Can Vick Make These 10-Year-Old Cool Grey Jordan 11s Look Brand New?

April 22, 2022

2010 Cool Grey Jordan 11 Full Restoration | Unyellow | Decrease | Restore

It’s good to see you all back for another restoration masterclass with Vick Almighty.

For today’s lesson, Vick is going to be restoring a pretty special pair of kicks, Air Jordan Cool Grey 11s from 2010.

And while this isn’t the exact same pair, Vick did line up outside of a sneaker shop back in 2010 to snag a pair, so there’s some fun nostalgia involved with today’s restoration.

The goal here is to make these look like they dropped in 2021, not 2010. Can Vick remove over 10 years worth of dirt, grime, and yellowing from this beater pair of Air Jordan 11s?

Let’s find out. Welcome back to another episode of Restorations and Customs with Vick!

How to Unyellow Icy Soles

Everything on this pair needs some work, but none more than the outsole. Just look at how yellow (borderline orange tbh) this icy sole is. You hate to see it get this bad.

In order to unyellow the soles on any pair of Air Jordan 11s (or any shoe with an icy/clear sole) we need to use our Reshoevn8r Sole Revive.

Prepping for Sole Revive is pretty easy. Vick used the stiff bristle brush to clean all of the dirt and grime off of the outsole, and then used an exacto knife to remove some rocks that were stuck in the grooves.

For this shoe specifically we need to tape off the traction pods, so that we avoid any discoloration of the rubber.

Once your outsole is clean and all taped off, you’re ready to apply the Sole Revive. Vick used an applicator brush to apply a thin, even coat to the icy sole.

After Vick applied the Sole Revive, he wrapped the kicks in Saran wrap and then put them in the indoor UV setup for a spa day. Five days later, the soles are looking much better…borderline brand new.

You can’t tell me those aren’t looking straight ICY.

Cleaning the Nubuck and Patent Leather

Now that the icy sole has been unyellowed, we can start on our deep clean using the Reshoevn8r Essential Shoe Cleaning Kit.

As always, Vick started by removing the shoe laces and insoles, and inserting the Adjustable Shoe Tree. With a shoe like the Jordan 11 that features a patent leather toe box, the shoe tree comes in handy as it allows us to properly clean the toe without the risk of creasing it.

Onto the cleaning. In order to clean the nubuck uppers on this shoe, we’re going to have to be gentle, while still maximizing our cleaning power. Having the proper tools is key to cleaning nubuck, suede, and patent leather.

That’s why Vick relies on our Three Brush Pack and Reshoevn8r Sneaker Cleaning Solution.

To get the uppers looking right Vick used the Soft Bristle Brush and our Cleaning Solution to give them a proper scrub.

The Cleaning Solution is hard on dirt and grime, and soft on delicate materials like nubuck. After the preliminary clean with the Soft Bristle Brush, the nubuck is stain free.

In order to clean the patent leather we’re gonna need something slightly more stiff than the Soft Bristle Brush. Vick used the Medium Bristle Brush to scrub down the patent leather, and then used the same brush to clean the midsole. Once the patent leather is clean and the midsoles are white again, we can move back to the outsoles.

Because Vick had already cleaned the outsoles before restoring them with Sole Revive, all that’s left is to remove the tape residue and any excess Sole Revive that may be left on the icy sole, which Vick did with the Stiff Bristle Brush.

For the laces and insoles, Vick gave them a quick soak-and-scrub, and then put them in the washing machine for a full wash cycle.

Removing Creases From the Jordan 11

Probably the toughest part of this restoration was the collar and heel area. The collar had been crushed by repetitive wear, and was in desperate need of attention. To get the creases out of the collar and give the shoes their shape back, Vick used a steamer and an iron.

Vick started by stuffing the shoe with rags to give it some shape, and then using a rag to protect the shoe, steamed it and ironed it until he pressed out the creases.

For the finish touch we’re going to work on this patent leather..we want that patent leather to SHINE. Using our Mink Oil and an electric buffer, Vick was able to polish the patent leather until he could see his face in it…mission accomplished.

Anti-Aging Miracle

Take a look at the before and after differences. From the icy sole to the patent leather, the collar to the nubuck upper, these two shoes don’t even look the same anymore.

Safe to say that Reshoevn8r sneaker cleaning products took 10 years of life off of these bad boys…I think we found the anti-aging secret.

Shoutout to Vick for this sweet restoration. Would you rock a pair of Cool Greys from 2010, or are you opting for a newer pair? Let us know down below.

And as always, head on over to Youtube for even more sneaker cleaning and restoration content.