How to Uncrease Shoes

Here at The Sole Supplier we’re all for wearing your sneakers, however we all know that if you wear them too much you can end up with horrifying creases. While nobody wants this to happen, with certain silhouettes such as the Air Force 1 and the Air Jordan 1 it can be unavoidable. While creases don’t look great, they also weaken the construction of your kicks, meaning that the longevity of their life can be greatly reduced. While creasing can’t be avoided completely, of course there are ways to keep them from being seriously damaged and also to bring already creased sneakers back to life.

Here at The Sole Supplier, we’ve owned plenty of kicks between us over the years and therefore we’re pretty clued up on how to deal with creased sneakers. There’s plenty of different methods that are preferred by different people, so we’re making sure to cover all the bases as we present you this definitive guide on how to uncrease your sneakers.

While there’s nothing better than a boxfresh pair of sneakers, the reality of life is that if you’re planning on wearing your sneakers then they absolutely will crease. When walking, your feet follow a natural movement pattern that means they bend at the toes, creasing your sneakers in the process. If shoes weren’t created to be flexible to allow this movement, walking would be fairly uncomfortable. When this happens, the fabric of the sneaker compresses, leaving an unsightly crease when the foot returns to its normal position.

While stopping this process altogether would result in walking in an unnatural way, there are several methods that can be used to reduce creasing, meaning your sneakers can stay looking pristine for much longer. Join us as we take a deep dive into the best ways to prevent creasing below!

One of the most popular methods to remove creases from your shoes is to use a hot iron. This can be done easily with items that you probably already have lying around your house, so for the first step you’ll need to find some old newspaper and stuff your shoes tightly, similar to how they come with paper inserts from the factory. Next, dampen a cloth and lay it over the creased area of the sneakers. Finally, set your iron to medium heat and iron over the creases for 10 seconds at a time. Once you’ve finished, remove the cloth and place your iron away but be sure to leave the shoe stuffed until it cools, your creases should now be almost totally invisible.

Another solid method that many sneakerheads rely on is to use a hairdryer, which works in the same way as the iron process. This process works particularly well on leather sneakers. First up you’re going to want to stuff your sneakers once again, and ensure that your hairdryer is set on the low heat setting. Hold the hairdryer around 10 inches away from the sneakers and proceed to trace the line of the crease, afterwards rubbing the crease with your finger. As with the previous method, make sure that you leave the filler inside the sneaker until it’s totally cooled for the optimum result.

If you’re searching for one of the easiest methods out there, then steaming the creases out of your kicks might be the one for you. While it still relies on heat, you don’t need anything else other than a wet towel. First up wet your towel and then ring it out so it’s still damp. Next, put it in a heatproof dish and microwave it on high heat for 30 seconds. Finally, rub the hot towel over the creases repeatedly to heat up the crease. Afterwards, leave them to cool and they should return to looking fresher than ever before.

While it may not be the fastest or easiest way of removing creases from your sneakers, there’s a lot to be said for the simplicity of using shoe trees. If you aren’t aware what shoe trees are, they’re a spring loaded structure that’s inserted into shoes to mimic a foot, giving your sneakers that desirable shape that’s usually only present when worn. They can be acquired cheaply and easily from many places across the internet, and you simply insert them into your sneakers when you’re done wearing them to stretch them back to their original shape. If you don’t believe it it’s definitely worth trying for yourself!

Related Article: Sneaker Storage Ideas

Last but by no means least, keeping your sneakers as fresh as possible should not be underestimated in terms of preventing creases. If you wear them carefully and clean them regularly, of course they’ll stay fresher for much longer. While you’ll never totally prevent creases, this is most likely your best shot at combating permanent damage. Make sure to keep it locked in right here at The Sole Supplier for all the latest sneaker news and updates as it happens!

While you’re here, be sure to check out these other useful sneaker maintenance articles: