In this guide
Material care / mesh & knit
How to gently clean mesh and knit sneakers
Remove loose dirt, take out the laces and support the shoe’s shape. Gently brush the fabric with mild solution, following the pattern on the part you are cleaning. Wipe away soap, pat with a clean cloth and air-dry.
This route follows Nike’s mesh/Flyknit advice for ordinary dirt. Your model’s instructions take priority. Keep it off leather, suede, unknown coatings and damaged yarn; mold and chemical spills are outside this guide.
Set up a small cleaning station
- Soft shoe brush or clean spare toothbrush
- Bowl of cool or lukewarm water and mild soap or detergent allowed for your pair
- Clean soft cloth for wiping; another for patting dry
- Shoe tree or cloth to support the upper
- Separate tool for the sole
Check the product description for the upper and its trim. For example, “mesh upper with suede overlays” does not permit this wet brush method over the suede. If the material or care is unknown, use the material checklist before adding water. White is a color, not a fabric type.
Clean in 5 steps
Remove loose dirt and laces
Gently brush loose dirt off the upper. Keep dirt from the sole away from the fabric. Take out the laces and set them aside.
Support the shape; mix mild solution
Use a shoe tree or cloth inside to support the upper. Mix a small amount of the permitted mild soap into cool or lukewarm water. Skip hot water, bleach and harsh chemicals; no fixed soap ratio is given here.
Brush the fabric one area at a time
Dip the soft brush into the solution. Look at the local pattern and brush gently along it. When you move to another part, look again: the direction can change. Avoid catching or lifting yarn.
Brush catches? Stop rather than pull through the yarn or press harder. See the examples below.
Clean the sole separately; wipe away soap
Use the sole tool for the bottom and sides. Wipe soap off with a clean soft cloth, keeping the sole’s dirt off the upper cloth.
Pat dry, then air-dry
Pat with a clean cloth and leave the pair to air-dry. Do not put it in a tumble dryer.
Look again when the fabric pattern changes
Cannot make out the pattern? Do not choose a direction from this drawing or scrub harder. Pause and check the model’s care instructions or ask Nike how to handle that panel.
If the task changes
Yarn catches or lifts, color transfers unexpectedly, or trim changes: stop brushing. Record the model, cleaner and change for the maker.
A mark remains: do not increase force or concentration to erase it. This is a light-dirt routine, not a stain-restoration method.
Only the laces need cleaning: use the fabric-lace guide; the whole shoe does not need washing.
Check before reassembly and wear
Follow the model’s drying instructions. If the inside is wet, use the compatible unheated drying setup. Damp inside or unsure? Allow more time and wear another pair. No drawing or countdown establishes internal dryness.
Source & how this guide was made
Nike: How to Clean Mesh Shoes — updated October 4, 2023; original steps and FAQ reviewed November 2, 2026. Mild solution, shape support, local-pattern brushing, cloth removal and air-drying. Optional white-shoe paste and source time/cost estimates are not adopted.
AI-assisted desk research and original teaching illustrations, not a hands-on test or reader trial. Separate tools, examples and stop checks are editorial aids. The drawings show example locations and movements; they do not identify material or prove a cleaning result.