You've just washed your trainers, or you've been caught in a downpour, and you need them tomorrow. The tumble dryer's right there. So, can you put shoes in the tumble dryer? Mostly, no. Some pairs will survive it if you're careful, but plenty won't, and the damage often doesn't show until a few weeks later.
Here's which shoes can take it, how to do it with the least risk, and what dries them faster anyway.
Which shoes can go in the tumble dryer?
- ✅ Canvas and fabric trainers with no glued-on details: on the lowest heat or air only.
- ✅ Sliders, flip-flops and rubber shoes: usually fine without heat.
- ❌ Leather, suede and nubuck: never. Leather dries out, shrinks and cracks.
- ❌ Running shoes and anything with a cushioned midsole: the foam shrinks and goes hard.
- ❌ Shoes with glued soles, air units or reflective prints: the glue and coatings let go.
- ❌ Football boots, walking boots and wellies: too heavy, too stiff, too much glue.
Not sure? Check the care label inside the tongue. A square with a circle in it and a cross through it means no tumble dryer.
What a tumble dryer actually does to a shoe
The problem is the combination of heat and tumbling. Shoes cope badly with both.
Heat. Most shoes are held together with adhesive that softens as it warms up, and a normal dryer cycle easily gets past 60°C. The sole starts lifting at the toe or heel, often not on the first go but after a few. The foam in the midsole (usually EVA) shrinks in the heat and loses its bounce. You won't always see it. You'll feel it a few miles into your next run.
Tumbling. A pair of trainers can weigh a kilo. That's a kilo thudding round the drum for the best part of an hour. It's bad for the shoes, bad for the drum and bad news for anyone trying to sleep. Eyelets, heel counters and stitching take the hits.
Uneven drying. The outside dries fast. The toe box and lining don't. The upper can warp while damp stays trapped inside, which is exactly where the smell starts.
If you're going to do it anyway
Sometimes there's no other option. For canvas or fabric trainers, this is the least risky way:
- Take out the laces and insoles. Insoles lose their shape in the dryer. Let them air dry separately.
- Pick the lowest heat, or air only. A lot of dryers have an "air" or "refresh" setting. That's your safest bet.
- Put them in a pillowcase or mesh bag and throw in a couple of old towels. They soften the thudding and soak up water.
- Or use the door trick. Tie the laces together, put the shoes inside the drum and trap the laces in the door as you close it. The shoes hang still in the airflow instead of bouncing around.
- Run short cycles and check. Two lots of 20 minutes with a check in between beats one long hour.
- Finish them off at room temperature. Even when the outside feels dry, the toe is usually still damp. Stuff them with paper and leave them a few more hours.
Some dryers come with a shoe rack that stays still while the drum turns. That sorts the thudding, but the heat is still a risk for the glue and foam.
Faster, safer ways to dry shoes
The tumble dryer feels like the quick option. It isn't always. Here's how the usual methods compare:
| Method | How long | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Tumble dryer, warm | 45 to 90 minutes | Soles lift, foam shrinks, leather cracks |
| Tumble dryer, air only | 1 to 2 hours | Lower, but the inside often stays damp |
| Newspaper stuffed inside | 12 to 24 hours | None, if you change the paper |
| Fan on low | 6 to 12 hours | None |
| Radiator or sunny windowsill | 6 to 12 hours | Leather hardens, shoes warp |
| Shoe dryer | about 1 to 3 hours | None, the temperature stays low |
A shoe dryer does what you wanted the tumble dryer to do, just from the inside and without the heat. It pushes lukewarm air through two tubes right into the toe and heel, which is where most of the water sits and where a tumble dryer's air barely reaches.
We've compared every common method, rice and hairdryer included, in our guide on how to dry wet shoes fast.
What about the smell?
Shoes that stay damp for a day after a wash or a soaking will start to smell. Moisture in the lining is exactly what bacteria and fungi need. A tumble dryer doesn't fix that, because the inside is the last bit to dry.
A shoe dryer with active oxygen dries the shoe from the inside and tackles the bacteria and fungi behind the smell at the same time. Our Shoefresh Opod is €129 (€139 in black), and the Opod Detect with a moisture sensor is €179. For walking boots and wellies, the Opod Mini at €79 is the one to use. If you'd rather spend less, the ShoeDry Airo at around €50 is a decent budget option, though it doesn't have the shoe-type programmes, the heel dryer or the automatic start.
One warning: skip any dryer that sells itself on UV light. The little blue LEDs on cheap models do nothing, and proper UV-C isn't something you want in a gadget you open and close at home.
Shoe by shoe
Canvas and fabric trainers. They'll survive the tumble dryer on air only, in a bag or on the door. Paper and a fan is still kinder. If they need a proper clean first, here's how to wash trainers in the washing machine.
Running shoes. Keep them out. The cushioning is the whole point of the shoe, and it's the first thing the heat ruins. Insoles out, gentle airflow.
Leather shoes. Never. Dry them slowly at room temperature with paper or shoe trees inside, then feed the leather once they're dry.
Walking boots and wellies. Never. The tall shaft traps water at the bottom, and you need a long, narrow airflow to get it out.
Football boots. No. The studs and thin soles are glued, and the synthetic uppers shrink. Knock the mud off, stuff them and let them dry slowly.
FAQ
Can you put shoes in the tumble dryer? Only canvas or fabric shoes without glued-on details, on the lowest heat or air only, in a bag or hung from the door. Leather, suede, running shoes, boots and football boots should stay out.
Can you put trainers in the tumble dryer? Fabric trainers can go in on air only. Trainers with leather, suede or an air unit shouldn't. Heat softens the glue and shrinks the foam.
What setting should I use to tumble dry trainers? The lowest heat or an air-only setting, in short bursts with a check in between. A normal warm cycle is too hot for the adhesive in most shoes.
How do I stop shoes banging in the tumble dryer? Tie the laces together and trap them in the door so the shoes hang still. Or put them in a pillowcase with a couple of towels.
How can I dry shoes quickly without a tumble dryer? Insoles out, newspaper in, fan on low. A shoe dryer gets most pairs dry in about one to three hours without any heat damage.
Does tumble drying void the warranty? With a lot of brands, yes. Damage from a tumble dryer is usually excluded, so check the label or the brand's website first.
For the full picture on washing and drying, read can you put shoes in the washing machine? Leave the tumble dryer for your towels and give your shoes air from the inside. Ready for a fresh start!