How To Dry Shoes? 4 Best Tried And True Ways
Hey Hey, shitfam! Y’all must’ve felt the chill by now ‘cause ya know, the monsoon season is here! This season gives sneakerheads mixed feelings. You get to enjoy the rainy season, Holidays, and all that. But what you also get are wet kicks day in and day out! A nightmare, especially if you’re wearing a highly-coveted masterpiece, like Reimagined Jordan 1. A moldy AJ1 won’t be minding a swimming session in a puddle though! But no, that ain’t the way to clean your shoes even if they’re moldy. Click here for your cleaning guide! Now whether you got your shoes soaked from that rainy morning jog or a regular cleaning session, you gotta know how to dry shoes.
You could do all the cleaning right but slip up when it comes to drying them. Which might ruin your kicks for good. And we definitely don’t want that! So, let’s see what’s the right way
How To Dry Shoes
You ever walked in soaked kicks? That shit is so uncomfortable, it hurts. What will be hurting for real are the blisters you’ll get when you walk a long distance in them squishy shoes. Let’s not talk about that nasty smell as well. So, what’s the secret to how to dry shoes without damaging them?
Method 1: Use A Dryer.. Or Don’t!
Easiest and fastest way to dry shoes is to use a dryer. But this easy way could also damage your shoes beyond repair. So, you gotta learn how and when to do that. Although it’s better you don’t go with this method, if you’re in a hurry and want to try your luck, there’s a particular method you must follow:
1- Remove the insoles and put them aside
2- Untie the laces till they’re hanging on a single eyestay
3- Hang the shoes by the laces, then close the door on the laces to hold them. This should save them from tumbling around.
4- Dry them on low heat for 20 minutes
5- If they’re still damp, turn the dryer on again for 5 minutes at a time till kicks are fully dry.
Another way is:
1- Remove the insoles and put them aside
2- Untie the laces till they’re hanging on a single eyestay.
3- Place the shoes in a mesh bag.
4- Dry on low heat.
5- If they’re still damp, turn the dryer on again for 5 minutes at a time till kicks are fully dry.
However, you must know that this method only works with certain types of materials, like cotton and canvas. But even with these kinda materials, your shoes won’t last long if you rely on this method regularly. Heat damages the glue that holds your kicks together, which either deforms their shape or your kicks eventually shrink in size. And always, always remember, no leather kicks go into the dryer. Like ever. Y’all don’t wanna go into a copping war to score limited-edition like Cherry AJ11s sneakers to ruin them in a matter of seconds! So, all in all, use the dryer as a last resort.
And just so you know why leaving the insoles aside is a thing. It’s mainly because they’re made of material that shrinks when exposed to this type of heat. So, it’s better to leave them air-dry on their own.
Method 2: Air-Dry
The best and safest method to dry your kicks is to let them air-dry on their own. But make sure they’re not exposed to direct sunlight or else they might meet their fate in no time. So what you gotta do is:
1- Choose a dry place indoors, not too cold and not too hot
2- Remove laces
3- Remove insoles
4- Hang the laces
5- Put your shoes on a clear rack along with their insoles
If your kicks ain’t that damp, you could hang them by their laces outside in the shade. This way you don’t have to go through the struggle of unlacing and then lacing them again. But removing the insoles makes them dry faster, and relieves your kicks from odors that usually form sweaty feet.
Method 3: Use A Fan
More on how to dry shoes? Well, a third way to dry your sneakers without wishing them farewell is by using a fan. It’s like a sped-up air-drying method.
1- Loosen up laces
2- Remove insoles
3- Hook your kicks to a table fan or any fan by a wire hanger
4- Place a towel or paper underneath to absorb excess water
5- Turn on the fan till the shoes are dry. A couple of hours would work fine in most cases
Method 4: Use Newspapers
At this point are newspapers for news anymore? They’re good at making glass shine like a diamond, they say. Newspapers are good for wrapping shit up for storage, they say. And now we’ll ad add to that list by telling you that newspapers are also useful in drying your shoes! That shit works wonders on drying any type of kicks, as newspapers help absorb water. However, this method needs more time than the others. So, if you’re not in a hurry to wear’em kicks, follow up to know how this method work.
1- Remove the insoles and let them air-dry on their own
2- You gotta stuff the shoes with newspapers
3- Make sure newspapers are stuffed all the way up to the toes of the kicks
4- Wrap each pair with a newspaper
5- Change newspapers every 1 to 2 hours until kicks are completely dry
Key Tips
1- If your kicks mean shit to you, try to avoid wearing them in shitty weather or in the snow.
2- Wear waterproof kicks or ones that can take on a lil rainy day, just like the upcoming Terra Forma.
3- Better to unlace or at least loosen your laces while drying them. This will save you time as they’ll dry faster. And if you’re worried you won’t figure out the right way to lace them back again, don’t worry one bit! Your guide’s here!
4- If you got the money, you can invest in a shoe-exclusive dryer.
Now if you don’t care about flexing wet kicks as long as it doesn’t show, ISPA Mindbody is the right kicks for ya! No matter how much they get wet and dirty, shit won’t show? Magic? Not really. It’s more like trash. That thing looks so much like trash that can’t decipher, the wet and the dirty from the actual sneaker design! For more tips, news, drops, and shit talk make sure you check our blog out!