It's rare that I clean my shoes, and when I do, I use Jason Markk. I've got a pair of Shattered Backboard 1s that could use some cleaning. Looked through the thread and didn't find much. Any recommendations on how to clean them up? I think I've read that damage can be irreversible depending on what I use. Thanks in advance!
If its leather, and the stains are tough its okay to use JM for touchup cleaning. I wouldnt use JM for suede, keep it far away from suede unless you have a stubborn stain and have tried everything else (at that point it may ruin your shoes so its a last ditch effort and a gamble. If you really want to use JM on suede , do it on gray suede or white/cream. Avoid at all costs on using it on dyed/colored suede i.e. curry colored suede, navy, or blacks. Only suede shoes that have responded well to JM have been gray colored ones..).
JM is best for mesh, fabrics, and synthetic materials , imo.
For Suede/Nubuck - go with a spray cleaner. Brands dont matter, they are all mostly the same. The cheapest I have found is the one New Balance makes. Everyone will have their own preference, some like Crepe.. I personally prefer Kiwi.
For sealers - I personally never use them on leather shoes. Only shoes that have suede. Leather is much easier to care for than the other materials like fabrics, mesh, synthetics, suede, nubucks and etc. But Leathers need more maintenance care than those above. Leather ages well if you take care of it. Otherwise leather dries out and gets damaged. The key is keeping leather moist (however for storing leather shoes youll want to do the opposite which is why imo Leather shoes will be harder to preserve as DS than lets say mesh or suede shoes. Leather shoes age well if you use them occassionaly. In my experience DS Leather shoes do not store or age well)
Personally, I either use leather cleaner (which downside is that its expensive. the cheaper products dont work well). Or if im just doing weekly cleaning - Ive discovered a product that works extremely well for good leathers (do not use on suede or nubuck - however if you get it on suede by accident once it dries off it wont leave any marks.). Its in the household cleaner aisle, ita called EnDust. It comes in a yellow bottle. Of course Im not using it for what its intended for, but I use it on most of my leather shoes including dress shoes, briefcases, and leather wallets.. It is SAFE to use on any leather, as long as the leather is high quality or real/non synthetic.
It has an oil in it that keeps leather lubricated and also will apply a shine on leather. Also it repels water to a degree, and repels dust and dirt. Its intended use is for furniture, i.e. tables, sofas, and etc. I find that it only works well on real and highquality leathers. I spray a small amount first on a microfiber towel, then apply it on the shoes. A little goes a long way... It will clean mild to medium stains, its my goto cleaner unless I am doing a full cleaning of which Ill opt to use leather cleaner and leather conditioner. If you apply it and dont like the "shine" effect it gives off, then you can use a clean microfiber towel and rub at it to dull it out.
Of course if you dont feel safe trying it out for yourself, there are alot of options now a days (crepe, JM, and leather cleaners etc). If you want to try it but have doubts, use it on a pair of beaters and see for yourself. It is safe to use, and you dont have to worry about it leaving stains and etc. I also use it on my midsoles (it is safe on paint), since some cleaners if rubbed into midsoles can strip the color out of them. OR another cleaner I use to use before I discovered EnDust was the Amorall leather car wipes.
Awesome thing about it, is it repels dirt and dust which lasts quite a while. Ive been doing this for quite some time, so I am not making this up.. Its one of those things, Ive discovered over the years through alot of trail and error before brands like JM , Crepe, and others came out... I stopped using the car leather wipes, because I didnt like how it made the leather look afterwards (its hard to describe but at first leather looked great but then after it wore off it would really dry out the leather.. And the clean look would wear off too quickly) on higher quality leathers..
