In short: To remove creases from Jordan 11, stuff them from the heel to the toe box area with newspapers, lay a damp towel over the creased area, then iron over the towel in 10-second increments. When the creases are gone, leave the sneakers stuffed until they cool down.
You’ll find plenty of articles detailing how to remove creases from shoes. However, Jordan 11s are unique because they tend to develop creases specifically in the ankle area.
In this article, you will learn how to remove creases from Air Jordan 11 sneakers.
How to remove Jordan 11 shoe creases
You can easily remove creases from Jordan 11 shoes by ironing them. The heat and moisture will soften the shoe material, especially the leather, and stretch out the crease.
For this method, you will need an iron, a clean towel, and some newspapers. The towel will protect the shoes from the heat. Here is how to remove Jordan 11 sneaker creases:
1. Stuff the sneakers from the inside
The first thing you would want to do is to stuff the shoes from the inside, from the heel to the toe box area. The goal is to help the shoes maintain their shape during the ironing process.
To stuff the shoes, take old newspapers, roll them up, then stuff them inside the shoes. Although shoe trees work best, you can also use socks or cardboard molds to stuff your sneakers.
Once stuffed, you would want to tighten the laces to keep your Jordan 11 sneakers in good shape. There’s no need to extremely tighten them, just lace them up normally.
2. Damp a towel to protect your sneakers
The next step is to prepare a damp towel to protect the sneakers. Putting a hot iron directly on your shoe can irreparably damage the material. You don’t want to burn your shoes now, do you?
This step is pretty straightforward. Run tap water over a clean towel, then squeeze it until it is damp. Ideally, you would want to use a white towel so there is no color bleed on your shoes.
Once damp, lay the towel over the creased area. It is okay to fold the towel. In fact, you would want to use a buffer between the iron and the shoe to protect the material from heat.
3. Iron over the towel in 20-second increments
Once the damp towel has been laid over the creased area, it’s time to iron the creases.
Turn on your iron to between 60–80 degrees Fahrenheit, then iron over the towel in 20-second increments, moving the iron in a circular motion. Do not place the iron in one spot for too long.
After 20 seconds, check the creases between intervals to avoid damage to the sneaker. If the creases are gone, stop ironing, but leave the shoe stuffed until it cools.
Do the same thing to the other pair of sneakers. If the towel has become dry at this point, make sure to dampen it once more before ironing the creases out of the other pair of Jordan 11.
How to prevent Jordan 11 from creasing
The best way to prevent Jordan 11 from creasing is to store them with boot trees (not shoe trees). Thanks to their tall shape, boot trees will prevent creases from forming in the ankle area.
Remember: Any shoes with leather material, like the Jordan 11s will crease if you wear them. Nothing will ever stop that. They don’t crease any easier now than they did back in the day.
However, these are some things you can do to prevent the creasing:
1. Store them with boot trees
The easiest thing you can do to prevent creases from Jordan 11 sneakers is to store them with boot trees inside. However, it’s important to use boot trees instead of shoe trees.
You might be thinking: what’s the difference? After all, Jordan 11s are not boots.
The reason is that Jordan 11s are unique. Unlike most Nike and Jordan sneakers, Jordan 11s tend to develop creases specifically in the ankle area, not in the toe box area.
Shoe trees do a great job of preventing creases in the toe box area, but they do little to stop creases in the ankle area. This is why it is super important to use boot trees.
Boot trees, like these ones, have a tall shape that holds the shape of tall shoes, especially in the ankle area. By storing your Jordan 11s with boot trees, you can prevent creases from forming.
2. Tie your sneakers properly
Most people wear Jordan 11 sneakers casually. This means that many people wear them without lacing them, with the laces hanging over the sides of the shoes.
While wearing them like this looks great, loose laces allow the shoes to bend at the toes and eventually crease because there’s nothing that holds the uppers in place.
Keep your shoes tightly laced from the toe to the top of the tongue. To do this well, undo all of the laces and start from the top. With each new criss-cross, make sure you keep the ties tight.
Key takeaways
Now you know how to remove creases from Jordan 11 sneakers and how to prevent them. Something as simple as tying your sneakers properly can prevent creases from forming.
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