How to Dry Shoes with a Dryer

Instead of wearing wet shoes or waiting days for them to dry, you can dry your shoes with a dryer in just a few minutes! Tie your shoelaces together and hang your shoes in the dryer door, this will reduce damage to the machine and make less noise because the shoes will not be bumped while drying. Note that you should not dry shoes with animal-based materials such as leather or suede in the dryer as they may over-dry and crack.

Table of Contents

Use a dryer

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Check the shoe label to see if it can be machine dried. See the inside of the shoe for information on how to care for it. This information is usually written on the inside of the heel or in the tongue and will indicate whether you can machine dry the shoe or if it needs to be dried.

For example, if you see a square with an X inside, you should not dry your shoes with the dryer. If there is a circle in the square, you can dry the shoes on low heat.

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Machine-drying shoes made from canvas, cotton or ppyester. If you can’t find the shoe care instructions label or the information is blurred, see what material the shoe is made of. Usually shoes are made from cotton, canvas, nylon or ppyester that can be dried in a dryer. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Avoid machine drying animal-based materials, such as leather or suede, as these will over-dry and crack.
Do not dry shoes with glitter or other embellishments as they may come off.

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Tie both shoelaces into a knot. You will put two shoes side by side, grab both shoelaces and tie them so that the two shoes stick together. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Hang the shoes in the dryer and clip the shoelaces to the machine door. You will grab the shoelaces and wring them over the door to leave the shoes in the dryer. You can do this with a front- or top-loading dryer. Hold the laces and close the door to keep the laces in place. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Place the laces on the outside of the dryer so that your shoes don’t slip in while the machine is on.
Some dryer models also have a drying rack attached, you can put your shoes on it to dry.

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Switch the dryer to air drying mode. If the dryer you use does not have this setting, turn on the lowest setting. Using very little or no heat is important to prevent the shoe from shrinking as it dries. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Check after drying shoes for about 20 minutes. You will turn on the dryer and dry the shoes for about 20 minutes, then carefully open the door and catch the shoes before they fall. Run your hand inside the shoes to check if they are completely dry. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

If the shoes are still not completely dry, hang them back in the dryer door and dry for about 5 more minutes.

Protect the dryer and shoes from damage

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Avoid letting the shoes spin freely in the dryer. If you’ve ever put your shoes in the dryer, you’ve probably heard them crash when the dryer is running. You should not let the shoes hang freely in the dryer because the constant impact can damage the inside of the dryer and the outside of the shoe. ^{[6] X Research Source}

If you can’t hang your shoes on the dryer door with shoelaces, put them in a laundry bag, then put the laundry bag in the dryer along with a few towels to limit the impact.

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Use the air drying mode to avoid stretching the shoes. However, it is difficult to predict in advance how the temperature of the dryer will affect the shoes. Depending on the quality and material of the shoe, drying the shoe with a dryer can cause the shoe to stretch or shrink. It is best to hang your shoes on a clothesline or leave them on a drying rack and wait for 1 to 2 days to dry. ^{[7] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}

If possible, you should dry your shoes in the sun to disinfect them.

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Avoid drying shoes with a dryer. Chances are that your shoes won’t be damaged if you only dry them in the dryer once in a while. However, if drying a lot, the shoe body and sole will shrink or stretch.

If possible, you should alternate between drying your shoes and drying them in the machine.

Advice

If your shoes have removable insoles, be sure to remove the insoles before washing and drying so they don’t stretch.
Make sure shoes are clean. You can wash your shoes in the washing machine and spin them dry to remove excess water before putting them in the dryer.

Steps

Use a dryer

Protect the dryer and shoes from damage

Advice

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