You running shoes are going to get wet, whether you run in rain or snow, or if you just get really sweaty. So it’s important that you know how to dry shoes properly so they don’t get stinky.
It’s also helpful to have a second pair of shoes that you can wear while your wet pair dries.
In any case, don’t ever put your shoes in the clothes dryer or use a hair dryer. In the video above, we tell you why that can ruin your running shoes. Instead, follow these three expert ways to dry your shoes.
Pack Wet Shoes With Paper
- Loosen the laces
- Remove the sockliner
- Stuff newspaper or paper towel into the shoe to soak up the water
- Remove the wet paper after a couple hours and pack in more dry paper
- When you remove that paper, let the shoes air out for a day or so until they are completely dry
Use a Fan
If your running shoes are just damp, place them in front of a fan so the moving air will help them dry faster. Remember to pull out the sockliner so that gets thoroughly dried.
Buy a Boot Dryer
For a no fuss method, you could add a boot dryer to your mud room. Fire it up when you come in from a rainy run. That constant air flow will help dry your shoes quickly.
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Jeff is Runner-in-Chief for Runner’s World and the director of product testing. He has tested and reviewed running shoes, GPS watches, headphones, apparel, and more for nearly two decades. He regularly tests more than 100 pairs of shoes each year, and once had a 257-day streak running in different models. Jeff can usually be found on the roads, racing anything from the mile to a marathon, but he also enjoys racing up mountains and on snowshoes. When he’s not running, you’ll probably find him hanging from a ladder making repairs and renovations to his house (he’s also director of product testing for Popular Mechanics).
