Talk to me about cleaning running shoes. I run mine under the the tap of the rain barrel water when I get home and brush off the mud. I stuff them with newspaper and put them under the radiator but sometimes I just have to put them back on wet next run 🏃♀️
The problem is they now smell like cats pee 😛
You really need to dry them out each time - it will improve the life (and smell!) of your precious shoes!
My current shoes are at the end of their lives, I have a new pair sitting in their box, but until the weather improves I cant bear taking them out into the mud!
So generally I don't wash them, if they are really muddy I will find a bit of wet grass to get the bulk of the mud off, but there will always be some on the shoes. But if they get wet, then its soles out, on the radiator or in front of the fire for at least 24 hours until bone dry again.
I run forest trails and on countryside tracks and roads between nearby livestock farms, so my shoes get dirty from the first wearing. I keep water away from them as much as possible except when I'm out running, in which case mud, puddles and streams are all fair game!
When I get home I remove the insoles from my shoes and put them next to our boiler. Only stuff them with newspaper if they're really wet. Then I just brush off the dirt once they've dried off a bit. I'll occasionally swish the soles about in a bit of water if they're really coated in gunk, but that's very rare.
I would clean them similar to the way you do apart from soaking the uppers in running water !
I probably wouldn't use what is likely to be stagnant water from a water butt either, this probably wouldn't help with the smell especially if you haven't been getting them totally dry .
Then stuffing with newspaper to dry but certainly making sure they are completely dry will help with the odour.
I wouldn't use direct heat to dry though , just air-dry in a warm room or sun or an airing cupboard .
This article may help .
runnersworld.com/uk/gear/sh...
Thanks
I love muddy runs and sometimes it’s easier to run through muddy puddles than slide around the edge! Surely it’s part of the fun of being out on trails too! 😀
I know some folk just bang the worst of the mud off and let them dry 😱 but I always clean mine up using a Boot Buddy. It makes cleaning your shoes so much easier and saves on water too. (no, I am not being paid by them to say this!🤣) I then stuff them with newspaper. Oh, and I tend to take the insoles out too - it’s most likely your insoles that are smelly. I give mine a quick wash very occasionally using a bit of washing powder in the sink or a bucket.
At the moment I am using Enertor insoles in all my running shoes and these don’t seem to get as smelly.
🙂
Thanks for this
My own shoes have washing instructions and get washed a couple of times a week with my kit then hung up to dry. I wear unusual shoes, though.
But in general, the problem with washing shoes is the glues that hold them together.
Heat is your enemy here.
It's possible to wash them in a front-loader machine. (Never in a top-loader.)
Gently brush off any loose dirt.
If you can separate the insoles, put them in their own mesh bag. Washing them separately will speed up the drying process.
Put the shoes in a mesh bag in the washing machine. Use a cold or cool wash (20°C or 30°C) with a gentle action. Don't overdo the detergent. You don't want it to foam up the whole washing machine.
If you're using liquid detergent, add a bit of powder (colour Vanish, not the whites type) to the wash too. The mild oxygen bleach in the powder will help with smells and the extra zeolites in the powder will help remove soil.
Dry in an airing cupboard or other well-ventilated warm area. Avoid direct heat, so "on the radiator" or "in front of the fire" is out.
Never put them in a tumble drier.
In my experience, running shoes tend to not hold on to moisture as much as normal shoes, and newspaper is not usually necessary. If you do use paper, change it for fresh dry paper every few hours.
Guess who’s got a top loader 😩
I let puddles clean them for me!. Then insoles out and dry under a radiator
I don't clean my shoes, I just go through puddles when I'm out. Admittedly my trail shoes look and smell like a bog, but it is what it is 😜
That's 2 votes for the cleaning power of puddles then 😅🤣😂
I figure that I go to enough effort by running, I can't be bothered cleaning my shoes as well! And plus, running through huge puddles is great
I'm thinking the same... Not cleaned mine on yonks!!!
Mine get the worst of the mud knocked off. I balance them on top of a radiator. When they’re dry they get brushed with a vegetable brush to remove as much as possible of the remaining mud.
Most of the time they just stay just outside the front door covered in mud.
I bought a dozen sneaker wipes from Amazon in September for £3. So far I have used two of them.
I have thought of changing my username to "Doesn't run through puddles" as it would accurately describe me. I don't run through mud either.
Watching where I put my feet is a game that keeps me amused. I leap over large puddles if I have to, and often take short delicate fast steps dancing through a network of puddles without stepping in any of them, a bit like a boxer, which can be very amusing to onlookers.
Just looking at a pair of white Vomero 16 trainers I've put 254 km on since October. Gone a bit grey, but would wipe clean I expect.
🤣🤣 I don’t mind running through mud and puddles but don’t like my shoes afterwards and don’t get me started on toenails 🤣🤣
I got this nifty little thing for my birthday last month. The Boot Buddy fills with cold water that releases as you brush the soles with the nylon brush. The other end is a scraper for getting at any deep mud or stones, etc in the tread. A micro cloth is provided for drying the soles before putting away. I would never soak the inside or uppers. But this is working well for me. I’m guessing it was from Amazon.
These keep popping up on my phone... but I fear it will be another gadget that Ill stop using.... May take another look tho. Thanks
Thanks I believe hubby has one of these for golf shoes 🤣 time to share
Thank you for posting this question poohbear! I have just been for a very wet run and came straight home to order a Boot Buddy.
We have a Renogy boot drier (£25 on Amazon), and use it all the time for running shoes, walking boots etc. Stops them getting stinky. The spikes that the shoes sit on fold down so it's really small, we take on holiday with us to cottages when it's hard to dry shoes after a soggy day in the Scottish Hills!
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