Porous SnO₂ microboxes with a high uniformity and well-defined non-spherical hollow structure are prepared via a selective leaching strategy using ZnSn(OH)₆ microboxes as the starting material. The selective removal of Zn(II) species by an acid-washing process produces pure SnO₂ microboxes with a porous shell. After further wrapping with an elastic carbon matrix, the resultant SnO₂@C microboxes exhibit excellent electrochemical performance as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries.