The Air Force 1 has a lot of different models with different designs and materials. However, most Nike Air Force Ones have leather uppers that can easily be creased. Nobody likes to see their favorite sneaker wrinkled.
If you are looking to learn- how to not crease Air Forces? You have come to the right place. I have been wearing the Air Force 1 for a long time while keeping the creasing to a minimum. In this article, I will share how to keep Air Forces from creasing so you can do the same.
Stay tuned as I discuss how to deal with creased Air Force 1s and take measures to stop Air Forces from creasing.
Is It Ok to Crease Air Force 1?
When you wear shoes and move, they move with your feet. The shoes need to move so you can walk comfortably. If the shoes did not proceed with your natural movement, you would feel uncomfortable.
Your feet movement bends the shoe and compresses the shoe material. Because of this, you end up with some nasty creases. The creases don’t harm the shoe, but it loses the good looks.
So, you should learn to deal with creases or take care of your shoes to minimize the creasing as much as possible. I will be discussing all of these in this article.
How to Not Crease Your Air Forces?
So, how do you keep Air Forces from creasing? There are basically 2 ways to protect your Nike Air Forces against creasing.
Prevent creasing-
- With crease protectors
- Without crease protectors
I will discuss both ways to not crease Air Forces. Let’s start off with the crease protector method.
How to Keep Air Forces from Creasing Using Crease Protectors?
Crease protectors are designed to fit inside of your sneakers perfectly, so the shape remains intact. The protectors are made from Thermoplastic and Polyethylene materials, so they remain sturdy and durable for extended usage. So, how do you use crease protectors? Let’s find out.
How to Install a Crease Protector?
A crease protector is really easy to install. You can install it within a few minutes by following some simple steps.
- First, loosen the shoelace as much as possible so you can put the crease protector inside.
- Take the insole out. Place the crease protector inside and push it all the way to the end. Once it’s rightly positioned, put the insole back in.
That’s it. You have reduced the chances of creases appearing on your Nike Air Force 1.
Do You Need to Cut Crease Protectors?
If you have wide feet or feel comfortable wearing crease protectors, you can try cutting the crease protectors to make them comfortable.
Do Crease Protectors Hurt Your Feet?
Crease protectors for Air Force 1 are designed to fit inside the shoe smoothly. In my experience, it hurt a bit around the pinky toe. So, I trimmed the crease protector around that region and was good to go.
Sneaker shields or crease protectors are not supposed to hurt your feet. If they do, you should trim the part where your feet hurts. It should solve the problem.
Are Crease Protectors Worth It?
In my opinion, crease protectors are definitely worth it. They are really affordable. You can get a crease protector for around ten bucks. Crease protectors keep your Air Force 1 from creasing.
They do not feel uncomfortable if you get the right one. You can walk and run wearing crease protectors without creasing your sneaker. I don’t see any reason why a crease protector will not be worth it.
However, crease protectors are not the only solution. There are other ways to fix creased Air Forces or prevent them from appearing if you feel crease protectors are unnecessary. I don’t use crease protectors because I don’t mind the extra effort to keep my shoe in good condition.
So, I don’t think crease protectors are worth it. They feel a bit weird to me.
I hope now you have some decent ideas on how to not crease AF1 using a crease protector.
Best Air Force 1 Crease Protector
There are many crease protectors. I have tried a bunch of them and found the Force Field Crease Preventer to be the best for Nike Air Force 1. It fits comfortably inside the AF1.
The best part of the crease protector is the adhesive characteristic. It sticks to the shoe and stays in place. There are perforation holes on the crease protector for enhanced breathability.
So How to Keep Air Forces from Creasing? The easy answer, get a crease protector.
But what if you don’t have one?
How to Not Crease Your Air Forces without Crease Protector?
I have already discussed how you can prevent creases in AF1 by using crease protectors. You can do that if you want. But if you are like me and feel like the crease protectors are not worth it, here are some tips to solve the issue.
Here are 3 tips to prevent creasing on your Air Forces without using a crease protector.
- Get the Right Size
You can reduce creases on your Air Force 1 by picking the right size. The Air Force 1 has a wide toe box. The shoe runs a bit big as well.
I recommend you to go half a size down for perfect fit and reduce the chances of creasing. If you have wide feet, get a true to size pair or go up to half a size up. You also need to learn how to not crease Air Forces while walking.
- Condition Your Sneaker
There are special conditioners and oils for leather sneakers. You can use them to prevent creases from expanding. These conditioners don’t need heat either.
Important: Before you apply any conditioners, make sure they don’t discolor your sneaker. Apply a little bit of conditioner on a small part of the sneaker to confirm it.
You need to condition the entire sneaker. Spend a little more time, so your sneakers have a consistent appearance.
- Use Shoe Trees
You can invest in some good shoe trees for your Air Forces. Place a shoe tree inside the sneaker after each use. It will prevent creases on your AF1.
So these are the ways how to not crease AF1 without a crease protector.
You can also check our article, How to get rid of creases in Nike Blazers?
How to Uncrease Air Forces?
No one like to see creased Air Forces. You can try 3 simple methods to uncrease your Air Force 1s.
- Method 1: Apply Heat Using an Iron
This is the simplest and the most popular way of uncreasing an Air Force 1. You can take some paper/newspapers/cardboard or some socks and curl them up like a ball. Then, stuff these things inside the shoe from the toe box to the heel, so the shoe maintains its shape tightly.
- After that, take a washcloth, dampen it and place it on top of the creases.
- Turn up the heat of your iron to 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Strike the iron over the damp cloth for a couple of seconds and repeat the process.
- Keep checking on the shoe after a few seconds to ensure the crease is gone.
- When the creases disappear, stop ironing to prevent damage to the shoe.
- Keep the shoe stuffed until it cools down completely.
This strategy works best on leather sneakers. The heat softens the shoe material and stretches the crease mark. The water makes sure your shoe doesn’t get burnt.
You may don’t want to use iron for this purpose. Don’t worry. We have written on How to get creases out of Air Force 1 Without iron. Let’s dive in
How to Get Creases out Of Air Force 1 without Iron?
- Method 1: Use a Blow-Dryer
If you have a blow-dryer, you can use it instead of an iron. Blow-dryers work well on leather shoes.
You should use cedar shoe trees while using a blow-dryer to ensure the shoe maintains its shape and stays cool inside.
How to Use a Blow-Dryer
- Turn the dryer on a low-heat setting.
- Use the blow-dryer 8 inches away from the AF1.
- Blow the top of the shoe for a couple of times with the shoe and turn it down.
- Stretch the warm leather against the shoe tree.
- Repeat the process until the creases disappear.
You need to keep the shoe tree in position while the shoe cools down. Apply some shoe polish or shoe conditioner on the shoe as you are using direct heat.
A conditioner or shoe polish will restore the moisture that has been dried up because of the heat. Use this method to retain your Air Force 1’s best look.
- Method 2: Steam Your Sneakers
Here is another alternative method to get creases out of Air Force 1 Without iron.
You only need a piece of cloth, a washcloth or a towel, and a microwave oven for this method. Here’s how you do it.
- Soak the cloth/towel in water and wring it, so it’s just damp.
- Now place the cloth in a heat-proof dish and put it in the microwave.
- Heat the dish in the microwave at high heat for 30 seconds.
- Take the hot cloth out and rub it on the shoe.
- The shoe’s leather will heat up, and the creases will disappear gradually.
- Place a shoe tree inside your sneaker while it cools.
You may need to repeat the process depending on the creases of your shoe. More creases require more effort.
You can also check our article, how to uncrease Doc Martens?
How to Not Crease Air Forces? (Summary)
Some people don’t mind the creases on their Air Force 1s because they feel the creases add to the vibe of the shoe. Well, I don’t feel that way and am not a big fan of the creases on my sneakers. Because you are here, you probably hate creases as well.
There are many ways of how to keep Air Forces from creasing. You can use a crease protector to prevent creasing Air Forces. The Force Field crease protectors are the best for the Air Force 1s. If you don’t want to use crease protectors, you need to take care of your AF1.
I recommend getting the right-sized sneaker. You can place shoe trees inside your shoes after each use. If you end up having some creases, don’t worry. Just apply the simple techniques I discussed in this article, and you will get rid of those nasty creases in no time.