How to Dry Shoes Quickly

If you wear wet shoes, the shoes will easily develop mold or make your feet uncomfortable. Fortunately, there are simple ways to dry your shoes in just a few hours. Drying shoes with a fan or tumble dryer is fastest, but the heat can also damage shoes. If you have a little more time, you can wrap your shoes in newspaper or put them in rice to absorb the moisture. Soon you’ll have dry shoes to wear!

Table of Contents

Wrap shoes in newspaper

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Remove the insole of the shoe and set aside to dry. The insole of the shoe is the padding inside the shoe. Take them out to dry your shoes faster. Hang shoe insoles in sunny windows or in front of fans to prevent mold and odors. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Skip this step if your shoes don’t have padding or can’t be removed, but it may take longer to dry.
You can use newspaper wrapping to dry all shoe styles and materials.

Marc Sigal

Shoe care specialist

Marc Sigal is the founder of ButlerBox, a shoe care and dry cleaning company based in Los Angeles, California. ButlerBox arranges specially designed anti-wrinkle drawers in luxury buildings, Grade A office buildings, shopping malls and other convenient locations so that you can deliver and receive your shoes 24 hours a day. , 7 days per week. Marc holds a bachelor’s degree in global and international studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Marc Sigal
Shoe care specialist

Expert warning: Don’t use newspaper to cover white shoes, as the ink can smear on shoes. Use paper towels instead of newspaper. You can also place your shoes next to the fan to ensure air circulation.

Roll up newspaper balls and stuff them in your shoes. Use your hands to roll the newspaper into a ball to fit inside the shoe. Push the newspaper as close to the toe as possible. Continue to stuff newspaper into shoes until no more stuffing. Newspaper will absorb moisture and dry the shoes. ^{[2] X Research Source}

You can use old newspapers you have at home or buy local newspapers at newsstands or convenience stores.

Wrap more newspaper on the outside of the shoe. Lay 2-3 layers of newspaper on top of each other and place a shoe on top. Wrap newspaper around the shoe as tightly as possible to absorb moisture. Use 2-3 elastic bands to tighten the newspaper so that the newspaper layer does not come loose. Wrap the other shoe in the same way.

Avoid using newspapers with bold ink on a large area.

Tip: If you’re concerned about ink stains staining your shoes, you can purchase white newsprint at craft stores or online.

Change newspaper every 2-3 hours for maximum moisture absorption. Newspaper stuffed inside and outside the shoe will gradually absorb the moisture and start to get wet. Every 2-3 hours, check the moisture of your shoes and newspaper. If the newspaper is wet to the touch, remove it and replace it with a new, dry newspaper.

Your shoes may dry in a few hours, but if they’re still too wet, you may have to wait overnight.

Hang your shoes in front of the fan

Cut 2 coat hangers, each about 15 cm long. Use pliers to straighten the hanger and measure a length of 15 cm. Insert the hanger piece between the 2 wire cutter blades and squeeze the handle to cut it off. Measure and cut the second segment after cutting the first segment. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

If you don’t have a hanger, you can use any 12-gauge piece of wire.
You can use a fan to dry shoes of all styles and materials.
Be careful with the piece of wire after cutting, as the end of the wire can be very sharp.

Bend the wire into an S-shaped hook. Use pliers in the middle of the wire and bend forward to form a long hook, then clamp the straight end of the wire and bend backwards in the opposite direction to the wire. first curve. When finished, the piece of wire will be in the shape of an S with a large hook at the bottom end and a small hook at the top end. Do the same with the remaining piece of wire. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

You can break the wire by hand if pliers are not available.

Hang 2 hooks in front of the fan. Do not turn on the fan when hanging the hook to avoid accidentally hitting the fan blade. Hook the small curved end to the top edge of the front fan frame. Attach the 2 hooks about 8-10cm apart to have enough room to hang both shoes. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Make sure the hook on the fan does not touch the fan blades to avoid damaging the fan.

Hang the shoe on the hook so that the inside of the shoe is facing the propeller. You can dry any shoe with a fan, but heavier shoes, such as boots, are more likely to fall off. You need to hang the shoe on the hook so that the sole of the shoe is facing out so that the wind can blow into the shoe. Check that the shoe is firmly attached when you let go, and use pliers to break the hook if the shoe comes off. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Make sure the shoelaces don’t get into the fan; otherwise, they may become tangled and cause damage.

Turn the fan on high until the shoes are dry. Turn on the fan at the highest speed to let the rotten wind through to dry the shoes. When you still hang your shoes on the fan, check once every 20-30 minutes to see if they are dry. It can take an hour or more for the shoes to dry completely, so be patient and wear another pair of shoes in the meantime. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Place the fan near a sunny window to dry your shoes faster.

Tip: Spread a towel underneath to absorb water from your shoes.

Use a clothes dryer

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Check the label on the shoe to see if it can be put in the dryer. Some shoe materials such as leather or shoes with gel cores can be damaged by the heat of the dryer. Read the label under the tongue of the shoe or on the shoe box to see if it is safe to dry in the dryer. If not, you have to use another way to dry the shoes.

If you’re still not sure if the shoes will dry, you should assume the shoes won’t dry so you don’t damage the shoes.
Do not use a dryer to dry running shoes or leather shoes, as the high heat will damage the shoes.

Loosen the shoelace so that the remaining lace is about 15cm long. Remove the laces from the top 2 holes and pull the tongue up to loosen the laces. Pull the shoelace so that the outer lace is about 15 cm long. Make sure the shoelaces don’t tighten around the tongue, as this may prevent the inside of the shoe from drying out. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Do not dry shoes without laces, as you may damage the shoes or the dryer if you do.

Tie the laces of the two shoes together. Hold both ends of a shoe’s laces with one hand, and hold the other shoe in the other. Tie the laces of both shoes into a knot so that the two shoes stick together. Remember not to tie the knot too tightly, otherwise the shoes will not be able to be removed when they are dry. ^{[9] X Research Source}

You also don’t have to tie the two shoes together, but this step will help prevent the shoes from slipping and the laces from getting stuck in the machine.

Keep the shoe close to the inside of the dryer door. Hold the shoelace so that the toe is down. Open the dryer door and place the shoe soles close to the inside of the door, keeping the shoelaces straight. Make sure the shoelaces stick up about 2.5 – 5 cm above the dryer door to prevent the shoes from slipping off and falling into the machine. ^{[10] X Research Source}

This step works best with front-loading dryers, but you can also do it with top-loading dryers.

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Close the dryer door so that the shoelaces stick out. Close the dryer door slowly, making sure the shoes are in the center of the dryer door. Place the shoelace knot above the dryer door so that the shoe doesn’t slide too far inside. With the dryer door closed, your shoes won’t get tangled as the dryer spins and won’t get damaged. ^{[11] X Research Source}

You can buy a shoe rack to place inside the dryer if you don’t want to hang your shoes on the dryer door.

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Turn on the dryer on low heat to avoid damaging the shoes. Use the lowest possible heat to reduce the risk of damaging the shoe. Let the dryer run its full cycle before checking the shoes. If the shoes are still damp, dry them in 20-30 minutes until both the outside and inside are dry. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Never dry shoes on high heat, as the heat can weaken the glue or rubber, causing the shoes to peel off quickly.
The heat of the dryer can make shoes smell worse.

Warning: Do not dry shoes together with clothes, as the clothes may smell.

Put shoes in rice

Pour the rice into a wide plastic container so that the rice level is up to 2.5 cm high. Use a box large enough to hold your shoes and have a tight-fitting lid on top. Pour white or brown rice into the bottom of the box to a depth of 2.5 cm to absorb moisture in the shoes. ^{[13] X Research Source}

If you need to dry a lot of shoes, find a large plastic container to put the rice inside.
You can use rice to dry shoes of any material.

Tilt the shoes on top of the rice. Place the shoes on their side or face down in the rice box. Press down on the shoes so that they are slightly submerged in the rice for better moisture absorption. Place the two shoes about 2.5 -5 cm apart to allow more moisture to escape. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Close the lid and wait 2-3 hours. Close the lid of the box and remember to close it tightly. Wait about 2-3 hours for the rice to absorb the moisture in the shoes. After a few hours, you can open the lid of the box and check if the shoes are dry. If the shoe is still damp, put it back in the box of rice and wait another hour before checking again. ^{[15] X Research Source}

If your shoes are still soaking wet, you may need to leave them in a box of rice overnight.

Advice

Remember to wash or scrub the dirt off the shoes before drying; otherwise, shoes may be stained.
If you have more time, leave your shoes in direct sunlight to dry naturally.

Warning

Do not use a hair dryer to dry your shoes, as it will take more time and risk a fire if left unattended.
Read the label attached to the shoe to make sure the shoe can be used in the dryer before putting it in the machine. Leather shoes or shoes with gel cores will be damaged if you put them in the dryer. ^{[16] X Research Source}
Avoid putting your shoes in the microwave or oven, as you may damage the material of the shoe.

Things you need

Hang your shoes in front of the fan

coat hanger
Steel wire cutting pliers
Pliers
Fan

Use a clothes dryer

Clothes dryer

Wrap shoes in newspaper

Newspapers
Rubberband

Put shoes in rice

Plastic box with lid
Rice

Steps

Wrap shoes in newspaper

Hang your shoes in front of the fan

Use a clothes dryer

Put shoes in rice

Advice

Warning

Things you need

Hang your shoes in front of the fan

Use a clothes dryer

Wrap shoes in newspaper

Put shoes in rice

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