Do Vans Shoes Crease? (Yes, Here’s How to Fix Them)

It’s no secret that leather shoes crease easily. But since most Vans shoes are made with canvas and suede, many people wonder if they crease just like other shoes. In fact, GQ created a timeline of 55 days documenting the journey of a pair of Vans. 

So, do Vans shoes crease?

Like any other shoes, Vans shoes made with canvas, suede, or leather will crease over time, especially across the toe break. This is normal because a pair of Vans sneakers will bend naturally as you walk, creating creases as time goes by.

In this article, we will share with you not only how to remove creases from your Vans, but also how to prevent creases from happening in the first place. Let’s get into it.

Do Vans Shoes Crease?

When it comes to buying a pair of sneakers, some materials crease less than others.

Take leather for example. It is considered the standard material for a basic pair of quality shoes. However, leather is a material that gets creased more easily than canvas and suede.

Vans sneakers made with canvas and suede, like the Old Skool Vans and Classic Slip-Ons, do crease, but their creases are far less noticeable than the creases on most sneakers, especially sneakers made with leather material.

That’s the beauty of Vans. They don’t crease as much.

While there is a crease on the toe break, the crease on this pair of Vans is not very noticeable.
This pair of Vans Slip-Ons has been worn for a while but shows no noticeable creases.

Shoe creases are normal and inevitable. They will happen as time goes by, especially if you wear your sneakers often. Take a few steps and notice how each foot bends; that’s what a normal stride looks like. It will crease all shoes, no matter the material. 

So remember, creases are normal, but most shoes can tolerate creases, especially Vans.

How to Remove Creases From Vans Shoes

When it comes to getting rid of creases from a pair of Vans, there is one method that we’ve found most effective. You will need hot steam, though. Here’s how to do it…

The Steam Iron Method

To begin the steam iron method, you will need:

  1. Water
  2. Shoe Trees (if you don’t have them, use newspaper instead)
  3. Clean Towel
  4. Steam Iron

Once you have everything prepared, we’re ready to begin. While it’s okay to leave the laces on, we recommend removing the laces for this procedure to protect them from damage.

Here are the steps to the steam iron method:

  1. Stuff the shoe with a shoe tree or newspaper. Stuffing the shoe maintains the integrity of the shoe while you apply heat to it. You don’t want the shoe to flop while you steam iron it, otherwise it may worsen the crease.
  2. Dampen the towel with water and place it on top of the shoe. Dunk a clean towel in water and squeeze until it becomes damp. Once damp, lay it over the front part of the shoe (the area where the creases are). 
  3. Turn on the steam iron to medium heat. Once you’ve laid down the damp towel, grab your steam iron and turn it on. You may have different settings but we’ve had the best results when setting it to COTTON. Set the temperature to medium just to be safe.
  4. Steam iron the shoe in a circular motion. Apply heat and gently steam iron the shoe in a circular motion. Be careful not to go overboard to the lace area. Avoid leaving the iron on one spot for too long as it may damage the canvas.
  5. Let the shoe cool down before repeating the process. You can repeat the steps above until you reach your desired results. However, it’s important to let the shoe cool down before doing another session.

Repeat the process for the other shoe. After you like the results that you see, you can remove the stuffing from both shoes. Whether your shoes are made of canvas, suede, or leather, the creases on the toe break area should become less noticeable.

If you don’t have a steam iron, you can place your sneakers over the steam of a kettle. Just be sure to protect the shoes with a damp towel first before steaming, then let them air dry.

How to Prevent Creases From Vans Shoes

Equally important with removing creases from Vans is avoiding them in the first place.

The best way to prevent creases from Vans is to insert Sneaker Shields inside the shoes. They help maintain the shape of the shoes while you’re wearing them, preventing creases from forming. You can also insert shoe trees while you’re not wearing your Vans.

That said, there are three simple tricks on how to prevent creases from Vans shoes that have worked well for us, whether the Vans sneakers are made of canvas, suede, or leather. Here’s each method explained in greater detail:

1. Insert a Pair of Sneaker Shields

The first tip on how to avoid creases from your Vans is inserting a pair of Sneaker Shields. 

Sneaker shields are inserts made of thin plastic (1.5 mm) placed inside your shoes while you wear them. They help prevent creases from forming on your sneakers’ toe box, making them look new for as long as possible.

We’ve tried several products in the past but nothing comes close to the Original Sneaker Shields.

Their flagship product is made with excellent materials designed to be soft and comfortable, yet extremely durable. It’s surprisingly breathable too.

Sneaker Shields (buy on Amazon):

So if you want to protect your Vans from creasing, give the Sneaker Shields a try. It’s easy to use, comfortable to wear, and should fit your Vans nicely.

2. Use Shoe Trees When You’re Not Wearing Your Vans

While you can protect your Vans from creasing while wearing them, you can also avoid creases when you’re NOT wearing them. How? By inserting shoe trees.

There are plenty of shoe tree options out there, but the one we love the most is a shoe tree made with Cedar Wood because it has a great, fragrant smell.

So not only are you keeping your Vans crease-free, but you’re also deodorizing them at the same time. Because let’s face it, Vans are not very breathable so they can get pretty smelly.

Cedar Elements Solid Pine Shoe Trees (buy on Amazon):

Inserting shoe trees also helps stretch the shoes, helping you break into your Vans faster.

Of course, there are cheaper options made of plastic, but we’ve found the spring Cedar Wood shoe tree to deliver the best results. If you don’t want to buy shoe trees, you can put newspapers or the papers that come with the shoes instead.

As long as you have something inside the shoes keeping the form intact, you’re good.

3. Rotate Your Sneakers (Don’t Wear Them Daily)

Last but not least, the ultimate tip to avoid creases on your Vans shoes is to rotate them out.

In other words, you don’t want to wear the same pair of sneakers back-to-back. This tip alone can dramatically reduce the likelihood of creases forming on a pair of Vans.

Now if you can’t afford another pair of sneakers, it’s no big deal. But, if you can afford one more pair of shoes so you’re not wearing the same shoes over and over again, you can significantly reduce the number of creases that form on your favorite pair of sneakers.

Common sense will tell you that the less you wear them, the fewer creases will form. 

Bonus Tip: How to Pack Your Vans for Traveling

Here’s a bonus tip to keep your Vans crease-free. When it comes to traveling or going on a trip, believe it or not, it’s a good idea to take your shoe trees out of your shoes.

Instead of placing your shoe trees inside your sneakers when packing for a trip, you can stuff them with underwear and socks. Not only does it keep your shoes in solid shape, but you can also save space in your luggage.

Once you’ve stuffed your sneakers well, place them inside a dust bag.

If you’ve ever bought a nice pair of sneakers, they usually come with a cloth bag with a drawstring on top, which is perfect for storing your sneakers for traveling.

This prevents your sneakers from rubbing against your clothes inside your bag.

If you don’t have a dust bag, a clear plastic bag (Ziploc bag) or a towel will do. As long as there is a separation between your sneakers and your clothes, you’re good to go.

Bottom Line

Now that you know whether Vans shoes crease or not, you can take the necessary steps to remove the creases and prevent them in the first place.

All shoes will crease over time, including Vans sneakers.

Fortunately, Vans shoes are made with solid materials that do not crease as much as other sneakers do. However, you can prevent and slow down the formation of creases by inserting Sneaker Shields and shoe trees to maintain your Vans for as long as possible.