Looking for a quick and easy way to dry your wet cycling shoes?
Drying shoes with old newspapers is an old but proven trick that has been around for decades. In the past, cyclists relied on this method to quickly dry their shoes when limited sunlight or heat sources were available.
Step 1. Clean the shoes
Use wet wipes (or baby wipes) and thoroughly clean the shoe surface. Wipe off any excess dirt and grime.
Step 2. Expose the tongue as much as possible
Loosen all the buckles, straps, and BOA dials. Pull up the tongue to expose the inner parts. This will allow air and heat to reach them.
Step 3. Remove the footbed
All cycling shoes have removable footbeds. Water can enter through the air vents located on the sole. If the shoes are wet, the footbed will likely be wet too.
Dry the footbed under the sun or next to a heater during winter.
Step 4. Stuff some old newspapers into the shoe
Old newspapers are great for absorbing moisture and quickening the drying process.
Crumple and stuff as many old newspapers as you can into the shoe. Let it sit for around 30 minutes. Once the newspapers get wet, replace them with fresh ones.
If the shoe is still wet, you’ll need to repeat the process several times.
Step 5. Leave it overnight
After several rounds of newspapers, you can leave it overnight and let the remaining moisture dry out. Depending on your location, place the shoe next to a fan or heater.
Alex Lee is the founder and editor-at-large of Mr. Mamil. Coming from a professional engineering background, he breaks down technical cycling nuances into an easy-to-understand and digestible format here.
He has been riding road bikes actively for the past 12 years and started racing competitively in the senior category during the summer recently.