No one likes to see wrinkles and creases on their favorite pair of sneakers, especially something as lovable as the Nike Air Force Ones. So how to remove creases from Air Force 1?
To remove creases from Air Force 1, stuff the shoes with socks and lay a damp towel over the creases. Take a hot iron and move it back and forth over the creases for about 10 seconds. Repeat the process until the creases disappear.
That said, there are three simple hacks you can do to not only remove creases from Air Force Ones but to prevent them as well. Whether they are old or new, these tips will make sure that your Nike Air Force 1 will look sharp and clean for as long as possible.
How to Remove Creases From Air Force 1
Unless you never take your Nike Air Force Ones out of their box, creases and wrinkles are inevitable and will no doubt appear on your sneakers, especially once you have broken into them. Fortunately, you can remove the creases.
Here are three simple tips on how to remove creases from Air Force 1:
1. Iron the creases
The best way to remove creases from Nike Air Force Ones is to iron the creases. For this job, you will need an iron, a small towel or cloth, and some water.
Step one is to prepare the iron. You can use any regular iron for the job. We recommend doing this job on an ironing board, but it can also be done on any flat surface. Just be sure that your workspace is free of clutter and items that may be damaged by heat.
After turning on the iron set it vertically and let it heat up. If your iron does not have a temperature setting, your best bet is to set it to cotton and linen, since it probably provides the most heat. As you wait for the iron to heat up, you can move on to step two.
Step two is to prepare the sneakers. Obviously, you cannot directly iron the toebox of the Air Force Ones as it will collapse under the weight and heat of the iron.
In order to help the sneakers maintain their shape and push out the bigger creases, you will need to fill them up with some form of stuffing. You can use an old towel, socks, or even old cotton shirts. Stuff the sneakers up until they rise up back into their original shape.
You will know that the filling is enough when the toe box feels solid and provides a firm area to you to iron on. Some people will recommend removing the laces out at this point, but we recommend keeping the laces in the shoes because it helps maintain the shoes’ shape.
Once the shoes are filled up, we move on to…
Step three is to iron the creases. For the actual process of ironing the creases, you are going to need an old towel and a container of water. Preferably, it’s a good idea to use a towel of the same color as your Air Force Ones. So if your shoes are white, use a white towel.
If your Air Force Ones are white, use a white towel.
This reduces the risk of any color running onto your sneakers during the ironing process.
Once everything is set, wet the towel inside the container of water. You only need the towel to be damp, so make sure to wring it after submerging it inside the water.
The towel will act as a barrier that protects the shoes from any potential burn marks and the moisture will help transfer the heat from the iron to your sneakers.
Place the damp towel over the shoes, covering the toe box area that will be the main focus of this job. Apply the tip of the iron over the area where the creases are and move the iron back and forth for about 5 to 10 seconds.
Make sure that any area of the shoes does not get too hot.
Once the part of the towel you are using becomes dry because of the iron, move the towel so a new damp part covers the area, then repeat the process.
PRO TIP: When ironing the creases out of your Air Force Ones, avoid getting too close to the soles because they are made of rubber material. Unlike the leather upper, the rubber soles may not have good heat resistance so avoid them as much as possible.
2. Use shoe tree when storing Air Force Ones
If you do not want to use an iron, another way to remove creases from Nike Air Force 1 is to insert shoe trees and leave them be for at least 48 hours.
These foot-shaped pieces of wood (or plastic) go into your shoes when you’re not wearing them. The goal is to help the shoes keep their original shape for as long as possible.
It is a good habit to store your Air Force Ones properly by inserting shoe trees when you are not wearing them. While shoe trees may not transform your sneakers to look like they are new, they can smooth out minor creases that have formed during the day.
Shoe trees can also slow down deformities and preserve the shape of your sneakers. You can get fresh Cedarwood shoe trees on Amazon.
Cedarwood shoe trees, like the one above, are not only cheap but they are made of cedar wood which helps absorb moisture and keep your shoes smelling fresh.
You will notice that your Nike Air Force 1 will go back to its original shape after a few days of leaving them with shoe trees. In fact, the result of this simple trick may surprise you.
Alternatively, you can substitute shoe trees with the cardboard shoe inserts you get when you buy brand-new shoes. If you still have them, feel free to use them. Although, they may not be as solid as shoe trees because they are made of cardboard.
3. Use Sneaker Shields
Truth be told, the best way to remove creases from Air Force 1 is to not crease them in the first place. One great way to prevent creases from forming is to use Sneaker Shields.
Sneaker Shields are meant to go inside your shoes to help reduce the amount of creasing that happens in the toe box area by holding the shoes’ shape. (Buy on Amazon).
There is another brand aside from Sneakers Shields called the Force Fields, both of which are designed to prevent creases. (If you’re curious, we compared them right here).
Sneaker Shields does a good job of protecting the toe box from creases. They feel tough but flexible enough to prevent creases while allowing your feet to stay comfortable.
There are holes to allow airflow and keep your feet cool.
Best of all, they are super cheap so we recommend you to give them a try. Think of them as the last line of defense against creases.
However, don’t expect to have zero creases on your Air Force Ones just by applying Sneaker Shields because shoe creases are inevitable and perfectly normal.
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Final Words
And there you have it, the complete guide on how to remove creases from Nike Air Force 1.
You can iron the creases from Air Force Ones to breathe new life into them, just be sure to protect the shoes with a damp cloth while ironing them. Additionally, you can also insert Sneaker Shields and shoe trees to reduce visible creases.