'Sneakers look like new': Save your soles with these No. 1 bestselling sponges

Have you ever noticed that sneaker soles — the part of your shoe that spends all of its time on the filthy ground — are almost always white? And when you buy a new pair of gleaming Nikes, they're usually smudged before you've barely made it out the door. You can clean them with vinegar, but who wants to walk around smelling like a house salad? Amazon's No. 1 bestselling shoe cleaner is one of the best and most efficient ways to get your soles white again. These pre-moistened, dual-sided sponges easily tackle pesky scuff marks and dirt, and they're just over $1 each.

A gentle rub is all you need for maximum cleaning power. And if the sponges begin to dry while you’re buffing, simply add a bit of water to reactivate them. Before you know it, you’ll be glowing up, whether you’re running errands or jogging around the neighborhood.

SneakErasers are the brainchild of college roommates-turned-entrepreneurs who realized the hard way how critical clean sneakers are when you’re pitching million-dollar ideas to C-suites. (Yes, you can now pitch in sneakers — another reason you should keep them clean.) From humble beginnings in a garage sprang this mighty sponge, which made it to Shark Tank and is now the No. 1 bestselling shoe cleaner on Amazon.

These doodads have over 7,000 five-star fans and more than 20,000 have been sold in the last month.

This reviewer with now-happy feet wrote, "With the first pair of sneakers I used it on, they were very soiled and there was no way they could be cleaned back to new. Well, I was wrong. At work, people noticed the white on the sidewalls of my shoes."

"Sneakers look like new!" echoed another footloose fan. "I hate getting scuffs/dirt from normal city wear and tear, and although my shoes are well-loved, they don't look like it! I used them on my Vans and Converse — so satisfying to erase all the grind! I find these are more effective than spray cleaners or magic erasers; you can tell they are made specifically for shoes and shoe materials."

And what about SneakErasers' portability? Said a happy buyer: "I love the fact that these came pre-moistened and they're ultra easy to keep in the bag or in the car for quick use. Very solid to have in a pinch!"

"I didn't expect this to work," said another reviewer (and converted skeptic). "But it does — unexpectedly well. Will definitely purchase again. The instructions say to use it gently to avoid disintegration, but my experience was that it dissolved anyway. However, my shoes were pretty soiled. I think once you get the shoes clean it should be a breeze maintaining a fresh look with this product and they probably won't dissolve as fast. Definitely keep the sponge super wet."

A final shopper admitted that these work better on a "newer pair of shoes" but aren't as effective "on an older pair" where the stains may have settled in a bit longer.

If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.