Keeping sneakers clean takes time. Most people do not have it. Sneaker Wash at The Square in Sunninghill was opened for exactly that reason.

Monde Mbewaba runs the store and says it started with a simple realisation. “I am a sneakerhead,” he said. “But I never had time to clean my own sneakers. I figured if I felt that way, other people probably did too.”

What began as a side hustle quickly turned into a proper business. “At first I was washing sneakers from home,” he said. “I told clients at the barber store that I do sneaker cleaning on the side. It picked up. Eventually there were so many pairs I could not keep up. That is when Sneaker Wash became a full store.”

The store does more than just soap and rinse. “We do full sneaker care,” said Monde. “Cleaning, resprays, lace swaps, innersole replacements, colour revamps. We even added sneaker cologne recently. There is more coming. We are already doing handbags and caps.”

The store has seen its fair share of rare drops and statement pairs. “One of the best we had was a pair of Philipp Pleins,” he said. “You do not see those every day.”

Not every client is confident the first time. Some worry their sneakers will get damaged. Monde says that is normal. “We do get clients who are unsure,” he said. “But we show them our work. Our social media has before and after photos. Once they see what we can do, they relax.”

The team is small, but trained and focused. “We have two guys working here,” said Monde. “They went for training with a township brand that has been doing this for over eight years. They taught them advanced methods. I wanted to make sure we do it right.”

Turnaround depends on the condition of the sneakers. “It usually takes about an hour,” he said. “But we do not rush. The guys treat every pair like it is theirs. That is what makes the difference.”

Sneaker Wash is not about hype or fancy packaging. It is about care, attention and good work.

“You would be surprised what a clean pair of sneakers can do for how you feel,” Monde said. “That is what we do here. We bring them back.”

Classic Sneaker Wash: Classic Sneaker Wash – The Square Shopping Centre @Sunninghill