Getting to dry wet shoes using a dryer can be a bit tricky due to the risk of damage the method poses to the shoe and dryer itself. Also, when you want to use the dryer, you are not sure if it will perform effectively. Either way, you must dry your shoes, but can you put shoes in the dryer?

The answer here will be it depends. We cannot give a yes or no because putting shoes in the dryer depends on many factors. In this article, we have given you answers to your question on if you can put shoes in the dryer, giving you a detailed step on how to put them correctly without damaging them. 

Before you put your shoes in the dryer, make sure you know how to use a dryer so you don't do it the wrong way.

How Do I Dry My Shoes Using A Dryer?

1. The Shoe Labels

There is a label inside every shoe that has information on the shoe material, dimensions, its origin, and if it's dryer friendly or not. If you are not sure about putting your shoes in the dryer, look for the drying symbol like a square. The symbol will indicate if the shoe is dryer-friendly or not. If the shoe is dryer-friendly, the square will be indicated with a circle in it. If the shoe cannot be dried using a dryer, an X will be through the circle. Some labels can indicate a square with a circle inside and a dot to mean you can put the shoes in a dryer but low temperatures.

In rare cases, you can find shoes without a label, but don't worry because after reading this article, you will know the shoe materials that can be dried using a dryer and those that can.

2. Basics Of Drying

Getting dry shoes using a washing machine will have you thinking your work is made more accessible and end up forgetting the basics of drying them usually. However, if you skip the basics of drying your shoes using a dryer, then you risk the possibility of your shoe not drying correctly or destroying its material.

Below are the basics of you should know before putting shoes in the dryer:

If the shoe is soaked in water, ensure it is drained before putting it in the dryer. You can air dry them outside to drain the water.

To improve air quality inside and enable the machine to work gently in drying your shoes, make sure you remove the lint from the lint filter.

You wouldn't mind your shoes smelling good; you can throw in some fabric softener sheets to achieve the scent.

3. Fill Your Machine And Shoes With Towels.

To avoid your shoes tumbling or the racking noise made by their movement inside the dryer, wrap your shoes with a lot of towels. You can fill the dryer with both large and small towels so that they absorb the shoes and avoid them being knocked around.

Stuffing small rugs or clothes inside the shoes can help in the drying process and prevent your shoe material from shrinking while drying.

You can use any small clothes that can fit inside a shoe; it could be socks, handkerchiefs or even scarves.

4. Hang Your Shoes From The Door While Knotted Together

When you dry shoes in the dryer, they slam around the machine. You can prevent that by tying the laces of both shoes and hanging them from the door. For each shoe, make sure you have undone the shoelaces up to the last holes on top to ensure the shoe has dried evenly.

Tie the shoelaces and put them in the dryer, leaving the shoes hanging from the inside and some lace out on the dryer door. The shoe laces hanging from outside will prevent the shoes from dropping in the dryer when you shut the door. The dryer door also acts as a shield that prevents the shoes from banging. If you don't have a drying rack to hold them together from the inside, You can also put them in a mesh laundry bag after tying them to ensure they are in one place.

The type of washing machine used to dry shoes doesn't matter as both the front and top loads will do, as long as you leave the shoelaces hanging from the door.

5. The Dryer Settings

When drying your shoes with a dryer, always tune the knobs to an air-dry setting. When it is put to air dry, it allows maximum circulation to ensure the shoe evenly dries. However, some dryers may not have that option. In that case, you can tune it to the lowest temperature. You might wonder why we put the washing machine on low heat, yet we want to dry shoes quickly. Low heat is advised because high temperatures overheat or over dry shoes, making the material shrink while drying.

When it's air drying, the drying time can be between fifteen minutes to one hour. So keep monitoring after every fifteen minutes to see if they have dried. Estimating how fast your shoes will dry will depend on how powerful your drier is and how wet your shoes are.

Risk Of Damaging Your Machine

To prevent damage to your shoes and dryer, avoid putting in shoes without laces. The forceful banging of your shoes on the walls of the dryer could end up ruining the shoes over time.

The shoes will not fall apart the first time you put them in the dryer. However, with time drying your shoes in the dryer will ruin it too. The banging of shoes in a dryer can cause dents in the walls of the dyer. It could also break some parts in the machine, such as the motor, drum belt etc.

Before throwing your shoes in, check inside the shoe and empty any large clumps of dirt, rocks, or leaves before throwing your shoes in. By doing this, you eradicate the risk of tiny rocks or materials that can slip into the rim of the cylinder, causing the pulley to slip off and burn out from trying to force the machine.

The rocks might break the front glass in the process of hard spinning and shoes banging.

Also, if you don't hang up your sneaks properly instructed, your shoelaces could get caught up on the dryer's rim. Finally, the more warped the cylinder is, the more it internally damages another part of the machine.

What Type Of Shoes Can You Put In A Dryer?

If you are not lucky enough to get a label that indicates your shoe can be dried using a dryer, do not stress about it. This article gives you information on the materials that are generally safe to be put in a dryer. These materials are:

1. Canvas

Canvas is the rough cloth-like material that is used in making tents, bags or sails. Most canvas shoes have rubber soles and metal wholes to hold in the laces. Canvas shoes are safe to use in a washing machine because of how they bend naturally. You don't have to worry about the shoe warping because it is flexible already.

2. Cotton

Cotton shoes are becoming popular with time. Since we shove our cotton clothes in the dryer and they come out just fine, I don't see any reason not to dry your cotton shoes in it. However, when drying your cotton shoes, remember that cotton shrinks and stuff your shoes to avoid shrinkage.

3. Nylon/Polyester

The shoe materials on the inside are mostly made of polyester. These materials are mainly used to make running shoes because they are stretchy. Nowadays, nylon has lost its popularity compared to cotton and polyester, which is why it is used as a cross blend to enhance comfort. If your shoe has nylon, running the washing machine on low heat is mandatory because nylon can quickly melt. On the other hand, polyester can be suitable for the machine because it is quick-drying but risks shrinking at high temperatures.

What Type Of Shoe Should You Not Put In A Dryer?

As much as you want to dry shoes, it can be a bad idea to put certain materials of shoes in a dryer. If you disregard the instructions on the shoe label, it might only worsen your results by not getting the shoes dried completely or destruction of the material of the shoe.

Sometimes you don't know if you can dry shoes using a dryer, so you try to see. It might work for the first time or shrink a little, which may not be a big deal at the moment. However, the shrinkage might increase and tear apart your shoe after some time. So to avoid wasting away your favorite pair of shoes, do not put the following shoe materials in the dryer:

1. Suede Shoes

You should carefully take care of wet suede shoes because when suede gets wet and dries, it becomes stiff. These types of shoes are a handle with care type. Drying your shoes in freezing temperatures breaks off the suede material, thus permanently damaging your shoes. On the other hand, drying your suede shoes at high temperatures causes the shoes to warp and crack. Therefore, do not put suede shoes in a dryer, air drying them under a shade will be enough.

2. Leather Shoes

Combining leather and heat will result in a big fail. You can not combine leather and heat because when leather gets hot, it warps since leather stretches and relaxes in heat. If you put your leather shoes in the dryer, they will lose shape and come out with creases, indents and wrinkles. Due to the stretching and relaxing of the leather due to dryer heat, the shoe will come out with a different shape when dry. If you are using dye on your leather shoes, expect it to run due to extreme temperatures.

3. Foam/Gel

Most insoles of sneakers are made with gel or foam to enhance your comfort. When you expose this material to heat, you loosen its quality, and you will not get the same comfort it would previously bring. Any heat level may tear apart the foam soles in the dryer. Having the shoe tumbling inside the machine eventually separates the glue holding the shoe from the sole.

On the other hand, when the gel is overheated, it can melt and dry, making the shoe warped. In addition, the heat ruins your sneakers as they must have foam or gel soles for comfort. The heat in the dryer can also harden the gel and make it lose its bounce making it uncomfortable to walk on.

4. Sequins/ Delicates and Sparkles

When you look at the make of this type of shoe, you will realize that it has delicate items on top of it. These shoes have sparkles, sequins, lace or delicate decorations that quickly come out when put in a dryer.

The decorations on top of the shoe make the shoe unique in the first place, and putting the shoe in the dryer communicates that you probably don't want the shoe anymore because the banging in the dryer will surely destroy the shoe.

For this type of shoe, always air dry after washing them. Why dry your shoes wrongly and end up not wearing them? Drying your shoes the correct way does not only prevent damage on them but also to the dryer.

Frequently Asked Questions On Putting Shoes In A Dryer.

1. Can You Put Shoes In The Dryer?

It depends; drying shoes in the dryer could ruin not only your shoe but also the dryer. Therefore, it would be best if you did not frequently dry your shoe using the dryer as this could pose a risk of damage due to the banging on the inside while the shoe dries. Instead, explore other methods of drying your shoes quickly, such as using a fan, rice socks, or air dry them.

2. How Do I Dry Shoes Quickly?

If you think that the dryer is the only means to get dry shoes, you are wrong. There are other methods you can use to dry shoes quickly and effectively. These methods include using a refrigerator, newspapers, rice socks, shoe dryer and a fan. Some of these methods have proven to be effective and will not damage your shoes.

About the Author Brian

Hello, I'm Cindy. I’m a super duper mega hiking enthusiast, with a love for everything that has to do with outdoors, hiking, gear, footwear and more.

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