Give Old Sneakers New Life — with Oranges, Walnuts, and Flour?

“I’m an A+ vegetarian — and an A- vegan,” jokes footwear design specialist Aja Zarrehparvar, in reference to the plant-based sneaker dye recipe she’s about to share with us.

Whether it’s what to eat for lunch or how you take care of your shoes, we’re all on our own journeys to become more sustainable citizens. But can individual actions really add up to societal change?

Aja thinks so: “The culture determines what’s quote-unquote ‘cool,’” she says. “If the culture continues to encourage revamping your shoes — customizing, saving things — we can make sustainability an undeniable pillar of what’s cool!”

While dunking your shoes into a vat of hot water steeped with beets might not feel like an intuitive climate action for most of us (yet!), it’s all in a day’s work for Aja.

“I’m here to help inspire designers across the company to explore, dream, discover, and remain excited about new processes and approaches,” she says of her job at Blue Ribbon Studio, Nike’s on-campus maker space. “Sometimes mistakes take place, but that’s where happy accidents happen — that’s where problem-solving happens!”

Ready to solve some practical sneaker problems through innovative thinking (and a little elbow grease)? Scroll down to learn ways to clean, dye, and glue your shoes, featuring sustainably minded methods that Aja and fellow footwear designer Indah Nur use at home. Let’s go!

Whether you strive to keep your sneakers box-fresh for as long as possible, or prefer a lived-in look that gets better with age, one thing’s for sure: “If you take good care of your stuff, it’s gonna last longer,” says Indah, who specializes in designing sneakers durable enough for hard-playing kids. If you’re overwhelmed by all the opinions and techniques out there, start with the basics — and start close to home, with tools you might already have in your own kitchen and bathroom! Watch the clip above for detailed pointers.

Extra credit: Switching up your sneakers isn’t just good for your outfit — it can help keep your shoes fresher for longer. We learned from Nike quality engineers that, after spending a day under your feet, most foam midsoles take 24 to 48 hours to decompress. So, when you can, practice active recovery by rotating between two or more pairs.

Ever come across a pair buried deep in your closet that are dingy, discolored — or maybe you’re just plain tired of them? Before you donate or recycle ’em, consider rejuvenating them with a colorful new look! Bonus points if you try a nature-based recipe like the one above. “Dyeing shoes gives them new life no matter what,” Aja says. “But dyeing with turmeric, coffee, or food scraps is an artistic circle of life!”

Extra credit: Know your materials! Natural dyes like the ones discussed above work best on natural materials — like cotton, canvas, suede, wool. Synthetic materials (think plastic, rubber, polyester), which a lot of shoe components are made of, won’t absorb natural dyes in the same way. To recolor those, try a more powerful dye from your local craft store.

“It’s about the story of getting them, or the feeling I have when I put them on,” Aja says of her many favorite shoes (including the sentimental pair seen above). “They all have this magical aspect that I can’t quite put my finger on, even after all this time!” If you’ve got cherished sneakers with components starting to separate, don’t be afraid to get in there with some glue — just make sure to watch the clip above for tips on what’s fixable, how best to apply the glue, and even a recipe to make your own at home.

Extra credit: Are there more advanced glues out there? Of course! And Nike chemists are innovating better ones all the time. But even industrial-strength glues can degrade over the course of decades. Excessive moisture or heat can accelerate that process, so try to avoid those. And if your pair is truly toast, you can always recycle them at participating Nike stores.

You heard their tips above — now get to know our hosts for this installment of “Hands On”.

Brought to you by Move to Zero: Nike’s journey toward zero carbon and zero waste to help protect the future of sport.