BLACKPOLISH. Sneaker Laundry

Yellowed soles, grass stains on white leather, a suede shoe after its first downpour: at BLACKPOLISH. in Düsseldorf, sneakers end up that are far too good for the back of the wardrobe. The store specialises in cleaning and caring for premium and luxury sneakers. Benjamin Luzolo, a trained retail specialist from the sports trade and a sneaker fan himself, founded it. He came up with the idea in 2018, and a year later he opened his store on Ackerstraße in Düsseldorf-Flingern, which the local press at the time reported as the city’s first sneaker cleaner. Since then, he has used brushes, care products, and UV light to restore shoes others would have long since thrown out.

Benjamin Luzolo knows sneakers from many years in retail, from the sales shelf to the question of why a pair already looks old after a few months. That is exactly where BLACKPOLISH. comes in. Putting sneakers in the washing machine risks brittle leather and glued seams that come loose. At BLACKPOLISH., cleaning is therefore done by hand and adapted to the material and the type of dirt. The aim is simple: favourite shoes should look like new again and stay wearable for as long as possible. The concept has grown with customer demand and now serves private customers as well as businesses. At events, the team sets up a custom-built cleaning chair and cleans shoes live in front of an audience, for example at trade fairs, weddings, anniversaries or store openings. For hosts, shoe care becomes part of the programme, and guests go home with freshly cared-for shoes.

You can choose from three cleaning packages: Standard, Premium, and Luxury. Depending on the package and condition, the upper, sole and laces are cleaned, small scratches are treated, and the shoes are finally waterproofed. Waterproofing protects against wet and dirt, and together with small repairs, regular care helps a good pair last longer. For faded or discoloured areas, there is a colour refresh, applied by hand or with an airbrush, and if you like, your pair can even be given a completely new colour. Small repairs are part of the service too. Besides sneakers, BLACKPOLISH. also looks after fine leather shoes, which need the same level of care. Most cleanings cost less than 100 euros, and the price range is shown on this page. If you want to treat someone, the online shop also offers gift vouchers for a cleaning and the store’s own merchandise.

Looking for a sneaker cleaner in Düsseldorf that knows how to handle expensive pairs? Drop your shoes off at the store in Flingern and pick them up cleaned a few working days later. If you don’t live nearby, book the right package online, pay in the shop and send your sneakers by post; they come back the same way. Opening hours are listed on this page, and you can arrange appointments outside these times. That makes BLACKPOLISH. the place for everyone who wants to extend the life of their shoes: instead of replacing a worn-out favourite pair with a new one, you get it back cleaned, cared for and looking like new.