You walk in with soaking wet trainers and you need them again tomorrow. At that point nearly everyone does the same thing: shoes on the radiator, or newspaper stuffed inside, and hope for the best. Usually it half works. The outside feels dry, the insole is still clammy, and a day later you can smell it.
I have spent more than ten years working on drying shoes, and the core of it is simple. The water is not sitting in the upper of your shoe. It is in the foam, the insole and the lining. That happens to be exactly where most methods never reach. Below is an honest comparison of what works, what does not, and why, so you can make your own call.
Why wet shoes are more than an inconvenience
Moisture inside a shoe does three things.
First, it damages materials. Leather and suede dry stiff and misshapen if it happens too fast or too warm. Glued seams let go. In trainers, the cushioning foam gradually loses its bounce if it is repeatedly soaked and then dried slowly.
Second, it is the fuel for odour. Sweat and rainwater do not smell of anything by themselves. Inside a warm, damp shoe, bacteria and fungi get to work, and what they leave behind is what you smell. A shoe that is still clammy in the morning gives that colony a flying start. The full explanation is in our guide to smelly shoes.
Third, it is uncomfortable and cold. A damp shoe insulates poorly, so your feet get cold faster, and that raises the odds of blisters.
The five common methods, compared honestly
| Method | How long | What actually happens |
|---|---|---|
| On the radiator or by the stove | 4 to 12 hours | The outside dries while the insole stays damp. Direct heat softens glue and makes leather crack and shrink |
| Newspaper inside the shoe | 12 to 48 hours | Only works if you replace the paper every couple of hours. If you do not, the wet paper holds the moisture in. Ink can transfer onto pale linings |
| In the tumble dryer | 1 to 2 hours | Fast, but the tumbling damages soles and glue, and the high temperature warps trainers. Never do this with leather or suede |
| Fan or open window | 8 to 24 hours | Safe for every material and better than most people expect, because airflow matters more than warmth. Slow though, and the insole stays wet longest |
| Electric shoe dryer | 1 to 3 hours | Pushes lukewarm air into the shoe itself, so it dries from the inside out. Safe for leather, suede and trainers because the temperature stays low |
The pattern is clear. Airflow through the shoe does the work, not heat against the shoe. The higher the temperature, the bigger the damage and the smaller the gain.
Step by step: drying wet shoes fast
This is the approach I use myself, even without a device.
- Take everything out. Loosen the laces and remove the loose insole. That insole is the wettest part and dries twice as fast outside the shoe.
- Blot the water out. Push an old towel into the shoe, press firmly, then pull it out. Thirty seconds removes a surprising amount of water.
- Let dirt dry, do not add water. Letting mud dry and then knocking it off works better than scrubbing with more water.
- Give it airflow, not heat. Point the openings towards the airflow, at room temperature. Not on the radiator, not in direct sun, not with a hairdryer on its hottest setting.
- Dry from the inside out. This is the step that makes the difference. The lining and the foam only dry if air actually gets inside the shoe. A shoe dryer does this, newspaper approximates it, and a radiator does not.
- Check the insole with your hand. Cold and clammy means still wet. Only when that insole feels dry on both sides is the shoe genuinely dry.
How long does it really take?
Rough guidelines at room temperature, for a properly soaked shoe:
- Trainers and running shoes, air drying: 12 to 24 hours
- Leather shoes, air drying: 24 to 48 hours
- Football and hockey boots, air drying: 12 to 24 hours, mostly because the sole traps water
- All of the above with a shoe dryer: roughly 1 to 3 hours
That gap sounds large, and it is. The point is not speed on its own. The point is being able to start every day in dry shoes. Wearing the same pair two days running while they never fully dry is the most underrated cause of odour and of worn out linings.
By type of shoe
Trainers and running shoes. Insole out, laces loose, lukewarm airflow. Never the tumble dryer, because the foam in the midsole takes the worst of it.
Leather and suede. Room temperature and airflow only. Let suede dry, then raise the nap with a suede brush. No heat, or the leather shrinks and cracks.
Football and hockey boots. These are the hardest work after a wet match. Let the mud dry, knock it off, then dry them. There is more on this in our piece on smelly football boots and trainers.
Boots, walking boots and ski boots. A high shaft means moisture sits low down, and only a long narrow airflow reaches it. We use the Opod Mini with the boot adapter for this. See also how to dry boots.
Safety boots with a steel toe. That toe cap cools down and holds condensation. Allow extra time, and this is exactly where drying from the inside matters.
What not to do
- Tumble dryer on a hot setting, laundry bag or not
- Shoes on top of or pressed against a radiator
- Hairdryer on its hot setting, held in one spot
- Putting shoes in the washing machine when they are only wet, because they come out wetter still. When the machine is and is not an option is covered in shoes in the washing machine
- In the sun, behind glass, or in the car. That is heat in disguise
Why a shoe dryer solves the problem properly
A dryer blows lukewarm air through two tubes right into the toe of the shoe. The shoe dries from the inside out, at a temperature that leaves materials alone. Dry shoes also tackle the odour problem, because without moisture there is little for bacteria and fungi to work with.
Our Shoefresh Opod is built around that: programmes per shoe type, a separate heel dryer and an automatic start. If you want to work out which dryer suits your shoes first, read the complete guide to shoe dryers.
Ready for a fresh start!
Frequently asked questions
Can shoes go in the tumble dryer? They can, but it costs you lifespan. The tumbling damages glue and soles, and the temperature is too high for trainers. With leather and suede you should never do it.
Does rice or cat litter in a sock help? It absorbs a little moisture, roughly like newspaper, but it never reaches the foam and the lining, and you have to keep replacing it.
How do I stop my shoes smelling after they dry? Make sure the shoe is dry right through to the insole, and do not wear the same pair two days running without drying them fully in between.
Can I use a hairdryer? Only on the cool or lowest setting, and keep it moving. On a hot setting you will deform the toe box and loosen glue.
What is the fastest safe method? Insole out, blot the water, then dry from the inside with lukewarm air. That puts you at one to three hours with no risk of damage.