How to Dry Wet Running Shoes

(without ruining them)

We run through it all- snow, rain, wind, heat, hail. We’ve gotten the question from our podcast listeners about how to dry wet running shoes! This article will include tips and tricks to getting your running shoes dry for your next run. You’ll also learn how NOT to dry your running shoes. 

General quick tips to quickly dying your wet running shoes

No matter what method you choose for drying your wet running shoes, you will want to start with these three simple suggestions:

• Remove the insole.
• Pull back the tongue.
• Loosen or remove the laces.

Rotate your running shoes

The number one way to ensure you will have dry shoes for your next run is to rotate your running shoes. Use this tip in addition to the drying methods listed below for best results.

This practice is good in general because the time between wears helps to preserve the life of your shoes by allowing the sole to completely decompress. Rotate your running shoes after a rainy day.

Newspaper

Use newspaper to dry your running shoes. If you get newspaper advertisements, old phone books, or want to recycle your old newspaper, this is an easy method for drying shoes if you have more than a couple hours before you need them dry. This is a great overnight method.

How to:

• Remove the insole.
• Loosen the laces.
• Wad up newspapers.
• Use enough to fill the entire shoe.
• Leave in an open, dry room.

Vent dry

Use a vent to dry your wet running shoes. If you have a floor vent, this strategy is very easy. If you have a wall vent you can buy this low-tech vent rack like we did.

How to:

• Remove the insole.
• Loosen laces.
• Set upside down on the vent/ hang on the vent rack.

Fan dry

Fan drying your shoes is the FASTEST way to dry your wet running shoes safely. Using a high power fan, you can quickly dry your running shoes so they are ready to go. Be careful that the laces are placed in a way that they will not get caught in the fan’s blades. You may want to remove the laces. All high powered fans should work, but the best ones are the kind that you can point up and set your wet running shoes on top of.

How to:

• Remove the insole.
• Loosen the laces.
• Lean shoes against fan, or best case scenario, dry on top of the fan.

Avoid drying shoes with heat

Avoid drying your shoes on heat in the dryer. In general it is not advised to use a dryer even on low settings. It is not very effective, and could ruin both your shoes and the dyer. Also avoid using a blow dryer on high heat to dry your shoes out. The reason heat is not good for your shoes is that it damages the materials and the glue that holds the shoe together. You reduce the lifespan of your running shoes when applying heat. Using a blow dryer on a low or medium setting is likely safe.

How do you dry your running shoes? Comment below.

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