Spring is the season of white sneakers. Truthfully I wear my most of the year but spring and summer is when they really shine and I get so excited to wear them more this time of year. Whether its with shorts, jeans or even dresses they are a great and versatile warm weather shoe.

I first shared a guide to keeping white sneakers clean five years ago but as I was prepping my shoes for spring I thought I should share an updated guide alone with a few favorite sneaker options. When I wear white I often hear from other moms “oh my gosh I could never!” Trust me, I face my fair share of messes. Plus, I am particularly clumsy myself, regularly spilling or finding myself with a random stain. But with the right prep and maintenance you can keep your white sneakers looking good as new.

Protect

The first thing I do when I get any type of new shoe is spray them with a leather or fabric protector. This will help repel any water or stains. I have used this one for several years and it works very well. Not only do I spray shoes when they are new, but I also try to spray them at least once a year depending on how often they are worn. If retreating them only respray after you have spot treated or cleaned them first!

Spot Treat

This may seem obvious but if you spill or find a spot, treat it as soon as you can. I almost always have baby wipes or shout wipes on me to handle messes or stains. These get me by until I am home or able to give them a good spray or cleaning.

Clean

For white sneakers, I clean them before every spring season. This helps keep them looking new. I remove the laces and run them through the wash if applicable (some canvas sneakers hold up really well in the wash, like Keds and Tretorns). If the laces are white, I give them a soak in bleach before washing as well. Depending on how long I’ve had the sneakers, I replace the laces, which can really help the overall look. I use a magic eraser to clean the soles, and this is what I feel makes the biggest difference to keep them looking new. For leather or suede sneakers, which obviously can’t go through the wash, I use baby wipes and a magic eraser to get rid of any spots, dirt, and discoloration. After cleaning the shoes spray them with shoe protectant and you are good to go!

I just went through these steps with my white sneakers and look at the difference it made! Slide to see the before and after.

Favorite Pairs

I have a few different pairs of sneakers that I truly love and wear all the time! They have all held up really well and clean up nicely. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Feversole Trainers: These are a very inexpensive option (pictured in the before and afters) and in my opinion they are just as good as similar more expensive pairs that I have tried. I’ve had mine for a year now and they still look nice. They are very comfortable and great for pairing with sundresses.
• Veja Esplar: I love this as a fun but subtle spin on a plain white sneaker. I’ve had mine for 3 years and wear them all the time. This is usually one of my go-to pairs while traveling.
• K-Swiss Court: I’ve owned this pair for 5 years. They are definitely looking a little more worn down than others given how much use they’ve had BUT they are still quite white.
• Veja Rio Branco: This isn’t a true white sneakers but with the white and suede combo I know people shy away from it thinking it would be hard to maintain. I’ve had mine for over a year and they still look great and they get plenty of wear. I wore them all over Disneyland and through airports. They are comfortable and if treated properly they will hold up really well!

I hope this guide is helpful! Enjoy white sneaker season!