Drying shoes - any hints? ( for when it's hot and humid)

Pdoz

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Feb 16, 2019
1,112
1,206
Maffra Victoria Australia
Ok, before you start screaming noobie....I'm writing this from Australia so wet shoes are pretty rare, and normally we just toss them on the verandah and let nature do the work. But it's been raining for 3 days , too humid for the breeze to work and nobody has newspapers this century....

I was tempted to point the heat gun and start a new biological experiment, but then I realised the 510's are supposed to have armour in them and excess heat kills d30 ( no idea what 510 use?)

Frkit, I'm going riding in the blundstones.

83984077-663B-4912-B2F5-E80BCDEAF9B8.jpeg
 
Last edited:

z1ppy

E*POWAH Master
May 11, 2018
240
168
West Mids
cheap & cheerful? Scrunched up newspaper stuffed into them, to get the worst out quick, replace when damp, then let em dry out somewhere warm.
 

Pdoz

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Feb 16, 2019
1,112
1,206
Maffra Victoria Australia
cheap & cheerful? Scrunched up newspaper stuffed into them, to get the worst out quick, replace when damp, then let em dry out somewhere warm.

My newspaper device is too big to fit in the shoes ( see original post re last century) . Thanks anway.
 

B1rdie

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Feb 14, 2019
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1,081
Brazil
This ^^ may not dry much faster but avoids building that smell.
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
8,771
9,064
Lincolnshire, UK
Tip some cat litter in there. You can still use it for the cat afterwards.:)

if you don't like the idea of dusty cat litter inside your boots, put the cat litter in a paper bag first but it won't be as quick. Maybe a sock would be better.

There are different types of cat litter. The dusty ones are basically clay. There are some really good ones that are, believe it or not, made from aerated concrete, not much dust with them.
 

Doomanic

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Jan 21, 2018
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I made my own boot dryer out of a couple of smallish PC fans and an old tablet power supply. They are just the right size to jam under the tongue and dry the shoes out pretty quickly. If I’m not in a hurry to use the shoes again I just leave them on top of the radiator for a day or so but I guess that isn’t an option for you.
 

Pdoz

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Feb 16, 2019
1,112
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Maffra Victoria Australia
I made my own boot dryer out of a couple of smallish PC fans and an old tablet power supply. They are just the right size to jam under the tongue and dry the shoes out pretty quickly. If I’m not in a hurry to use the shoes again I just leave them on top of the radiator for a day or so but I guess that isn’t an option for you.

Now we're talking - boat tech! ( we use old computer fans to circulate air in the cabin) . Which got me thinking....a few sachets of damp rid....
 

R120

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Subscriber
Apr 13, 2018
7,819
9,190
Surrey
Do you have a hot water cylinder in your house, or a mechanical plant area that has has a high ambient temperature? If so stick them in there /near there overnight.

I have a set of boot dryers, an AGA, and a cupboard with a hot water cylinder in it - putting the shoes in the cupboard wit the hot water cylinder drys em out fastest out of all of em.
 

Doomanic

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putting the shoes in the cupboard wit the hot water cylinder drys em out fastest out of all of em.
You need to re-lag that cylinder then.
Our airing cupboard is barely hotter than the rest of the house.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,401
4,878
Weymouth
I bought 5/10 EPS for winter riding. Keep them well polished and they are waterproof...…..mine are the low boot design rather than the shoe. You just have to ward against letting water run into the shoe from above ankle height obviously. For wet conditions I just rely on the 5/10s to do their job......if I know I going to be into deep mud as well as lots of water I then used a neoprene overshoe as well. Worse case after a ride I just wipe the 5:10s over with a cloth and put them away.
 

kntr

Active member
Sep 19, 2019
191
277
USA
I put my shoes on a boot drier after every ride. It helps them to not stink too.
 

Pdoz

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Feb 16, 2019
1,112
1,206
Maffra Victoria Australia
Do you have a hot water cylinder in your house, or a mechanical plant area that has has a high ambient temperature? If so stick them in there /near there overnight.

I have a set of boot dryers, an AGA, and a cupboard with a hot water cylinder in it - putting the shoes in the cupboard wit the hot water cylinder drys em out fastest out of all of em.

not really - in Australia we try and keep all the hot stuff out of the house ( the last thing we need on a 42 degree day is added heat) . Solar hot water, and the ambient humidity is too high for blowing air to help ( much) . Definitely not going to leave wet shoes in a hot damp cupboard to grow the next biohazard.

I'm thinking one of those shoe heater things but set up outside might be my best bet , but thanks for the suggestion
 

Pdoz

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Feb 16, 2019
1,112
1,206
Maffra Victoria Australia
I bought 5/10 EPS for winter riding. Keep them well polished and they are waterproof...…..mine are the low boot design rather than the shoe. You just have to ward against letting water run into the shoe from above ankle height obviously. For wet conditions I just rely on the 5/10s to do their job......if I know I going to be into deep mud as well as lots of water I then used a neoprene overshoe as well. Worse case after a ride I just wipe the 5:10s over with a cloth and put them away.


...errrr….don't get them wet!! Use overshoes.

Thanks for the suggestions, but as well as being wet it's stinking hot and humid - so overshoes or waterproof boots are just going to fill with sweat during the ride.

What do people in the tropics do?
 

Stuart569

Well-known member
Jun 24, 2019
128
111
NE Scotland
I recently had this problem so stuck the Mrs hair drier in each one on medium heat for 15 mins. Job done. Just leave a gap for the air to escape back out the foot hole ?. She was at work and none the wiser ?
 

Rick53

Member
Feb 12, 2020
43
21
Muskegon, MI, USA
Ok, before you start screaming noobie....I'm writing this from Australia so wet shoes are pretty rare, and normally we just toss them on the verandah and let nature do the work. But it's been raining for 3 days , too humid for the breeze to work and nobody has newspapers this century....

I was tempted to point the heat gun and start a new biological experiment, but then I realised the 510's are supposed to have armour in them and excess heat kills d30 ( no idea what 510 use?)

Frkit, I'm going riding in the blundstones.

View attachment 25797
You've never heard of Shoe Trees or Shoe Stretchers ? Or you could Stick a bunch of old Socks in them : Wrap them in Towels or something and throw them in the Dryer at maybe 20 -30 minute intervals : Then take them Out and allow air-to dry for awhile then back in the Dryer ?? Also you know what MINK OIL IS ? That would have helped them getting soaked in the first place and also softens the Leather : I worked as a Kid in a Tannery : So know a little bit about Leather Shoe Trees or Stretchers would fix that dent
 

Pdoz

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Feb 16, 2019
1,112
1,206
Maffra Victoria Australia
You've never heard of Shoe Trees or Shoe Stretchers ? Or you could Stick a bunch of old Socks in them : Wrap them in Towels or something and throw them in the Dryer at maybe 20 -30 minute intervals : Then take them Out and allow air-to dry for awhile then back in the Dryer ?? Also you know what MINK OIL IS ? That would have helped them getting soaked in the first place and also softens the Leather : I worked as a Kid in a Tannery : So know a little bit about Leather Shoe Trees or Stretchers would fix that dent

You had me confused for a while - the 510's are synthetic.

Then I realised you were talking about the photo of my blunnies? That was just a ( cryptic? ) reference to good old fashioned oiled leather that copes with decades of abuse - enough to wear a hole out of the toes ( no dent ) .
 

Beekeeper

🍯Honey Monster🍯
Aug 6, 2019
1,749
2,196
Surrey hills
Put hand inside then jet spray the soles and outside. Sparkling clean in 10 seconds.
Upside down on radiator to dry.
Never had an issues and they were cheap as chips.

Slazenger Warriors.

D7AE19F8-1F3E-4D17-888C-798AB5B93BD7.jpeg
 

Rick53

Member
Feb 12, 2020
43
21
Muskegon, MI, USA
You've never heard of Shoe Trees or Shoe Stretchers ?
You had me confused for a while - the 510's are synthetic.

Then I realized you were talking about the photo of my blunnies? That was just a ( cryptic? ) reference to good old fashioned oiled leather that copes with decades of abuse - enough to wear a hole out of the toes ( no dent ) .
they are syn (Plastic) So I'm assuming what is wet is the lining : Not the plastic exterior : Find some old socks and stuff them Inside : Then Stick them in a bag you can throw in the dryer : And Dry them. People Dry sneakers all the time that way. Just don't dry them all the way. Might want to put them in the spin mode of a washer : Which will remove some of the water All you risk is the shoe coming apart if they are old : But that's because they are soaked : Not because you are drying them. The sole will eventually separate because it's been Soaked anyway:

A Fan Would also work : I'd almost be willing to bet There's a Label inside somewhere that says Machine washable Cold Water. If you do nothing but Send them thru the spin Cycle of a washer to get as much water as you can out :Then set them somewhere to dry . You'll have increased how fast they dry by quite a bit :

By having them sit around wet for days : You are actually effecting the Stitching and glued Sole.
A Clothes Dryer isn't going to hurt anything : After all they are plastic.
You could even put them in a dishwasher and flip to the Spin Dry part : They won't melt : Although a Dryer is more practical:
 

SiDobsFig

Member
Apr 20, 2019
45
51
Ross-on-Wye
Oh that is so funny ??. Just checking out the posts in West Wales with horizontal rain and fields running down the roads. I usually hose mine down while standing in Sealskin socks and put them on a radiator after. It they stink a quick wool wash in the machine will help. Just wish we could ship some of this wet stuff down under to help out but it’s a bit heavy. I think Endura have come out with some dry socks you could just use those and not worry about them being wet.
 

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