How do I dry shoes and boots properly?

Wet shoes are usually ruined by the drying rather than the wetting. Direct heat is the single most damaging thing, and it is also what most people reach for.

Safety

What you'll need

• Newspaper or kitchen paper
• Shoe trees (optional)
• Fan (optional)

Step by step

1. Take out the insoles and loosen the laces.Both dry separately and much faster. Insoles left in keep the inside damp for days.
2. Wipe off mud and salt while wet.Easier now than dried on, and road salt damages leather. A damp cloth and then a dry one.
3. Stuff them with newspaper.Firmly, into the toes. It absorbs moisture from inside and helps hold the shape. This is the core of the method.
4. Change the paper after an hour.The first lot will be saturated. Replacing it once or twice makes a substantial difference to the drying time.
5. Leave them somewhere airy at room temperature.Airflow, not heat. A fan pointed at them speeds it considerably and safely.
6. Never use direct heat.Radiators, ovens, heat guns, hairdryers. Heat shrinks and cracks leather, unglues soles and warps synthetics. This is what ruins shoes.
7. Dry leather slowly and condition afterwards.Leather dries stiff because the oils have gone. Leather conditioner or dubbin once dry restores flexibility and prevents cracking.
8. Use cedar shoe trees if you have them.They absorb moisture and hold the shape. Better than newspaper for good shoes, though not a substitute for the first hour of paper.

Tips

• Rotate shoes rather than wearing the same pair daily. Shoes need about a day to dry out from ordinary wear, and rotation roughly doubles their life.
• Waterproofing spray applied at the start of autumn prevents most of this. Reapply through the season.
• If shoes smell after getting wet, bicarbonate of soda left in overnight then tipped out helps considerably.

Questions people ask