WASHING TRAIL SHOES - Gear

bburn plO.dder pirate

pirate

10/03/2011 at 11:30

My trail shoes are in a right state. They are caked in dried on mud, and a lovely muddy colour where muddy water has dried in. It was a bit wet last time I used them

How do people clean their shoes, I was thinking about sticking them in the washing machine, but not sure if this is a good idea or not.

Any ideas?

kittenkat

pirate

10/03/2011 at 11:31

Everyone may sream at you that it's not a good idea, but I've always machine washed mine. Put them in a pillow case and wash on the coldest setting.

bburn plO.dder pirate

pirate

10/03/2011 at 11:41

Thanks KK.

I think I'll give it a go. They are really bad, so I think it worth a try.

Just wanted a bit of re-assurance that I wasn't completely nuts for considering it

kittenkat

pirate

10/03/2011 at 11:46

Just don't put them on a hot setting!

Or put them in the oven, I did that with a a pair of shoes and a pair of jeans once as a teenager. The shoes melted a bit.

fat buddha

10/03/2011 at 11:51

I do what KK does as well - I don't even bother with the pillow case but take the laces out and stick them in a net bag (to stop the ends going through the drain holes and causing chaos)

never had a problem with sticking runners in a washing machine.

Squeakz

10/03/2011 at 11:59

in with FB on this one... never had a problem with sticking runners in a washing machine.

Mick

10/03/2011 at 12:06

How to clean shoes? Aim for the puddles on the roads .... or go for a run on the roads when it's pouring down.

Trail shoes are meant to be brown, mucky etc. And (on my rural routes) ... the tracks are used by cows & horses; the fields have been sprayed with fully fermented slurry, I'm hoping the brown stuff is mainly mud.

Although I have been known to hose mine down a few times.

bburn plO.dder pirate

pirate

10/03/2011 at 12:40

Mick wrote (see)

or go for a run on the roads when it's pouring down.

LOL Mick, I just did that. Shame I only had my road shoes at work with me today.

I'm soaked!!

Pete S

10/03/2011 at 13:10

In my experience, the're only going to get filthy again so half the time I don't bother cleaning them. If they get really bad, I just bang the worst of the mud off, give them a scrub in cold water and hang them up to dry naturally. This is also what Inov-8 and walsh recommend in their aftercare instructions.

Sussex Runner (NLR)

10/03/2011 at 13:56

Or save time but putting them on a 30 minute cycle with no detergent on 15c. Dry naturally away from radiators etc stuffed with the work/money/travel sections of The Guardian.

Ben Davies 15

10/03/2011 at 21:51

Shouldn't mud on trail shoes be worn like a badge of honour?

Sussex Runner (NLR)

10/03/2011 at 22:32

Yeah if you're 15 maybe

Ben Davies 15

10/03/2011 at 23:00

North London Runner:

Washing trail shoes is taking human vanity to an unacceptable level.

A bit like men wearing makeup.

Now obviously I would never wash my running shoes, but if I did then I would get a basin of hot water and a nail brush and that would generally take care of business.

Sussex Runner (NLR)

10/03/2011 at 23:08

Why shouldn't men wear make up? Plenty of men in African tribes wear make up. Maybe the mud we get round here is a bit thicker than where you are. When you can't see the boot for the mud and can barely get it on your foot on a sunday morning its time for a wash. A washing machine is less messy and takes less effort than scrubbing in a sink. It appears to me young man that it is you who is being vain about this issue-no offence

Ben Davies 15

11/03/2011 at 11:00

Ouch!

I hadn't even mentioned the time that I painted my toenails to prevent them from cracking during a long race!

Richard A Thackeray

13/03/2011 at 15:16

Pete S wrote (see)

In my experience, the're only going to get filthy again so half the time I don't bother cleaning them. If they get really bad,
I just bang the worst of the mud off, give them a scrub in cold water and hang them up to dry naturally.

'Ditto'

Mine might get, at the most, a soaking in the Water-Butt/a scrubbing with the 'yard-brush', before being left to dry (I do stuff them with newspaper in speed up the process though)

That;s if the fell-race/'XC' run isn't wet enough to clean them off over the last mile or so....

Works for my 'Mud-Claw 330's, 'Roc-Lite 315s', & Mizuno 'Wave Harriers'

Sue Wright 4

18/03/2011 at 21:42

I hosed my trails down with a powerfull-ish spray , washing line for a day then put them on a radiator upside down. Good as new post 15 miles, one of which was in a calf high muddy field.

Sussex Runner (NLR)

18/03/2011 at 22:20

You should never dry them them on a radiator

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