How to Dry Shoes in Quick & Easy-to-Follow Steps

Imagine that you're ready and dressed to go out with your friends only to discover that the shoes you want to wear are dirty. What do you do? After this article, a scenario like that will not be a problem. We'll look at how to dry shoes in quick and easy steps so that you never miss an opportunity to shine in your favorite pair of shoes.

Before we dive into how to dry shoes, let's look at why you shouldn't wear wet shoes, even if they are your favorite pair.

Why Are Wet Shoes Dangerous?

Although it can be tempting to wear semi-wet shoes and say they'll dry on the way, it can cause more harm than good. The most apparent reason why wearing wet shoes is discouraged is that it makes your feet smell bad and increases the risk of infection.

Especially when the weather is cold, it can be super risky to wear wet shoes. You can develop a condition known as trench foot. This can cause a very uncomfortable experience and eventually lead to infection. Do you know that feeling you get when you've been in the bath or shower for a long time?

This is similar to what happens when you get trench foot. Your skin becomes wrinkly and uncomfortable. Other conditions like cracks and painful blisters are others you may experience from wearing wet shoes.

Because we want you to wear your favorite pair of shoes any time you want without worrying about the drying time, we've compiled a few ways you can use to dry your shoe quickly. Let's dive in.

What Are the Methods of Drying Shoes?

1. Using A Fan

If you have leather shoes, this is an excellent method to use. However, before you start, ensure that you check the construction of your shoe to ensure it can withstand this method without falling apart.

Here are the steps to follow.

1. Choose a fan that's stable and taller than the shoes
2. Create some simple hooks that you'll use to hang the shoes on the fan
3. Place a towel beneath the shoes that'll catch the excess water dripping from the shoes
4. Remove the insoles and put them in a clothes dryer or on the radiator to dry
5. If your shoe has laces, remove the laces and spread the shoe to ensure as much air as possible enters the shoes
6. Hang the shoes using the hooks you created
7. Ensure that the air reaches inside the shoes
8. Leave the shoes there for a few hours
9. Check after 2 hours if the drying process is complete

2. Using A Shoe Dryer

As the name suggests, shoe dryers are a great and effective way to dry your shoes quickly and safely. Let's see how it's done.

1. Remove the insoles of your soggy shoes and remove the excess water
2. Dry the insoles using a dryer or leave them outside in the sun
3. Take the laces out before you dry wet shoes
4. As you put your boots or shoes in the dryer, make sure that the toe is higher than the heel
5. Ensure that the anvils are there in the drying tubes as they assist in air circulation with your wet footwear
6. Let there be at least 6 inches between the base and the shoes
7. Plugin the dryer as you ensure the air vents are not obstructed
8. Avoid placing the shoe dryer near a heat source
9. Leave for some time and come back to check if your dry shoes are ready

3. Using A Clothes Dryer

Using a functional dryer is one of the most effective ways of drying your shoes. However, the downside is that you cannot use this method for all types of shoes. This is why we didn't place it at the top of this list on how to dry shoes.

For example, if you have leather boots or shoes with gel-core inserts, you cannot use this method. Let's look at some of the steps to follow as you use this method on how to dry shoes.

1. Ensure that your shoes are dryer safe by checking the label
2. Loosen the shoelaces to ensure that they dry properly
3. Use the laces to tie the two shoes together
4. Close the dryer door and leave the shoe laces sticking out from the top of the dryer
5. Set the dryer to low heat to avoid damaging the shoes
6. Run the dryer in full cycle with the dryer door closed
7. After a few minutes, check if the shoes inside are dry
8. Repeat the drying process until you get dry shoes

4. Using Paper

Although this is an unconventional way of drying shoes compared to the rest, it has been used for a long time, like the clothes dryers. If you have old newspapers lying around, this is the time to take them out.

1. Remove the insoles after washing the shoes
2. Dry the insoles separately
3. Stuff the newspapers into your shoes
4. Place your shoes on a dry towel or on a dry spot indoors
5. Place them close to a space heater or a fan
6. Check every few hours if the newspapers are getting soggy and replace them
7. While drying the outsides, wrap the newspaper around the footwear and secure it with a rubber band
8. You can leave the shoes overnight once you've replaced the wet newspapers

5. Using A Refrigerator

Before you freak out and skip this method, let's confirm that you'll be using the intake fan or the vent where the warm air gushes out. You won't be putting your shoes in the refrigerator. Whether you have sneakers or boots, you can use this method.

Let's look at the steps.

1. Remove the insoles and loosen the laces
2. Keep the shoes in front of the vent and ensure that you lay them on the side so that the air zooms in
3. If you choose the fan, keep the opening of the shoe facing the fan
4. Leave the wet shoes there overnight
5. Check on your dry shoes the following day or after a few hours

6. Using Rice

Have you ever used rice to revive your phone? You can also use rice to dry your shoes. Fresh and uncooked rice acts as a desiccant and absorbs moisture and water from your footwear. If you want to quickly dry your shoes overnight, this is a great option.

Let's look at the steps.

1. Fill some socks with lots of rice and tie using rubber bands or hair elastics
2. Ensure that you don't fill to the brim so that the rice can move around in the socks
3. Remove excess water from your shoes before leaving them overnight
4. Remove the insoles before placing the rice-filled socks inside the footwear
5. Leave for about 2-3 hours and check on them
6. If they are still wet, you can leave the shoes overnight to allow the rice to absorb all the moisture

Frequently Asked Questions About Drying Shoes

1. Can you use a hair dryer to dry shoes?

Yes. However, using a hair dryer is not as effective as the other methods above. Nonetheless, you can use a hair dryer to dry a small part of the footwear that got wet.

So, how do you go about it? Take a functional dryer and set it to medium heat. Put on about two or more layers of socks and put your thick foot into the footwear. If you feel like it's too tight, that's good.

Point the dryer to the wet area and pinches your foot. Then, move the dryer back and forth while keeping the nozzle away from your shoe.

While using the method, take extreme caution to avoid damaging your shoe with the heat. The heat from a dryer comes out directly compared to fan air from a table fan. This is why you need to be careful.

2. How long do shoes take to dry in a dryer?

About 20 minutes. When using a dryer to dry your shoes, ensure that you use very little heat. This is to ensure that you don't damage your shoes. If you have leather shoes, only use the methods we've mentioned are safe for these shoes.

Leather is sensitive to warm air. Therefore, methods that involve blasting air are not the best. Nonetheless, after about 20 minutes in the dryer, you can check on your shoes. You don't have to dry separately if you have more than one pair.