How to Clean Dance Shoes: Leather, Suede, & More

Hey, quick question: When was the last time you cleaned your dance shoes?

Wait, what’s that?

You’ve never cleaned your dance shoes – because you don’t know HOW?

Keeping your footwear fresh and performance-ready is important for all dancers at every level. Here’s our complete guide for how to clean dance shoes of various materials (including Feugo’s easy-to-clean dance sneakers!). Read on for all the info you need on how to clean jazz dance shoes with suede soles, how to clean Latin dance shoes made of leather, how to clean half sole dance shoes, and even how to clean smelly dance shoes (foot odor happens – your secret’s safe with us!).

Why It’s Important to Clean Your Dance Shoes Regularly

Dance shoe hygiene is essential for more than just aesthetic reasons. On the surface, you obviously want to keep your dance shoes free from dirt, scuffs, and debris in order to look professional and polished. But keeping your practice and performance footwear clean can also help make your shoes last longer, and can be crucial for protecting your feet from nasty issues like athlete’s foot and other fungal and bacterial infections.

Understanding the Material of Your Dance Shoes

Cleaning Leather Dance Shoes

Leather is a popular choice for dance shoes because of its softness, durability, and aesthetics. But if not carefully maintained, leather dance shoes can begin to look worn fast! Keep your leather dance shoes looking fresh and help prevent additional buildup and damage from accumulating sweat and dirt by cleaning them regularly.

After you’ve worn your leather dance shoes, wipe them with a soft, dry cloth to lift away surface debris and moisture. This helps remove that hard-to-see grime that can collect over time and degrade the material.

To remove light scuffs and spot clean, use a damp cloth to gently buff the mark, applying gentle pressure as needed. For stubborn stains, a very mild laundry detergent mixed with water is usually safe to use, but do so with caution: always use as little liquid as possible, as water can cause leather to break down more quickly and even stain the material further in your pursuit to remove the original mark!

About once a month, you may also want to clean your leather dance shoes more deeply, especially if you wear them frequently. Make sure to use a cleaner that is specially formulated for leather shoes and follow the instructions carefully. 

While leather is a traditional choice for dance shoes, it may not be your best option: Fuego’s vegan leather dance sneakers are a smart alternative. Not only do Fuego sneakers have the look and feel of leather, but they’re much easier to clean and to keep looking & feeling like new!

Cleaning Fabric or Canvas Dance Shoes

While it is possible to clean some fabric or canvas shoes in the washing machine, it’s still best to clean fabric or canvas dance shoes by hand. Why? Because even if your shoes make it safely through the wash on a gentle cycle, all that agitation can still damage the shape and structural elements of the shoe, stretch or shrink the fabric, and degrade the adhesive. While that might be ok for an old pair of house shoes or slip-on kicks for running errands, you want to make sure the structure and fit of your dance shoes is the best it can be in order to properly support your feet and body while dancing. 

So, how do you hand-wash fabric or canvas dance shoes?

Start by mixing about one teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent with two quarts of warm water in a bowl or bucket.

If you need to remove any stubborn stains, use a dab of detergent on the spot to pre-treat. Work in the detergent with your fingers or use a soft-bristle brush (an old toothbrush works great!), then let it sit for about 15 minutes before cleaning the full shoe.

Make sure to remove the laces from your dance shoes and place them in the detergent solution to soak while you clean your shoes. Dip a sponge or rag into the water & detergent and then use it to gently scrub the outside of the shoe. Don’t forget the soles! Finally, rinse your shoes, rinse the laces, and allow all to air-dry.

Do not put your canvas or fabric dance shoes in a mechanical dryer: it’s almost guaranteed to cause damage! It’s also best not to sit them in direct sunlight while air drying: while your shoes may dry faster, the intense rays could cause fading.

Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Dance Shoes

Follow these general tips & tricks for cleaning your dance shoes.

1. Removing Surface Dirt and Debris

It’s always wise to remove the outer layer of dust and dirt before thoroughly cleaning your shoes: that way, you don’t push any debris further into the material, potentially staining or damaging it.

2. Deep Cleaning the Soles of Your Dance Shoes

The best way to clean the soles of your dance shoes depends on the material with which they are made. If your soles are made of suede like many jazz or Latin dance shoes, use a shoe brush to dry brush the soles and remove any debris. A quality shoe brush will lift away the dirt, dust, and grime you can and cannot see, while maintaining the suede’s quality. The shoes of a half-sole or split-sole dance shoe can be cleaned using the same technique, though you may want to use a little extra caution in order to protect the fabric mid-section of the sole while brushing.

You can also use a dry brush to clean wood and rubber soles, and other modern sole materials, like Fuego’s patented FlowTec™ outsoles. Unlike suede or leather soles, the soles of Fuego sneakers can also be safely wiped down with a wet cloth to keep them looking fresh and new!

3. Treating Stains on Dance Shoes

Don’t let sneaky stains ruin your performance look: maintain a polished aesthetic by removing marks as soon as possible! Use a tiny amount of detergent mixed with a minimal amount of water to remove stains on leather dance shoes, and use a soft brush and detergent to spot-treat stains on canvas or fabric shoes before hand washing. 

Fuego dance sneakers are even easier to spot-clean: just dampen a cloth and wipe away the mark!

Tools and Products You’ll Need for Cleaning Dance Shoes

Soft Brushes and Cloths

• Invest in a quality shoe brush to remove the dirt on your dance shoes’ soles.

• Repurpose an old toothbrush by using it to spot-clean!

• Soft cloths are ideal for cleaning all types of dance shoe materials: microfiber cloths or old washcloths are both great options.

Specialty Cleaners for Suede and Leather

Another wise investment if you have suede or leather dance shoes is a high-quality cleaner made especially for cleaning that material. It’s important not to use any harsh 

detergents or cleaners intended for other fabrics on suede or leather, as it can stain very 

easily!

Homemade Cleaning Solutions for Fabric Shoes

You’ve heard the saying, “A little dab will do ya!”? It definitely applies to using detergent 

or soaps to clean your fabric dance shoes! Mixing the smallest amount of a very mild detergent with warm water is an efficient way to clean most fabric shoes, but make 

sure not to oversaturate them with soap! 

Tips for Drying Dance Shoes After Cleaning

Air drying isn’t just your best option for drying dance shoes: it’s your only option! NEVER put your dance shoes in the dryer: even a low heat setting WILL damage your shoes, often in ways you can’t see!

Maintain your dance shoes’ crucial form by allowing them to air dry completely in a space with neutral temperature, out of the sunlight. Don’t try to wear them again until they are fully dry: not only will your feet get clammy wearing damp shoes, but you could stretch the material by wearing them while they’re still wet.

Preventative Measures to Keep Dance Shoes Clean

Applying Protective Sprays to Dance Shoes

While not mandatory, depending on the material of your dance shoes, you may want to consider treating them with a protective spray in order to make them last as long as possible and prevent damage from inclement weather and wear-and-tear.

Fuego dance sneakers do not require a special protective layer: they’re made with water-resistant, mostly vegan materials and are safe to wear indoors and outside on any surface without causing damage to the shoes upper or outsoles!

Avoiding Outdoor Use to Minimize Dirt

While you’re free to wear Fuego dance sneakers on the street, in the backyard, or even to the beach, that’s not the case for most dance shoes: avoid wearing traditional dance shoes outside, as they are not intended for outdoor wear and are usually not created to withstand the elements.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Cleaning Dance Shoes

We’ve all experienced a cleaning mishap – from severely shrunken sweaters that can now fit your childhood doll collection, to that tiny spot of salad dressing on your jeans that after “cleaning,” is now the size of a small country! 

Don’t let tragedy strike your precious dance shoes: follow these tips.

1. DO NOT – we repeat: DO. NOT. – put your dance shoes in the WASHER or DRYER. 

2. DO spot clean your dance shoes regularly as opposed to waiting until they’re filthy: regular maintenance is key to keeping them fresh for as long as possible.

3. DO let your dance shoes air out after wearing them for a few hours or more: this will help remove moisture and prevent odor.

4. DON’T let your shoelaces get ragged: laces can start to look worn and dirty fast. Having a fresh pair ready will keep you looking polished.

DO take pride in a clean pair of supportive, comfortable dance shoes: Fuego dance sneakers are an easy-to-clean option for dancers of all levels and every dance genre! They’re made to last with durable materials that are super-simple to maintain: shop your favorite style and find out just how effortless it is to dance in these kicks – and to keep them looking & feeling fresh!