotta test it, right? Looked fine. Took the smaller soft brush, dipped just the tips in the solution (don’t drench it!), and gently scrubbed in little circles over the mesh tongue and side panels. Man, the dirt just started lifting! Rinsed the brush constantly. For stubborn stains from where I spilled Coke last weekend (oops!), used the old toothbrush super carefully. Quickly wiped the area with a damp microfiber cloth to get any leftover cleaner off.
Next up, the scary part: the purple suede collar. Suede freaks me out – too easy to ruin. Got a clean, dry microfiber cloth ready. Just used the dry brush from the kit first – scrubbed it gently to knock off any loose dirt. Didn’t wanna push it deeper. For a grease spot near the ankle, used a tiny, tiny dab of the sneaker cleaner on a corner of the cloth. Seriously, barely any. Dabbed it super softly onto the spot – didn’t scrub! Just pressed lightly. Patience is key here. Used the suede brush side afterwards to gently brush the nap back up once it was dry. Way better.
For the midsole (the part above the sole but below the upper), went back to the soapy mix and the slightly stiffer brush (still soft!), scrubbing carefully along that groove. Gets gross there. Wiped it down.
Lastly, the icy sole. It wasn’t totally brown or anything, just yellowed. Honestly? The sneaker cleaner didn’t do miracles here. I used the cleaner and gave it a good scrub with the brush, focusing on the traction patterns. It got rid of surface dirt, looked cleaner, but still a bit yellow. Guess yellowing is kinda normal with age? Not stressing about it.
Oh yeah, the laces! Fished them out of the soapy water and rinsed ’em clean. Squeezed the water out with a towel and laid ’em flat to dry.
Drying Out & Final Look
DID NOT stick these babies near a heater or in the sun! Nope. Stuffed the toes with some paper towels to keep shape and help suck up moisture. Placed them on a rack in a shady spot in my room with good airflow. Took ages, like over a full day, for everything to dry completely.
Once bone dry, took the suede brush again, gave the purple collars a nice little buff to fluff ’em up. Laced ’em back up.
Final thoughts? Wow, massive difference! The white mesh looks crisp again, the suede feels alive, not caked in dirt. Sure, the sole isn’t brand new bright, but overall? Night and day. Not perfect factory fresh, but way, way better. Totally worth the hour or so it took. Honestly, the hardest part was just starting and being careful with the suede. If my beat-up Grapes can look this decent, anyone’s can!