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I was surprised when I saw how many people didn’t care about keeping their footwear dry. Especially since you can easily find the fastest way to dry shoes online nowadays.
Wet shoes are boots are more than just an annoyance, they allow the bacteria to prosper and cause fungus or foot odor. That’s why I came up with a handy little infographic that will introduce you to the 7 best ways to dry footwear.
You can dry your footwear incredibly fast, without damaging them with some of the choices below. There’s a solution suitable for any kind of boots, shoes, or other footwear you may need.
Feel free to download the infographic in case you need it later. If you find it useful, I would appreciate it if you like and share it to help others find the fastest way to dry shoes and boots.
7 Ways to Quickly Dry Any Wet Shoes and Boots
Here are the seven ways you can choose to dry shoes quickly.
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1. Towels: Both for You and Your Shoes
Take that used, but a dry towel and quickly soak in the moisture out of your shoes
- Loosen the laces and open the shoes as wide as possible.
- Make a roll out of your towel
- Cram it inside your shoes and tighten the laces
2. Use the Cool Power of an Air Fan
They help us when it’s too hot, but they can help when it’s raining too. An air fan can be a great improvised shoe dryer.
- Find a sturdy fan that’s longer than your shoes
- Remove the insoles from the shoes
- Cut two 6” pieces from an old wire hanger and make “S” shapes out of them
- Hook the smaller ends of the “S” hooks to the fan and keep them 9” apart.
- Loosen the shoes and hook them up
- Leave it on medium for up to 1-2 hours.
3. Shoe Dryer – A Truly Specialized Tool
Boots and shoe dryers are the safest and fastest way to dry shoes since that’s their only job. Shoe dryers come in many sizes, but they usually consist of one or two tubes that go inside your shoes.
- Remove the insoles and laces from your boots
- Put the shoes or boots on the drying tubes, or place the dryers inside. (Depends on the model)
- Make sure that there are 6” free between the shoes and the base
- Turn on the shoe dryer and leave it on for a recommended time
Check my best boot dryer list here and pick the perfect fit for you.
4. Wet Shoes are Yesterday’s News
Old newspaper is great for absorbing moisture as well as the odor from your wet shoes or boots. It’s one of the best methods to dry sensitive materials.
- Choose newspaper pages without a lot of dark ink
- Crumple newspaper into balls and stuff the shoes until full
- Take the rest of the newspaper and wrap the shoes inside
- String a rubber around the shoes and leave them in a ventilated area
- Replace the newspaper after one hour if the boots are still wet
5. Clothes Dryer – Only as a Last Resort
U should use clothes dryers only as a last option since it can be bad for both your boots or your dryer. However, here’s how to do it properly.
- Put the boot in the dryer, but keep the laces hanging and close the door over them.
- Lift the boots with the laces and leave them hanging in the middle.
- Tie a knot on the laces so they don’t get pulled in. The boots will stay in the middle and won’t bang around or get scratched.
- After the cycle just untie the knot and take the shoes out
Read the full guide on how to dry shoes with a cloth dryer without making costly mistakes.
6. Rice – Not Just for Wet Phones
Rice is one of the best water absorbers and many people use it to save soaked phones. Well, you can save your boots or shoes too.
- Take a big plastic bin or box and fill it with rice.
- Place the shoes on top of the rice and close the box tightly
- Leave the rice for a couple of hours to soak up the moisture
7. Refrigerate Your Shoes?
Don’t worry, you don’t need to put the shoes inside the fridge. You will use the vent of the fridge, which is usually placed below or behind the fridge.
- Get your wet shoes and remove the insoles
- Lay them on their sides facing the vent or the fan of the fridge
- Leave them there until dry (it might take a while)
Caution!
It’s easy to make mistakes that can destroy your footwear. Here are some pro tips on how to avoid them.
Avoid Direct Heat Sources
Don’t ruin a good pair of shoes or boots by placing them too close to a direct heat source. Woodstoves, heaters, and blow dryers can all melt the glue from your shoes and make them useless.
Campfires are also one of the most common ways people ruin their shoes by leaving them too close to the fire.
Avoid Drying Dirty Footwear
Make sure to always clean your boots before drying them. It takes a minute but means a lot.
Mud and dirt can dry and leave permanent stains on your footwear. Dirt can also damage your boot dryer if you use one.
Final Thoughts
I hope you found this article useful. If you did, please share it with your friends. If you have some questions, you can leave them in the comment section.
