BOUNTIFUL—A good pair of sneakers can cost up to $250 so when they get dirty or worn  CleanKix can fix them up and make them look like new. The specialty shop on Main Street in Bountiful has been in business for two years and continues to grow as the demand increases.

“We keep it simple,” said Operations Manager Tyler Rohwer. “Everybody wears shoes. They’re expensive so it’s hard to justify buying them twice just because they get dirty or stained. This gives customers an option rather than buying a new pair.”

A couple of friends started the business for fun, said Rohwer. “They enjoyed sneakers. It was mostly a shoe cleaning shop to take care of customers’ favorite pair of shoes when they got dirty.”

Rohwer joined the business about two months in and started cleaning shoes. “Then my friend Lynzie (Johnson) and I decided to make more content to become more profitable and gain a wider audience.”

Lynzie started doing graphic design and social media, he said. “We convinced Osmond (owner) to sell shoes and increase foot traffic and sales. Not long after, he handed me the keys and said ‘make it your own.’” 

So for the last year and a half, Rohwer has been going to events to promote the shop. “We are trying to spread the word about who we are and what we do.”

Rohwer said they’ve branched out to more than just restoration and cleaning. “We have a wider selection of shoes that we sell and also have apparel. We sell high quality T-shirts from Massive Action, LLC and Lonely Hearts Club.”

CleanKix also sells socks, he said. “They’re so comfortable and durable. They’re the only thing I wear and my employees do too.”

They also have Lego shoes that customers can build. “We moved things around to make more space,” said Rohwer. “We have a bunch of different varieties, smaller or they come in a larger capacity. They take longer to build. They’re two feet long and a foot tall.”

Rohwer said they use Reshoevn8tr products to clean the shoes. “It’s a simple process but can be intricate depending on the shoe. We can do most leather. We take the shoelaces out and soak the shoe in the cleaning solution. It starts foaming and the dirt comes to the surface then we brush it off. We scrub the laces to get all of the dirt out that we can and lace the shoes back up.”

The only thing they can’t handle is serious damage to the uppers of the shoe, he said. “Leather cleans better but with canvas and suede there’s not a lot we can do to it. We’ve been able to clean 99% of the shoes that have come in so far. On average we clean 10-15 pairs of shoes a week.”

CleanKix also buys used shoes, said Rohwer. “About 85% of our inventory is new stuff and 15% are used pairs that we clean up and turn around and sell.”

Rohwer said they determine what the shoes are worth by looking at how much they’re selling for new. “We look at what condition the shoes are in, the wear and tear and if they’re in the original box with any accessories. Then we make an offer from there. Some trade them for in store credit but most want cash.”

Feedback from customers is that CleanKix has the best store prices, he said. “We sell locally – come on in.”

CleanKix is located at 290 S. Main Street, in Bountiful.