Drying shoes

[Devon]

So it's that time of year again...

Never had an issue with this before, however my new house seems to be useless for drying clothes.
Because of the weather at the moment (England...) my shoes get soaked every ride, and because
they're taking so long to dry, are starting to stink. It doesn't help that it's not cool enough to put the
heating on yet...

Anyone got any tips, other than the good old newspaper method? I'm hesitant to put them on a radiator
due to the carbon soles - will they be okay?

Are there any good reusable products that will soak up the moisture? I never buy a newspaper...

I even considered cat litter in an old sock?!

[mattr]

We got a shoe drier for about 20-25 quid.
Shoes get a thorough rinse after use (to get sweat and road grime/slime off them) insoles out, then 60 minutes on the drier.

Usually bone dry by then.
It's not hot enough to do any damage to carbon shoes. maybe 50-60 degrees, probably not even that.

[Devon]

I'm assuming you mean farenheit, because that's pretty hot!

Rinsing after each use is a good idea actually - especially when soaked already. I never actually considered it that

What type of dryer is it? I'm in a small flat so space is an issue. Although something like this could work.

[mattr]

50-60 centigrade. Not that hot really, they can be put on comfortably the instant they come off the drier, so may be a bit less? I'd have to actually check tho.........
Either way, work boots go on for an hour before I go out and shovel snow.

Carbon soled sidis have been going on regularly for 3 or 4 years, no damage. 4 different pairs.
And it's about the size of a shoebox, four flexible hoses (for two pairs of boots) screwed to the wall.

What you've linked to might be more suitable for a flat!

(FWIW, getting a second pair of shoes and rotating actually works well, gives 36 hours of drying time between dousings rather than 12.)

[Devon]

Great, thanks for the info.

[jo.k]

This one is supposed to be good, I am getting one for this winter:

http://www.therm-ic.com/Care-Systems/Refresher.html

[joec]

I live in a small flat too, I put all my cycling kit (and any other washing) in the bathroom with a dehumidfier. really sucks the water out the air so they dry much quicker. also helps with bathroom mould.

[FIJIGabe]

You can get a shoe drier that fits in your drier on Amazon as an add-on item. Put the shoes inside the bag, which straps to the drier door, close the door and run the drier.

[velomane]

I take out the insoles, prop up the shoes vertically, and direct a fan at them. This tends to dry them out in twelve hours, well before my next ride.

[boysa]

^+1. I have a small fan dedicated for my shoes. Post-ride I wipe them down, remove the insoles, and prop them in front of the fan. Has been working marvelously, even in a humid environment. I think it also helps keep odor away.

[TwiggyTN]

Yeah, unless your shoes are real leather or something they should dry out under a ceiling fan with the insoles removed overnight. No problemo.

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[Bogan]

If your shoes have real leather like Lake or Rapha shoes, I would not be using a shoe dryer at 60 c. You will destroy the leather soon enough. I wouldn't be rinsing real leather shoes either. Water is the enemy of leather. Leather riding shoes should be looked after like any leather dress shoe. A bit of polish acts as a great waterproofer.

[dmulligan]

I use a dryer meant for ski boots made by a company called Dry Guy.

[mattr]

FWIW, ceiling fans are very very much the exception rather than the rule in homes in Europe.

Plus the assumption that they'll dry out over night is massively dependent on temperature and humidity. I've not got a single pair that will dry out after a soaking in less than 24 hours without some sort of assistance. Except when the ambient temp is into the high 20's or above i.e. the sort of weather where you generally don't get a soaking. Either a shoe drier (i measured last night, the air comes out at just short of 40 degrees) or in front of a radiator (gives you some air circulation and heat) or regular repacking with newspaper will all do the trick with varying timescales and effectiveness.

[sawyer]

Newspaper in the shoe and then hang up somewhere - e.g. on a peg in a cupboard

Replace first round of newspaper after 2-3 hours and then repeat as necessary. Even the wettest shoes will be pretty dry with 2 or 3 lots of newspaper ...

Packed tightly it also acts a bit like a shoetree - helping the shoe keep it's shape

Cheap ...

Only problem is no-one buys newspapers any more - I use freebies like Metro