Well… Not just my Jordans; I thought the title would be catchy, but for today’s inquiry project, I thought what better way to make use of a sunny day after a tiresome amount of classes than to sit outside with a sponge and some hot soapy water and clean some dirty shoes! That may come across as a tad enthusiastic for a pair of dirty shoes. For context, I haven’t worn these shoes in an unfortunate amount of time out of sheer procrastination, or at this point, perhaps laziness. Regardless, I’m so thankful for this inquiry project for giving me some external motivation to complete so many creative pursuits that I have been putting off for months… If not years.
Here is the first pair of shoes I cleaned up; pictured on the right is the clean shoe, with the one on the left still dirty. I have to say, after over two years of these shoes being my daily drivers, they have yet to disappoint me. Pro tip: If you want comfortable shoes that last forever, opt for a pair of leather runners that can be easily cleaned with a Mr. Clean sponge and some bleach on the shoelaces. As long as you’re okay with giving them a quick clean every few months, you will get your money’s worth.
Here’s the supplies I used: two sponges for less than $3, and some dish soap and warm water is all you need. The sponges work great on any sort of leather that you want to repurpose or clean.
Before and after taking Mr. Clean to my favourite pair of boots that I have neglected to wear or look at since my muddy walk through Mystic Veil.
Lastly, here’s a before and after of the Jordans I thrifted from Value Village! I unfortunately haven’t gotten around to wearing them yet, since they were pretty dirty and beaten when I purchased them second-hand. I have been meaning to give these a good clean for months now, so I could finally wear them, but this project gave me the push I needed to get these shoes back to an acceptable-looking state to be worn.
Anyways, that’s my endeavour for today. In the spirit of upcycling, or reusing discarded objects in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original, I would like to think cleaning the old pair of shoes I have neglected for months fits well into this category.
This venture can be used as a reminder to myself and others to take care of their belongings; a small amount of time and love goes a long way with products that can easily be fixed, renewed, or cleaned. In a fast-paced, capitalistic world where fast fashion runs rampant, it’s easy to get lost in trends and consumerism that make you forget about the valuable and high-quality items we already own.