Shoe Steamer table top cleaning cupboard will automatically buff your kicks at home

Anyone who collects trainers — or sneakers for our cousins over the pond — will know the feeling of wearing expensive new kicks out and about whilst filled with the constant fear of staining them. Even if you're not into collecting, chances are you have some shoes you love, so being able to clean them easily at home would certainly be handy.

The crowdfunded Shoe Steamer on Indiegogo promises to clean your trainers so you can have peace of mind when you accidentally spill your coffee while running for the tube.

This handy, mini-fridge-sized device works by popping your sneakers onto the shoe trees inside, shutting the box and pushing a button. If the product page is to be believed, it's dead simple, with the words 'hassle-free' frequently seen.

If your feet are below US size 14, you can clean your shoes, with the device working on suede, leather, knit and canvas. Long gone are the days of smothering your trainers in a pillowcase, ready to be battered on a two-hour cycle in the washing machine whilst you sit and pray they come out relatively unscathed.

The shoe tree will grow to whatever size you need to maintain your footwear's structure and can adapt to suit different shoe sizes. Inside, you'll find multiple steam outlets that shoot compressed air, a removable drip tray and a vibrating sole scrubber so even the hard-to-clean areas can come out fresh. It will be interesting to see how it manages with truly filthy shoes, ah lah "I've just walked my dog through a bog on a dreary Sunday", but we'll have to wait and see.

Steaming with features

What's quite staggering about the steamer is how desirable it is proving, clearly filling a hole in the market that’s existed for quite some time, with the item currently sitting on £166,823 worth of funding (at the time of writing), outperforming its £11,913 goal by 1,391%. That's without factoring in there are still 17 days to back the product.

As is often the case with early adoption via crowdfunding, the Shoe Steamer is also heavily discounted for now — the Super Early Bird Special is currently 38% off, bringing the price down to £340 from the retail price of £555.

Four different Shoe Steamer packages are available on Indiegogo, ranging in price from £340 for the Launch Special to £948 for the 3-Pack VIP Special. It says it only ships to the US and the European Union, but hopefully, that changes soon. If you want to show support, you have until the 7th of March to pre-order with the final design meant to ship in September.

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