#003 Care for your sneakers

Can sneakers be washed?

　What do you do when your sneakers get dirty?
In particular, the safety shoes we handle are often used for hard work, so we often see the shoes of drivers and field workers on the street that are badly damaged or dirty. often
Even if you use it for work, the basics of fashion are from your feet. You should always keep your shoes clean.
There may be people who wash their clothes with soap and water, or people who are strong enough to throw them in the washing machine. However, I believe that sneakers, whether safety shoes or not, should not be washed.

To be more specific, we don't recommend washing the shoes unless they are made with a vulcanized (vulcanized) manufacturing method like Converse or Vans and have canvas uppers.

reference:https://loohcs.jp/articles/3276　

About the manufacturing method of sneakers

　Sneakers are mostly made by one of three manufacturing methods: vulcanizing, cement, and injection. The vulcanized manufacturing method mentioned above has a strong bond between the upper and the bottom, and is often made of materials such as rubber and canvas that are resistant to water, so it can be washed as a whole. (It can be washed even if leather is used, but care such as moisturizing is required separately.)

　The cement manufacturing method is currently the mainstream manufacturing method for sneakers, but since the upper and sole are attached with an adhesive, the peeling performance is significantly inferior to the vulcanizing method. In addition, a core material called Texon made of pulp (paper material) is often used for the part called the insole. Some are water resistant, but I would not say that they are water resistant.

　Finally, there is the injection method. The connection between the upper and the bottom is strong, but urethane is used for the bottom material. This urethane is weak against moisture, causing a chemical reaction to decompose and eventually crumble.

　For these reasons, I think that it is best to brush the sneakers (other than canvas made by the vulcanizing method) frequently and wipe the dirt with a tightly wrung cloth.