Cleaning my White Ultraboost X

Rubber shoes never appealed to me for the only reason that it looks really - bulky.  I remember being forced to wear one when I travelled as a kid, but as I grew up - I chose different styled shoes.  I settled with sneakers - it's the most comfortable for me at that time.  I wore it on occasion, it was never the first option of footwear for me.  In HS well, since there was PE - I was forced to own sneakers, but then they were just for PE, nothing more and nothing less.

Then, I finally found a footwear that I can walk in all day - Fitflops, but there was a catch, it was a glorified flipflop.  When I travelled to tropical countries, I never had a problem with it.  Then a few years ago, during a trip to London - well, it was rainy and very cold - I felt that my Fitflops were not enough to get me through the trip.  Luckily that time, there was a closed shoe version of the Fitflop.  I thought, it was really meant to be - because it was a loafer type, one that is not bulky.

Fast forward to a few years, this Fitflop loafer needed to be replaced.  I couldn't find the same one in the country, and settled for another style of loafer, and it was in white.  I honestly wasn't very happy - but then when I saw a picture of myself in those white loafers - I realized that it looked really good. It was there and then that I fell in love with the white against my jeans and my outfit and most anything.  It was only in 2015 that I realized what my mom and twin brother have been telling me on white shoes - it's really nice and goes with most anything.

Since then I tried looking for another pair of white shoes.  Any type of shoe to be honest, as long as it's comfortable for walking.  But I couldn't find any that I liked.  I remember my SIL Liza telling me that Adidas Ultraboosts were the most comfortable thing ever.  Well, you know me and rubber shoes, I won't pick nor even give it the time of day EVER.  My Panget has been telling me to get New Balance, but as I said - all rubber shoes for me looked really bulky.  

There was one shoe though, that I saw last 2016 - I saw a co-mom wear it and asked where she got that white pair - it was the Adidas Superstar Slip-Ons.  It was a quest of having to get one.  I thought to myself, now this is the ONLY pair I would buy and wear.  True enough, I bought it and wore it like a uniform.  I have in white, black, coral and grey.  These superstar slip ons have been my staple footwear during all my travels.

But last year, I noticed that I would get tired easily from walking and that I lower back would feel sore.  I assumed maybe it was because the rubber soles getting worn out from all the usage.  I vowed that if I saw a new pair, I would get a new one as back up.  I saw a few pairs, but it didn't appeal to me as much.  So I just put if off.

During my recent trip, I felt really tired after walking for a few hours.  Maybe because of my current condition, but I felt that my Superstar Slip Ons were failing me.  I knew I had to change it or else I wouldn't survive the trip.  My Panget really loves rubber shoes, so every trip would entail having to go inside Adidas and New Balance stores.  On this particular trip - we entered an Adidas store.  I went on the Adidas Originals to look for a replacement superstart slip ons.  But the colors available didn't appeal to me as much.  Since I was so very desperate, I tried on the new rubber shoes called Deerupt - but I felt the sole was too stiff.  I felt so sad honestly and went to the kids.  It was there that I saw the Ultraboost X in white, beige and black.  I was desperate so I asked to try on the white.  I asked for my size and the sales staff was nice enough to bring three (3) pairs of different sizes.  Maybe she thought it would save her the trouble of going back and forth to get the right size - good thinking diba?

So I tried it on and started walking in the store.  OH MY GOD.  It was the most comfortable thing EVER.  I was so amazed that my lower back pain was gone - INSTANTLY.  I think my body felt such a relief that I forgot how tired I was from all the walking I did that day.  Then I tried on the other pair - and my goodness, I was impressed - beyond impressed.  I was SOLD, Ultraboosts are really the most comfortable thing EVER.  Now I had to determine the right size.  I am really choosy on the size, I make sure that the shoe can fit an additional insole just to make it softer, but with the ultraboosts, I didn't need another layer of insole - it was perfect!  I then got half a size bigger - my Panget would always tell me to wiggle my toes first and they did.  You know what - I didn't want to take them off anymore.  I wanted to wear them right there and then.  But the sales staff did not allow, we had to pay for it first and then wear it - so we did.  I swear, it was like all the aches and pains in my lower back and legs were gone in a snap.  It was so wonderful walking in ultraboost.  I am now a believer.

After the trip, this is what my Ultraboost X looked like:

It has become very dirty and stained.  Don't ask me how, but you know how white shoes are - plus I have my kids stepping on my shoes every so often.  My friend Selene would always comment how kawawa my white shoes looked - but that's how it is really with white shoes, right?  So when I got home - I thought, what should I do to clean it?  There was the throw it in the washer method, or the send it to a professional for cleaning, or bring it to my mom's trusty reliable labandera or the clean it myself with my Panget's cleaning arsenal.

I was really tempted to just give it to the labandera.  I spoke to a few friends and they suggested to have it professionally cleaned.  But I was too stubborn to listen.  So what I decided on was to clean it myself - and then if it's really still not clean enough, to send it to a professional.

Since we have the Reshoeven8r and the Jason Markk, I thought - why not the hell try it myself.  I watched Youtube videos on how to use these two products and had it on repeat for a half day.  I made sure I knew what I was doing.  And so I did.  The right shoe, I used Reshoevn8r while the left, I used the Jason Markk.  I brushed and brushed like there was no tomorrow.  But at the end, I felt that the shoes weren't still clean enough.  I still saw some dark stains.  

Then it dawned on me - why not use Grandma's Secret Spot Remover on it?!?! So, I tried and brushed away.  Putting very little product on the dark spots and brushing away.  I was very happy that the dark stains were clearing up.  After brushing and brushing and finally feeling satisfied - I showered the shoe in water.  I did not soak it, I used the telephone shower and showered the shoe.  Then I just placed it on the floor diagonally that night in the shower.  The next morning, it was still wet, I then decided to put it under the sun to dry for a few hours.

And you know what happened?  THIS happened:

TADA!!

It was like new!  I swear, it was so white that I was amazed that I was able to clean it up properly.  If you notice, it's not 100% back to normal white, but it's good enough.  I mean for all of my efforts in brushing and applying product on it - this was the end result.  I was ecstatic!  I didn't need to bring it to a professional - I can now clean it by myself, in my own home!  Yahoooo!!

So what are the products that I used?  Well, it's a cocktail of products really.  And here they are:

I have to say though - my favorite still has to be Grandma's Secret Spot Remover.  I feel that it was that product that helped clean the shoe even more.  The spot remover is concentrate and very little product is needed to make it sudsy.  The brush though, has to be the star of the show - it was able to successfully take out the stains and dirt easily.

So there.  I was so happy I was able to clean it through that I joked that I can now open a shoe cleaning shop.  Well, the only product that I will take on are white rubber shoes.  Hahaha!!