The Sneaker Shack - Sustainably Cleaning Sneakers
I love sneakers. I am not a fan of high heels or any other kind of shoes actually but I love sneakers. I really love white sneakers. But running around like I do means white sneakers don’t stay white for very long. My go to has always been to throw them into the washing machine but on a recent trip to the Sneaker Shack I discovered that throwing them in the washing machine not only damages the shoes but can also reduce their life-span!
What is The Sneaker Shack
In short, The Sneaker Shack is a laundry service for your sneakers. It does sound a little bit like an unnecessary service – I get it. Or maybe you thought it is something only rich people spend their money on. I had both of those thoughts but I was wrong on both accounts!
There are currently NINE Sneaker Shack outlets – 8 in Gauteng and one in Cape Town. The largest store in Rosebank cleans, by hand, around 100 sneakers A DAY!!!Clearly having your sneakers cleaned is indeed a real thing.
Obviously there is nothing wrong with washing your sneakers in the washing machine but I am sure you have noticed that it does tend to damage them – soles come loose easily and if you have kids shoes with velcro they tend to pick up all the dirt and become a bit of a mess. Also unless you have a few of the same colour shoes it can be pretty wasteful to pop a pair of shoes into the washing machine.
The Sneaker Shack have a team of amazing individuals who are dedicated to cleaning your sneakers. Each pair of shoes that arrive at the Sneaker Shack are hand cleaned thoroughly. Every little piece of your shoe is scrubbed, washed and cleaned by hand to ensure that each shoe is cleaned properly. Not only will they clean your shoes at The Sneaker Shack but they are also able to do certain repairs – further increasing your shoes lifespan.
If your sneakers have reached the end of their time with you, you can donate them to The Sneaker Shack and they will donate running shoes to Project Run and other shoes to one of the charities they support. As a bonus you will receive a discount on your cleaning if you drop sneakers off – WIN WIN!
Brands that have giving back as a part of their overall strategy will always win for me. Project Run is not a once off campaign for The Sneaker Shack but rather it is an ongoing project that the team are passionate about.
For me this brand ticks a lot of the right boxes – it is a local brand, it has a focus on sustainability, they genuinely care about their staff and they are giving back!
If you do need your sneakers cleaned, consider popping in to your nearest Sneaker Shack, kids shoes get cleaned for 50% less and if you take in a pre-loved pair of shoes, you will get a discount on your clean!
Seriously there are more reasons to take your shoes in that not,
13 Responses
I LOVE what they’re doing to give back like this. I have to see if we have one in our area because we have some sneakers we’re not using.
We have so many shoes that my boys have outgrown, this would be a great way to get more use out of them. I also wear either sneakers or flip-flops every day so they are always in need of a good cleaning. Especially when we get home from camping trips.
Oh this is such a wonderful idea. I don’t think we have anything like that here in Ireland. I hate throwing away my sneakers, love this!!
This is such a great idea. I wish we had this service over in the UK. So many people would use it!
this is a really awesome idea. I wish more companies did the same, so much better for tomorrow!
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Super love the idea WOW!!! I need all my sneakers cleaned and I don’t know how to do it. Super cool idea.
Interesting! I didn’t know there were companies that offered this kind of service, pretty awesome to know about.
That is so great, I’d love to participate and donate our family’s old shoes. Thanks for sharing!
A great cause behind their work! I think it’s wonderful to give new life to old things.
I love finding ways to be more ecofriendly and sustainable. What a great idea! I’ve never heard of this before.
I don’t like washing my sneakers in the machines as I find it destroys the rubber in the long run. Having a snearker washing service such as Sneaker Shack sounds amazing! I wish we had them here and I would send all ours to them to get cleaned
It is always good to mend and reuse something if possible than filling up the landfill. A sneaker washing service sounds like a great idea.
Oh wow it looks like Sneaker Shack really worked! This is so good to know, as my sneakers do get dirty fast.