The Care Category Series: Sneakers, Our Original Frontier

When we launched The Lab some 13 years ago, we didn’t begin with a universal detergent or a generic “all-fabric” solution. We began with sneakers.

That decision was deliberate. Sneakers are one of the most materially complex and culturally charged items in a wardrobe. They move between street and studio, commute and runway. They absorb impact, moisture, friction, heat, dust, and bacteria. They are worn hard — and often loved hard. What we didn’t fully realise at the time was that starting with sneakers would set the standard for everything that followed. If we could design truly category-specific care for something this complex, we could build a system sophisticated enough to expand into every other area of fashion care.

Material Complexity Requires Precision.

A single pair of sneakers can combine leather, suede, nubuck, engineered mesh, foam midsoles, rubber outsoles, stitching, and adhesive bonding; all within one form. Each material reacts differently to water, agitation, bacteria, and environmental exposure.

Generic cleaning solutions often treat footwear as a flat surface problem. They rely on aggressive surfactants or solvents that may remove dirt quickly but compromise material integrity over time. You’ll inevitably find that suede stiffens, leather dries; adhesives weaken, and colour fades.

Our approach has always been different, and in the beginning, the idea of using microbes to clean sneakers was considered unconventional, and even radical. At the time, biotechnology wasn’t part of the mainstream fashion care conversation. The dominant notion of care relied on harsher chemical force; strip, sterilise, repeat. We persisted, and over time, the world has caught up.

The Lab’s sneaker care is built on biotechnology and microscopic cleaning. Rather than relying solely on chemical intensity, our formulas combine beneficial bacteria, enzymes, and biodegradable surfactants to break down organic matter at a molecular level. Dirt, sweat residues, and odour-causing compounds are decomposed rather than simply displaced. The result is a deeper, longer-lasting clean that works with material integrity rather than against it.

This is why our cleaning efficacy can continue for up to 72 hours post-application. The active probiotics remain at work, supporting an ongoing clean without harsh abrasion. It is high-performance care, but it is also gentle — hypoallergenic, non-toxic, and safe across most sneaker materials, including delicate suede and nubuck.

The Hidden Ecology of Footwear.

Sneakers sit at the intersection of body and environment. They trap warmth, perspiration, and microscopic debris. Odour seems cosmetic, but it's actually innately biological.

Our Odor Protector addresses this at its source. Instead of masking scent, it eliminates odour-emitting bacteria at a molecular level. By rebalancing the microbial environment, it creates a longer-lasting freshness that remains active for up to three days, and because our formulas are biodegradable, environmentally friendly, and certified cruelty-free and 100% vegan, this biological performance does not come at an ecological cost.

Each millilitre of our products contains over 35 million active probiotics, working efficiently without polluting waterways or disrupting skin or fabric health.

Protection Without Suffocation.

Sneakers face rain, spills, dust, and urban unpredictability. Traditional protective sprays often form heavy, plastic-like coatings that sit on top of fibres, and while they may repel water temporarily, they can compromise breathability, alter texture, or create visible build-up.

Our Sneaker Protector is water-based and engineered to penetrate into fibres, forming an invisible barrier that safeguards against liquids and stains while preserving colour, flexibility, and texture. It is hydrophobic, but not occlusive, which means it repels moisture without sealing the material shut or compromising breathability. It protects without suffocating the material.

This invisible barrier reflects a broader principle at The Lab; nourishment and protection must coexist. Care should extend a product’s life, not harden it into something unwearable.

Tools as Part of the System.

Even our Premium Brush reflects our commitment to category awareness. Made from sustainable hardwood with durable yet considered bristles, it provides enough structure to lift embedded grime from rubber soles and textured panels, while remaining gentle enough for upper materials. Care is physical as well as biochemical. The ritual of brushing, applying, protecting; this tactile engagement encourages longevity, and we design all of our products to be part of your consistent rituals of caring for the things you wear. When people care for what they wear, attachment deepens; and what we feel connected to, we keep.

Our packaging protects the living microbes within while reducing waste. Bottles are made from up to 40% upcycled plastic and recycled materials, paired with recyclable FSC-certified paper. The system is water-based, energy-conscious, and designed to minimise environmental impact across its lifecycle.

Sneakers were our first category because they demanded rigour. They require microscopic cleaning, biotechnology, biodegradability, invisible protection, water-based systems, cruelty-free formulation, and long-lasting performance — all in one integrated solution. By solving for sneakers, we established our methodology: start with the unique needs of the category. Understand its materials, its stressors, its biology. This is our foundation; design care systems that are specific, not generic.

As The Lab expands to include fashion categories, and ultimately service the nuances of your entire wardrobe, this principle remains constant. Different garments have different ecosystems, and different fibres respond to different forms of care.

Sneakers taught us that care is a design frontier — our first frontier — and it is here that fashion’s future longevity begins.

Discover Our Sneaker Care Collection