Love your sneakers but hate monsoon damage? Asian Footwears CEO shares his top tips for sneaker maintenance

Keep your favourite sneakers fresh this monsoon with simple care tips from Asian Footwears CEO Aayush Jindal to prevent damage.

A few smart monsoon care habits can help your sneakers stay cleaner, fresher and in better shape all season long. (canva.com)

By Neha Ravi Khandelwal

Neha Khandelwal
Content Lead, HT Travel | Travel & Lifestyle Journalist
With over 10 years of content writing experience, Neha Khandelwal is a lifestyle journalist and the Content Lead at HT Travel. She specialises in destinations, hotels, aviation, luggage, travel gear, and practical guides that help readers plan smarter and travel better. Her work combines first-hand experience, expert insights, and extensive research to create stories that are informative, useful, and easy to follow.

Career Journey & Experience
Neha began her writing career as a freelance journalist in 2010 before entering mainstream media with The Times of India in 2022. She later joined Hindustan Times, where she has written extensively across travel, lifestyle, home, and consumer trends. Her professional background extends beyond journalism. Before moving into digital media full-time, she spent nearly a decade in interior design, managing residential projects from concept to execution. She also trained in visual merchandising with Shoppers Stop and Pantaloons and worked with women-led startups across design and operations. These experiences continue to shape her storytelling, especially in how she evaluates hotels, design-led stays, hospitality spaces, and travel experiences.

A naturally curious learner, Neha has completed beginner certifications in pottery, scuba diving, baking, creative writing, and other creative pursuits. She has read more than 2,000 books, trained in Bharatanatyam for 8 years, and ghostwritten a book on Ladakh tourism.

Subject Expertise
Travel is at the heart of Neha's work. She covers destinations, hotels, airlines, luggage, packing strategies, travel accessories, and emerging travel trends through a mix of reporting, product testing, and conversations with industry experts. A frequent traveller herself, she approaches every trip with a journalist's curiosity and a planner's mindset, focusing on experiences that readers can realistically recreate. From choosing the right cabin bag to decoding hotel openings and destination trends, her writing prioritises practical advice over promotional claims. Her background in interior design also gives her a distinct perspective on architecture, hospitality design, boutique hotels, luxury stays, and thoughtfully designed spaces.

Education & Professional Background
Neha holds a Master's degree in Interior Design. Her early experience in interior design, visual merchandising, and design operations gives her a unique understanding of aesthetics, functionality, and user experience, adding depth to her coverage of hotels, resorts, and travel spaces.

Editorial Philosophy
"As an avid, research-driven traveller, my goal is simple. To answer the questions you actually have before booking a trip. I cut through the promotional noise with honest reporting and expert insights. Making travel planning seamless, smart, and reliable so you always know where to go next."

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I love my sneakers, but the monsoon always makes me nervous. The moment dark clouds roll in, I start wondering if my favourite pair will come home splashed with muddy water, stained beyond repair or carrying that damp smell that refuses to leave. After one too many rainy day mishaps, I realised I needed advice that actually works instead of random internet hacks. So, I decided to ask an expert.

According to Mr Aayush Jindal, CEO, Asian Footwears, "A little preventive care can go a long way in keeping your shoes looking and performing their best." His approach is refreshingly practical, with simple habits that can help your sneakers stay cleaner, fresher and in better shape all through the rainy season. Here are the five tips he recommends before you head out in your favourite pair.

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What is monsoon damage, and how can it ruin your sneakers?

• Water weakens the materials: Constant exposure to rain can affect the fabric, leather and glue, making your sneakers lose their shape over time.
• Mud leaves stubborn stains: Wet mud can seep into the upper and sole, leaving marks that become harder to remove if left for too long.
• Moisture causes unpleasant odour: Damp interiors create the perfect conditions for bacteria, leaving your shoes smelling less than fresh.
• Soles can start peeling: Excess moisture may weaken the adhesive that holds different parts of the sneaker together, leading to separation.
• Mould can develop during storage: Putting away damp sneakers in a closed cupboard can encourage mould growth, damaging both the appearance and the material.

5 essential tips from Mr. Aayush Jindal to keep your sneakers in great condition this monsoon

1. Waterproof your sneakers before the rains arrive

Don't wait for the first shower to think about protection. Mr Jindal recommends treating every pair with a water repellent spray that suits the shoe material before the monsoon begins. A protective coating helps reduce water absorption and makes cleaning much easier later.

2. Let wet sneakers dry naturally

If your sneakers get soaked, resist the temptation to place them under direct sunlight or near a heater. Instead, stuff them with paper to absorb excess moisture and leave them to air dry in a well-ventilated spot. This helps prevent cracked leather, warped soles and misshapen shoes.

3. Rotate your sneakers

Wearing the same pair every rainy day does them no favours. Give your sneakers a day off between wears so they can dry completely. This simple habit helps them retain their shape and reduces the chance of lingering dampness.

4. Clean off mud before it settles

Fresh mud is far easier to remove than dried dirt. Mr Jindal suggests using a soft brush and a damp cloth to clean your sneakers as soon as possible after wearing them. Quick cleaning also helps prevent stains, odour and long-term damage.

5. Store them in a dry, airy space

Never put damp sneakers straight into a closed cupboard. Store them in a dry, well-ventilated area with shoe trees or paper inserts inside. This keeps moisture at bay, helps the shoes hold their shape and reduces the chances of mould forming.

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The author of this article holds a Master's Degree in Interior Design and has spent over a decade in research, teaching, and designing homes from scratch.

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