Malaysia can be a challenging country to be a sneakerhead. Heck, any sneakerhead who lives in this region will have encountered a series of frustrating sneaker challenges. Whether its the infamous midsole crumbling from Nike/New Balance, to getting our shoes with suede uppers covered in fungi/moss or that Air Max unit on our soles losing its, erm, air, the tropical and humid weather we have here does no favors for our sneakers. With these factors involved, being a sneaker collector can be a pain when it comes to maintaining your soles.
Being a local sneakerhead, we have listened to many complains of their shoes crumbling under their feet or the discoloration of their shoes. So we decided to come up with some tips to give your shoes a longer shelf. We may have missed out a few so let us know what else works for you or if you disagree, let us know in the comment box below. Hope this helps in maintaining your collection and good luck!
1. Keep it out of hot, extreme temperatures
Storing your sneakers in a cool, dark and dry environment is the way to go. Leaving them out in the open isn’t a good thing to do as you may get yellowed soles (sunlight) or the accumulation of dust on your sneakers may make it unbearable to look at. Closets or cupboards are the best choices unless you want to invest in huge shoe container.
After a good wearing, your sneakers do need a dry out (especially for wearer’s with sweaty feet) so it’s best to air dry for a short while. Leaving it in the heat could lead to drying out the materials and breaking them down (especially bad for leather) or the melting of the glue keeping your upper and midsole together if left out for too long.
2. Understand the Soul (sole) of your Shoe
As most sneakerheads would know, the infamous midsole crumble is one of our biggest fears. Take note, the process that leads to the crumble is called HYDROLYSIS. Some sneakers are made of a more durable material like EVA, which can withstand a number of punishing conditions. But the midsole and outsole of most sneakers made in the world are made of PU which is prone to hydrolysis. Buying and inserting silica packs in our shoe boxes will help take the moisture out of the air since the humidity in Malaysia is high.
Just don’t overdo it, your shoes are pliable and still needs some form of moisture. Sealing your sneaker entirely in zip lock bags isn’t recommended as it could lead to yellowing and the materials on your sneaker need air. Zip lock bags tend to be made of plastic and plastic tends to adhere to surfaces. Also, avoid stepping on wet puddles and wear appropriate sneakers depending on the weather since it will help prevent that nasty fungi/moss from growing on your shoes or the quickening of your soles dying.
3. Wrapping Paper can be a Yellow Nightmare
This applies to shoes with white midsoles. A number of collectors have left their shoes laid on wrapping paper in the box for a number of years only to find the midsoles disgustingly yellow. Whitening it back is not impossible; it’s just a tedious and long process.
The moral of the story? Wrapping paper is not good for your white midsoles as most wrapping paper have an acidity to it that causes the yellowing in the first place and it’s mostly for presentation purposes anyway. There are 2 ways to go about this: simply throw them away or fold it and save it for nostalgic reasons. So unless you are a reseller, it’s usually a good idea to keep the wrapping paper away from your sneakers… unless you want a one-sided ‘gum’ midsole/outsole.
4. Rock them not Stock them
As most collectors would know, keeping them stocked and not wearing them is a sure fire way to eventually making them not wearable again. That crack, yellowing of the soles and even that midsole crumble are all possible scenarios of what may happen after a few years or even months left unworn.
Your sneakers need to ‘breathe’ so take them out for some fresh air. There’s absolutely no good reason to leave them to rot in storage only to see them die on your feet. So rock them on your feet, keep a daily rotation and wear them with pride!
5. Lastly, keep your sneakers clean
Alas, the elements aren’t kind to your shoes and every once in awhile you may find that stain or dirt patch on your midsoles or shoe upper. Just like how you maintain your clothes, cars, your room etc., your shoes need to be clean as well. There’s a saying, “Cleanliness is next to godliness”. There is a variety of sneaker cleaning products to help clean the surfaces and outsoles of your shoes that include Jason Markk or the local alternative SBF aka Sneaker’s Best Friend.
Keeping them clean will not only keep them looking fresh but also prevents permanent aesthetic damage in the long run. Don’t be lazy, just do it during the weekends. No matter what you do, DO NOT put them in the washing machine or dryer as this method will only destroy them eventually.
Nothing lasts forever. Your shoes in the end will eventually disintegrate in due time but hey, at least they will have a much longer shelf life with these tips.
