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Wet shoes: getting ‘em dry again
Happy Feet has some interesting tips for keeping your shoes healthy after wet outings:
- Do not put them in the dryer and do not place them directly over a heater or too near a heat source.
- Remove the laces and open the tongue so the shoe can breathe. Remove the insoles so they dry outside of the shoes.
- Stuff newspaper into your wet shoes to help dry them out overnight.
- Before using them again, sprinkle a bit of baking soda powder into each shoe and again after using them.
Or you could go the overkill route: Get some overshoes. I have these mondo boots by Neos that look like something you’d take on a moonwalk. They add quite a bit of weight (especially when there’s mud and muck afoot), but think of it as resistance training. Best part: you just peel ‘em off and toss in the trunk of your car when you’re done hiking, and you’ve got clean shoes to wear home (They will be a bit damp because there’s none of that sissified GorTex and you’re feet’ll sweat. But like I said, it’s a workout, right?).
Tags: hiking shoes, Neos overshoes
January 31st, 2008 at 4:14 pm
When I worked in the shrimp cannery, newspaper got the boots dry for the next day. It didn’t help with the smell though.
April 9th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I have an innovative product that will effectively dry wet shoes and boots. They’re called Stuffitts. They are 100% cedar-filled sachets that you simply stick in your shoes/boots when you’re not wearing them, and the product removes moisture and eliminates odor. I’m a triathlete and have only been selling this product for a few months– having attended race expos and placing a few ads (see Triathlete mag). Great response thus far. Give them a shot. http://www.stuffitts.com.
April 10th, 2008 at 7:51 am
Editor’s note: I haven’t tried Mike Huebner’s product, above; normally I would delete promotional postings like this but he’s one guy making these on his own so I’m relaxing the rules a bit.
April 11th, 2008 at 5:23 am
I know this is an old post, but since you say you’re still getting traffic on it, I thought I’d add this bit of advice.
Do not dry your shoes next to a fire. If it burns wood, it can and will burn your shoes. I have a pair of $200 hiking boots with burned tops that I still wear because they can’t be fixed, and I can’t afford to replace them. Fortunately they serve as a constant reminder on the trail, “don’t be stupid”.
The worst part about the day I caught them on fire, when I put them back on, they were still wet.