Why Do Yeezys Turn Yellow & How Can I Fix Them?

Adidas Yeezy styles are often considered grails to many sneakerheads. Since the label debuted in 2015, Yeezy sneakers remain extremely popular with resale prices going up to five times their retail price on some pairs. The Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 for example, continues to release in new colourways as well as re-releasing the classic pairs. This is why it feels heart-breaking when our Yeezys turn yellow after some time. Luckily, we found some useful ways to get rid of yellowing soles and how you can keep them fresh for years to come!

This Adidas Yeezy Cleaning Guide will help you turn your beloved pairs back to tip-top condition. You can finally say goodbye to dirty and yellowish Yeezys and confidently rock them again!

The article will cover the reason why Yeezy soles turn yellow and how you can solve problems like this one. We’ll show you important steps and other ways you can do to bring back the icy look of Yeezy soles with our definitive guide to cleaning Adidas Yeezys. We’ll also cover ways to prevent discolouration and yellowing of your icy soles.

What causes the Yellowing of Adidas Yeezy Soles?

If you haven’t noticed, some Adidas Yeezys, specifically the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 have translucent and semi-translucent soles. Soles of these types are always prone to yellowing due to the oxidation of the rubber compound. It’s an inevitable occurrence for all shoes with icy soles. White soles also tend to turn yellow after a few years as oxidation also happens.

Yellowing happens rapidly when soles also get exposed to dirt and liquid. However, deadstock pairs will also turn yellow in due time no matter what you do.

With the arrival of more sneaker cleaning brands, some of the most popular cleaning kits in the market are icy sole whitening products. These whitening products usually come in liquid form – then applied to the yellowing part of the sole.

Others rely on common household items such as hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and more. Various tips and tricks get the job done, but sometimes they don’t work; even making things worse for the shoe.

Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 releases such as the Zebra, Blue Tint, Cream, and even Belugas usually get yellowish soles. This really hurts as these particular colourways hold a lot of value!

Fake pairs usually show prominent yellow soles. Real Adidas Yeezys, on the other hand, often show less yellowing as real Yeezys use better quality rubber. Yellowing soles are still noticeable though, regardless if it’s a fake Yeezy or a legit pair.

Can you whiten Yeezy Soles?

Yes, you can! Adidas Yeezys with translucent soles can be whitened using various whitening or sneaker cleaning products. While it’s probably not going back to the spotless and flawless look, you can easily see the difference when you whiten Yeezys.

The translucent outsole and ribbed midsole can be whitened in a variety of ways which we’ll discuss further below. So don’t lose hope as you can bring your favourite pair of shoes back to their unyellowed form.

It might be a different scenario for Adidas Boost foam as the pellets usually remain yellow due to oxidation. There are products on the market that can cover up these yellowing spots, though!

Should I put my Yeezy’s in the washing machine?

A lot of people often advise that putting sneakers in the washing machine will damage them. While somehow true, knowing the right methods will prevent these so-called damages. First, you should set the washing machine to light or normal cycles using cold water. Make sure that you never use warm water as this will soften the adhesive of the shoe and cause sole separations. This will also damage the Primeknit upper of your Adidas Yeezy.

Steps to machine wash Yeezy’s without damaging them:

Take out the laces and sockliners of your Yeezy
Scrape off any sticking dirt on the outsole
Put your Adidas Yeezys in a laundry bag or any cloth bag that can protect them
Run the washing machine cycle with cold water
Bonus: Throw in some laundry pods but make sure the Yeezy is inside the laundry bag so as to not discolour the shoe

How to Clean Yeezys – The Definitive Guide

With so many Yeezy models out there, cleaning them will vary depending on the materials. The Yeezy Boost 350 and 380 utilise a Primeknit upper, whereas other silhouettes feature mesh, leather, and suede.

To ensure you follow the right advice, we’ll categorise the Yeezy models depending on their upper material and then provide cleaning guides for each.

Primeknit – (Adidas Yeezy Boost 350, Yeezy Boost 350 V2, Yeezy Boost 380, Yeezy Boost 350 V2 CMPCT, Yeezy 450, Yeezy QNTM)

Adidas Primeknit is the brand’s one-piece woven fabric made of thermoplastic yarns. Just like other knit uppers used on performance trainers, Primeknit is durable yet breathable and lightweight. Because of this, Primeknit remains a popular material across adidas sneakers.

How to clean Primeknit uppers:

The most recommended way to clean Yeezys with Primeknit material is to use a soft-bristled brush with soapy water. First, you can take the insoles and laces off the shoe to focus on the knit upper. Add a sneaker cleaning solution to a bowl of water to produce that foamy fluid that will wash away the dirt.

Use a soft-bristled brush to prevent damaging the Primeknit weave. Wipe off the upper using a clean microfibre cloth.

For finishing touches, put the Yeezy in a laundry bag and machine wash the shoe. Again, make sure you set it on a normal or light cycle using cold water.

How to clean Yeezy 500, Yeezy 700 and Yeezy 750

What makes these silhouettes similar is that they feature either leather, mesh, or suede. Yeezys 500 and 700 feature all three upper materials; which may pose a challenge for sneakerheads looking to clean their pairs.

For the pairs mentioned above, you can do the same steps as the Primeknit pairs. But this time, your brush will vary on the type of upper fabric. Suede still needs delicate treatment as hard-bristled brushes will damage it.

You can still machine wash your pairs and keep them inside a laundry bag, followed up with sneaker care products afterwards to complete the treatment.

Why Learning to take care of your Yeezy’s is important

Adidas Yeezys are expensive sneakers that are often limited and usually obtained through online raffles only. While they are pretty comfortable thanks to the full-length Boost foam, they are also prone to wear and tear because of their knit upper.

Taking good care of your Yeezys will give you more wear, especially when the Primeknit upper remains intact.

Preventing discolouration and Yellowing of your soles

While it’s something that most pairs with white and translucent soles can never avoid, sneaker products like sole shields or sole protectors can help you minimise the yellowing areas on outsoles, but these are not the easiest things to put on and can be quite expensive for what they are.

These sole shields are made of thinly-cut clear vinyl strips with self-adhesive layers that stick to the soles.

To do this, you can cut the vinyl sole protectors according to your sneaker’s size and follow the shape of the outsole. Once ready, pull off the vinyl cover to expose the adhesive side, and place the sole shield on the outsole firmly.

Press the vinyl strip continuously to stick the adhesive layer to the outsole. Use a heat gun to further mould the sole shield to the outsole.

This will not guarantee the prevention of yellowing soles, but it would take more time before the soles yellow as it covers the outsole from oxidation. – We do not endorse either of these methods!

If you don’t want any piece of plastic under your shoe, you can still keep your icy soles fresh for quite some time by avoiding soil and water. These elements will speed up the discolouration process of your sneakers. Avoiding them will help soles remain icy for months or even years instead of just weeks.

Top Five tips for cleaning Adidas Yeezys

Use soft-bristled brushes for the Primeknit upper
If you’re going to machine wash, keep the shoe sealed in a laundry bag
Set the washing machine to normal cycle with cold water
Use whitening markers for Boost foam
Spray some waterproof coating to prevent stains and liquid from sticking

Final Thoughts

Adidas Yeezys are premium sneakers which require premium care and cleaning. Fortunately for the sneaker community, sneaker cleaning brands emerged with brand new products made exactly for creps like Yeezys.

There are many ways to clean and unyellow Adidas Yeezy soles. This guide will help you choose from a number of procedures that you can do to bring back your Yeezy Boost’s A1 condition. Try each one out for your pair and see which method does better. This will differ across different sneaker brands so make sure to test them out first.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you remove Yeezy oxidation?

You can use household products like hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to remove colouring from your Yeezy soles. Create a solution combining both in a spray bottle and put it on areas with yellowing marks. Scrub the outsole thoroughly and then dry the soles with a microfibre cloth.

Another way is to use sneaker sole whiteners. Apply the product on the outsole and then wrap the outsole in plastic. Afterwards, you dry them under the sun.

How do you keep Adidas Yeezys from yellowing?

You can use sole shields made out of vinyl to keep your Yeezy soles fresh for a longer period of time. Yellowing soles are inevitable but you can extend icy-looking outsoles by avoiding grass, soil, water, and other chemicals that can affect the rubber compound of the soles.

How do you get stains out of Yeezy soles?

Use a brush that can reach the open sections of the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 outsoles. Put your pair in a laundry bag and then machine wash the shoe. Put it on light or normal cycle with cold water.

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