Shoelace Care: How to Keep Your Laces Looking Fresh

A Little Care Goes a Long Way

You've found the perfect laces. You've swapped them in. They look brilliant. Now - how do you keep them that way?

Shoelaces take a surprising amount of wear and tear. They get dirty, they fray at the ends, they lose their colour. But with a little care, a good pair of laces can look fresh for a long time. Here's how.

How to Clean Shoelaces

The easiest method is to remove your laces from the shoe first - this makes a huge difference to how thoroughly you can clean them and stops the dirt from the lace transferring back onto the shoe.

For plain flat laces and oval round laces, a warm soapy soak for 15–20 minutes followed by a gentle scrub with an old toothbrush works brilliantly. Rinse thoroughly and air dry - never tumble dry, as heat can cause laces to shrink or lose their shape.

For patterned laces and colour fade laces, hand washing is always preferable to machine washing to preserve the colours and pattern. Use a gentle detergent and cold water, and avoid scrubbing too hard on the printed areas.

For white laces specifically, a small amount of white vinegar in the soak water can help lift stubborn grey staining. We have a full guide on how to clean white shoelaces if you want the detailed version.

How to Prevent Fraying

The aglets - those little plastic or metal tips at the end of your laces - are what stop the ends from fraying. Once they crack or fall off, the lace end starts to unravel quickly.

To extend the life of your aglets, avoid pulling laces through eyelets by the tip. Instead, hold the lace further up and guide the tip through gently. If an aglet does start to crack, a small amount of clear nail varnish painted over it can seal it and buy you more time.

How to Store Spare Laces

If you buy multiple pairs (always a good idea - mix and match is half the fun), store spare laces loosely coiled rather than tightly wound. Tight winding can cause creasing that's hard to remove. A small zip-lock bag or a dedicated drawer keeps them clean and tangle-free.

When to Replace Your Laces

Even with good care, laces don't last forever. Signs it's time for a new pair: persistent grey or yellow staining that won't wash out, fraying that's gone past the aglet, laces that have stretched and no longer hold tension, or simply laces that have lost their colour and vibrancy.

The good news? Replacing them is the easiest upgrade you can make to any pair of shoes  and with laces from just £6, it's also one of the most affordable.

Browse our full range and find your next favourite pair.