Through trail, mud, gravel, and maybe even a stream or two. Your trusty pair of running shoes have stuck by you and helped you reach that personal goal. They have kept you going mile after mile while keeping your feet snug, comfy, and safe.
However, running is tough on your poor shoes. Trail runners often end up with dirt-caked outsoles, while pavement runners continuously battle with the dirt, grime, and debris that can work its way into the shoe fabric and cause discomfort to your feet. And we’re not even counting the damage caused by sweat, weather, and the relentless barrage of countless miles.
Plus, after a certain time, your shoes’ funky odor will even start offending you.
So what do you do? How do you clean running shoes? Is it even worth it?
The answer is yes, cleaning your running shoes is absolutely worth it.
Luckily, they aren’t that high maintenance, and you do not need any special machines or detergents to wash your running shoes.
After all, the goal isn’t to keep them minty fresh. All you need to do is keep the muck and sweat from doing their worst, and ensure that your shoes go a long way (literally).
That’s why today we will be sharing our expert tips on how you can clean, maintain, and increase the life of your running shoes.
Let’s begin!
What you’ll need for cleaning your running shoes:
- An old toothbrush or an old vegetable brush – you need those soft bristles for the best cleaning results.
- A hose or a utility sink
- A mild soap for cleaning the upper.
- For the insole, you can use the mild soap, or make your own paste using baking soda and water or one part vinegar and two parts water.
How to clean running shoes
The first thing to do is realize that you’ll be cleaning different parts of your running shoes separately, so start off by taking out your shoelaces and insoles.
Next, fill a bucket or bowl with warm water, and around 15 – 30 ml of mild detergent to it.
Now, pull everything towards you, and let’s start washing.
Cleaning running shoe outsoles
The outsole is everything that you would find at the bottom of your running shoes. Depending on the type of surface you run at, this is also the dirtiest part of the shoe and the one that requires the most attention.
By keeping your outsoles clean, not only are you revitalizing traction but also ensuring that you don’t accidentally transport invasive species into your home or car.
Outsole cleansing is in fact quite simple.
- Make sure that your outsoles are completely dry.
- Use an old vegetable brush and give them a good, hard brushing. Even a brush with stiff bristles would work on the outsoles.
- If there is some stubborn, caked-on dirt, use a hose to rinse and scrub the outsole until all the nooks and crannies are clean.
Now that your outsoles are clean and 100% dirt-free, we can move on to the upper.
Cleaning running shoe uppers
The upper of the shoe serves an important purpose. It covers your foot in a snug, comfortable way that maximizes comfort while ensuring stability.
The upper is often made of different layers of fine, engineered mesh, and can be cleaned using a light washing process. Here’s what you need to do.
- If you haven’t already, remove the laces. Even if your laces are also dirty, take them out of the shoes, place them in a mesh bag, and run them through the washing machine on a low cycle.
- Also remove the insoles. They will be washed later in the next step.
- Use a toothbrush to lightly scrub and remove all the dust and dirt from the top of your shoes.
- Using a sponge, scrub your shoes with a mild soap and water solution.
- Rinse your shoes thoroughly in clean water.
Sure, you may see many people doing it, but never, ever put your running shoes in the washer. The heavy motion and cleaning cycle of the machine, along with the corrosiveness of the detergent will nearly always damage them and reduce their lifetime.
Similarly, you might want to check if your shoes have a waterproof or breathable membrane. If yes, then this may be a good time to renew your running shoes waterproofing.
Cleaning running shoe insoles
The insoles or the cushioning placed inside the shoes can become breeding grounds for bacteria. The foam absorbs a lot of sweat, and as a result, is also where most of that foul-smelling odor is born. In fact, this is the part of the shoe you should wash most often.
- Choose a cleaning solution. Whether it is the mild soap and water solution, baking soda and water paste, or the vinegar and water mix. It all depends on what you have available most easily.
- Use a sponge to scrub and rinse your insoles and then leave them to dry.
However, if your insoles still smell even after you’ve cleaned them, you may just want to replace them. Replacement insoles are quite readily available at most sports and shoe stores.
Drying running shoes
This is perhaps the easiest part of the whole process. Just place your shoes in a low humidity area and leave them to dry. If you want a quicker result, use a fan. An even quicker way is to stuff newspaper or paper towels into the shoes and replace them when they become damp.
However, you should never put your shoes in the dryer or near a heat source. High temperatures can often distort the shape of your running shoes and weaken their adhesives. This can not only result in a bad fit, but may also lead to injuries! Find out more in this complete running shoe fit guide!
What if my shoes are still dirty after cleaning?
If you followed all of the above-mentioned steps, and your shoes still don’t feel or look clean, well maybe they’ve endured one too many trips up the court. It might just be time to buy a new pair of shoes.
