Shoe cleaning in the UAEPicked up free in all seven emirates

Footwear we take, pair by pair

Running shoes from the Abu Dhabi Corniche, leather for the office, hiking boots back from Jebel Jais, beach sandals from the east coast. Tap a pair for how it's cleaned and one thing to do before the driver arrives.

Runners and training shoes · Knit runners

Runners with a knitted upper

A knitted upper is open weave, so fine dust and sweat sit between the threads. It's brushed lightly in small circles so nothing snags, then the foam midsole gets a stiffer brush and more elbow.

Custom or orthotic insoles are worth taking out and putting in a labelled bag of their own. Two pairs of the same model are easy to confuse.

• Light circles on the knit
• Stiffer brush on the foam
• Orthotic insoles bagged apart

Runners and training shoes · Gym pairs

Training shoes that live in a locker

Gym shoes tend to smell long before they look grubby. We clean the outside and treat the inside for odour, as part of the same job.

Give them a night out of the bag before pickup. Shoes zipped up damp and left in a parked car in July come in much worse.

• Odour treated inside
• Upper scrubbed by hand
• Air them overnight first

Runners and training shoes · Canvas low-tops

Canvas lace-ups and slip-ons

Woven canvas takes in sand and fine dust. We work it out with a soft brush and a fabric-safe cleaner, and the white rubber foxing round the bottom is scrubbed as a separate job.

Bang them together over a bin before you pack them. A beach day leaves more in the toe box than you'd think.

• Fabric-safe cleaner on canvas
• Rubber foxing done separately
• Knock the sand out first

Designer and rare sneakers · Designer leather pairs

Designer sneakers with fine finishes

Smooth leather, metallic panels and printed logos all mark easily, so each panel gets more time and a lighter touch. That's the reason designer sneakers are AED 145 a pair rather than the sports rate.

Leave the box and dust bag at home; the driver only needs the shoes. Want a view first? WhatsApp us a picture.

• Designer rate per pair
• Lighter touch, more time
• Box and dust bag stay home

Designer and rare sneakers · Collector pairs

Pairs you can't buy again

Before a rare pair is touched, we look it over and note every mark and scuff we plan to work on, so you know what we found.

Odd materials change the cleaner we choose. If yours has reflective strips, a translucent sole or a glow-in-the-dark detail, say so when you book.

• Looked over before cleaning
• Marks noted at the start
• Tell us about unusual parts

Designer and rare sneakers · Yellowing soles

Soles that have turned yellow

Sun, heat and time yellow white rubber and foam, and a normal clean won't reverse it. Sole brightening is its own line on the price list at AED 35.

Add it when you book, or send a photo and we'll give you a straight view. Some soles respond better than others.

• Sole brightening AED 35
• Added on top of cleaning
• Photo first if unsure

Leather for work and evenings · Lace-up work shoes

Leather lace-ups for the office

Dust settles in the welt and the toe loses its shine after a few weeks of car parks and lobbies. We brush the welt out, clean the upper by hand, then condition and polish.

Keep your shoe trees; slide them back in the evening the pair returns.

• Welt brushed clean
• Conditioned, then polished
• Trees stay with you

Leather for work and evenings · Loafers and moccasins

Loafers worn in the heat

Loafers often go on bare feet here, so the lining takes the sweat. The outside leather is cleaned by hand and the inside freshened.

Check that tassels, horsebit buckles and pennies are firm before packing. A loose one is worth a mention when you book.

• Lining freshened
• Outer leather by hand
• Mention loose trims

Leather for work and evenings · Heels and evening shoes

Heels, satin and fine straps

Designer formal shoes and heels are AED 145 a pair. Satin marks, thin straps crease and a heel tip chips, so the work is slow.

Pack each shoe in tissue or its own soft bag, so one stiletto can't scrape its partner on the way.

• Designer formal AED 145
• Slow work on satin
• Each shoe wrapped apart

Suede and nubuck · Suede trainers

Suede that's been splashed

Suede holds dust in its nap and marks the first time a drink lands on it. Suede cleaning is AED 85 a pair, with products made for it, and the nap is raised afterwards so the colour reads even.

With a fresh spill, dab it with a dry cloth and leave it. Rubbing pushes the stain in.

• Suede AED 85 a pair
• Suede-only products
• Dab, don't rub

Suede and nubuck · Desert boots

Suede ankle boots full of sand

The crease across the foot goes pale and patchy, and fine sand works into the nap. The whole boot is cleaned and brushed so the patchy bits blend back in.

Turn each boot upside down and tap the heel before packing; the eyelets hold more grit than you'd expect.

• Patches blended back
• Brushed all over
• Grit out of the eyelets

Suede and nubuck · Nubuck

Nubuck and its oil marks

Nubuck is buffed leather, finer than suede, and it shows oil from hands and sunscreen quickly. It's cleaned with a product suited to it and brushed to one tone.

Tell us if a mark is sunscreen or food oil rather than water. Each is handled differently.

• Nubuck-safe cleaner
• Brushed to one tone
• Say what the mark is

Sandals and rope soles · Leather sandals

Sandals with a dark footbed

Bare feet, sweat and sunscreen darken a footbed through the summer. Straps and footbed are both cleaned by hand, and sandals are AED 85 a pair.

After a swim in the sea at Fujairah or a dip in any pool, rinse them in fresh water and let them dry out of the sun before they're collected.

• Sandals AED 85 a pair
• Footbed and straps by hand
• Rinse off salt or chlorine

Sandals and rope soles · Embellished sandals

Sandals with stones and studs

Crystals, studs and beading are cleaned around carefully and never scrubbed. Designer sandals are AED 140 a pair because of the time it takes.

If a stone is already loose, say so before the pickup, not after.

• Designer sandals AED 140
• Cleaned around, not over
• Flag loose stones early

Sandals and rope soles · Espadrilles

Espadrilles and their jute soles

The rope sole drinks in spills and is the hard part of the job. Espadrilles are AED 90 a pair, designer ones AED 140.

If the jute is badly stained, a photo first lets us be straight about how far it will come back.

• Espadrilles AED 90
• Designer pairs AED 140
• Photo first for stained jute

Boots and children's shoes · Hiking and leather boots

Boots after the mountains

A pair of boots might come out for a hike up Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah or a trip abroad, then sit in an air-conditioned cupboard for months, which dries the leather. They're cleaned by hand and conditioned, and boots start at AED 170.

Knock dried mud and grit off outside before they go in the bag.

• Boots from AED 170
• Cleaned and conditioned
• Mud off before packing

Boots and children's shoes · School shoes

Scuffed school shoes

Toes take the scuffs at break time. Children's shoes are AED 65 a pair, cleaned by hand, with leather ones polished afterwards.

If two children wear the same style in nearby sizes, write an initial inside the tongue.

• Kids' shoes AED 65
• Scuffs worked off
• Initials inside the tongue

Boots and children's shoes · Kids' trainers

Small sneakers from the playground

A child's sneaker gets the same hand clean as an adult pair, soles and all.

Shake them upside down before packing. Pebbles, sand and the odd small toy end up in the toe.

• Same care as adult pairs
• Soles scrubbed
• Empty the toes first