Lint piles up on the hook side of Velcro. Mine was on sandals, so I ignored it until it looked terrible. Time to clean.

Searching “magic tape lint”

I looked up ways to clean it and found these suggestions:

• Packing tape
• Toothpick
• Pet grooming brush (slicker brush)

No slicker brush at home, so I tried the first two.

Pull lint with packing tape

Stick tape on the hook side…

…and peel. Not bad—multiple pats removed ~80%. Tape grabs the bigger bits easily. Fine fuzz remained, so I tried a toothpick.

Toothpick? Too slow

Nope. Picking lint one by one is tedious, and the hard tip could snag stitches or the hooks themselves. While poking, I realized a stiff brush might work like the pet brush idea.

Use a cheap brush, then tape

I grabbed a 100-yen brush set (stainless/brass/plastic) and used the plastic one—bristles about as firm as a toothbrush. Scrubbing loosened lint but didn’t finish the job. Then I noticed the packing tape again—why not combine?

Brush to lift, tape to finish

Perfect finish. Scrub any direction, then press tape. After a few brush-and-tape cycles, every bit was gone. No need for a pet brush.

Any firm brush should work: shoe brush, sneaker brush, even a spent toothbrush. Surprisingly satisfying to get the hooks spotless—give it a try.

About these sandals: Teva Hurricane XLT

I bought these ~4 years ago. Teva usually makes loud outdoorsy patterns, but this line had cute solid colors—my pair is the Hurricane XLT. Alongside tribal reds/blues/browns there were solid options, including Eva Unit-01 and mass-production Eva-inspired colors. The mass-production one tempted me.

The thick, soft sole means you can run in them. Sandals for jogging?! They’re basically like Edo-period courier footwear.

Tighten the straps and they hold better than many shoes—fine for jumping and running. Wash with water and they dry quickly; I use them every summer.

Buying them

I bought via Javari, a shoe/clothing site Amazon had just acquired. It looked like Amazon but said Javari—awkward phase.

Javari had free returns: order multiple sizes/colors, try at home, send back the rest, and get refunded after they receive them. A hermit’s dream. I ordered kid colors too, kept this pair, and returned the rest.

Javari is gone (absorbed by Amazon). Later I returned shoes on Amazon and paid shipping, so I thought the free-returns era ended—until my wife said “You can still do it on Amazon.”

Items with this label are free to return. Details:

Free shipping (some exceptions) & 30-day free returns In the “Clothing & Accessories” and “Shoes & Bags” stores, items shipped by Amazon.co.jp ship free (some exceptions) and returns from domestic addresses are also free. (Marketplace sellers may not be eligible.)

Amazon.co.jp: Free returns after try-on (fashion)

Seems the service survived. I’d bought from a marketplace seller before—hence paying return shipping. Oops.

Checking the Hurricane XLT page, I see free returns. Listings can switch sellers, but for now it’s covered.

Black versions have been everywhere since last year and look set to keep trending. The women’s line is a bit drab; my wife might grab a small men’s size. Personally I’d love this yellow (Sunflower/Saffron?) or other bright colors to come back.