Crep Protect is arguably the biggest name in sneaker care and maintenance, with its sneaker protector spray probably the brand's best-known product. You've probably seen it in shops such as JD Sports, talked about by sneaker influencers online, and even promoted by well-renowned celebrity sneakerheads.
That's a lot of hype for what is quite a niche product, which does leave you wondering whether Crep Protect really is one of the best sneaker protector sprays on the market. Fortunately for you, we've thoroughly tested it out to give you the answer.
What is it?
As it says on the tin, Crep Protect spray creates "THE ULTIMATE RAIN & STAIN RESISTANT BARRIER". In other words, it's a hydrophobic spray designed to add a waterproof shield around whatever you spray it on; in this instance, sneakers.
This protective layer is particularly impressive as it is invisible, meaning it can be used on practically any colour and material. What's more, it's designed to maintain breathability as the barrier doesn't fill in and block any of your shoe's perforations.
What makes it so useful is the fact it can preserve your sneakers, extending their lifespan as you wear them and helping to prevent permanent damage. It can also minimise how often you need to clean your shoes by stopping mud and dirt from causing any tricky stains.
This all sounds pretty promising, but does it actually work? And how exactly do you use it effectively?
How do you use it?
Using the spray is incredibly straightforward, although there is more to it than simply applying it to your shoes and stepping outside. Fortunately, information on how exactly to use the protector is depicted on the side of the can.
The first thing you're instructed to do is to make sure your sneakers are clean. Seeing as mine were, I proceeded straight to step two: shake the can.
Once mixed, spray the formula onto your sneakers from a distance of around 20cm, leave them to dry for 10 minutes, then spray a second coating onto your trains before leaving them to dry for 10 more minutes. After following these steps, my sneakers, as yours will be, were good to go.
Crep Protect's FAQs do provide a little more information, namely to avoid drenching your shoes and to cover them evenly. Over saturation may lead to white residue forming, so make sure you only apply a light coating. Also, make sure you use the spray in a well-ventilated room or outside seeing as it is a solvent and can be harmful if not used correctly.
Does it work?
As someone who has used Crep Protect spray for many years and has tested it out for this guide, I can confirm it does work. Although tricky to capture, the image below showcases how running water ran straight off my sneaker as opposed to soaking into the knitted material.
This is incredibly useful in everyday life as knitted shoes (like above) are almost unwearable beyond summer because there's always the fear that rain may completely ruin them. However, my experience is that Crep Protect does form a hydrophobic shield around your shoes, and you'll only really encounter problems if your sneakers become completely drenched.
Crep Protect spray is fairly effective at keeping mud and dirt at bay too. Okay, the protective layer won't make dirt run off it like water; however, it does prevent dirt from seeping deeper into the material of your shoes and causing long-term stains. I've found mud just sits above that protective layer, making it very easy to wipe off at the next available opportunity. Of course, it's not going to protect your favourite Air Force 1s, for example, from long-term damage if you jump into a bog, but the spray does make a difference on a day-to-day basis, and that's really all I'm looking for from a protector spray.
The negatives
While the spray is effective at what it does, there are a few downsides to it.
Firstly, the protective barrier does not last forever. Crep Protect recommends you reapply it to your trainers every three to four weeks if you wear them every day. In my experience, the most reliable approach would likely be to reapply a coating before heading out if you're truly concerned about preserving your shoes, as the shield's effectiveness diminishes over time.
This bleeds into our next issue in that buying it can be quite costly. One 200ml can is not expensive in itself, but when you consider the fact you will need to continually reapply the spray to your collection, it does make it more like a Netflix subscription to a sneakerhead than a one-off purchase. Also, we're yet to find any can of the stuff bigger than 200ml, which means you kind of have to bulk buy if you've got quite a few sneakers you want to protect. That's not the end of the world, but I'd personally like to see a bigger version become available as I'm yet to find one.
Verdict
Overall, Crep Protect sneaker spray is incredibly effective at what it does. When I first used it years ago, I was impressed by water effortlessly running off my shoes; something that still impresses me to this day. It also helps when it comes to cleaning my collection, as dirt is far easier to wipe away on shoes when I've applied the protector spray.
The downside to it being so good is it leaves me needing it, and that can prove costly seeing as the protective barrier only really lasts a few weeks. That means you can run out pretty quickly, leading to you buying more and, in turn, costing you more than you first anticipated.
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