Your soccer or football cleats go through a lot of wear and tear, and adequately maintaining them helps ensure they stand the test of time, including drying them after practice and gameplay. Not only do the outsides pick up moisture from wet grass and mud, but the insides also get damp from sweat. Learn how to dry soccer cleats using a few safe and simple methods.
Wet shoes are no fun to wear, whether they are a running shoe, soccer shoe, or football boot. In fact, not drying your wet cleats damages the material of your footwear, which may affect your actions on the field, whether you play on artificial turf or natural grass. Therefore, it’s crucial to dry your shoes after each use.
While cleaning dirty soccer cleats is reasonably straightforward, drying them takes a little time and patience, especially if you have leather soccer cleats. However, there are a few ways to dry your athletic shoes if you’re in a time crunch.
Ways to Dry Soccer Cleats
There are several ways to dry your soccer cleats after you clean white cleats or they are wet from play, ranging from quick-drying to long-drying, and how you dry them depends on the cleat type. Learn how to dry a soccer boot or shoe in a few simple steps.
Things to Know before Drying Your Cleats
The fastest way to dry soccer cleats is in the dryer. However, not all cleats are safe for drying with this method. Discover the different types of cleats and their materials to help you choose the proper drying technique for your shoe.
Cleats are commonly made of leather or synthetic materials, and they have either conical studs or metal cleats on the sole. There are different types of leather, including calfskin leather, kangaroo leather, and full-grain leather, and leather cleats are soft, lightweight, and comfortable.
Leather is more expensive and less durable than synthetic shoes, and they often do not last as long. Leather absorbs more moisture than synthetic cloth, making it more susceptible to cracking. Additionally, synthetic shoes dry faster than leather-made ones, which don’t stretch out as much after prolonged wear.
Preparing Your Cleats for Drying
It’s essential to remove excess dirt and debris before you dry wet cleats to prevent them from setting in stains. Spot-clean and prepare your sports shoes for drying to maintain their appearance.
Start by loosening the laces on your shoes to get air inside each shoe. If possible, remove the insoles and set them aside to dry. Next, use a paper towel to wipe away dry dirt and grass and make a cleaning solution with warm water and laundry detergent or dish soap.
Clean the outside of each shoe with a cloth and soapy solution and use a soft brush to remove mud from the bottom of the cleats. Pat the shoes with a towel to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
How to Dry Cleats Quickly
While you may want to store your soccer shoes right away after practice, it’s a good idea to take steps to remove moisture and sweat to prevent bacteria and mildew growth. Here is how to dry cleats quickly between games or the fastest way to dry shoes of other types to keep them smelling fresh.
Lightly ball up a bunch of newspapers and slide the balls inside each shoe to prevent shrinkage as the cleats dry. Avoid packing the cleats too tightly, and slide a piece of newspaper between the tongue and laces to dry that section.
If the outsides of the shoes are wet, wrap them in an absorbent towel and set the cleats on a shoe rack to air dry. Check your shoes for dryness and change the newspaper every two to three hours.
Drying Soccer Cleats in the Dryer
Drying soccer cleats in the dryer is the fastest way to dry your shoes, but this technique is unsafe for specific materials like leather. Safely dry your soccer cleat in the machine to prevent damage.
The most crucial step when drying soccer cleats in the dryer is to check the care tag on your shoes to determine if they are machine dryable since some materials are not safe to dry at high temperatures.
One of the smart ways to dry shoes in the dryer is to remove the insoles, set them aside, and place the shoes inside the dryer with a couple of towels. Tie the laces to the outside of the dryer door when you close it to prevent noisy tumbling. Use the air-dry setting and check your shoes in ten to 20 minutes, depending on how wet they are.
The dryer can also be helpful if your shoes are a little to large. If you are careful you can shrink and tighten shoes easily by drying them in the clothes dryer for longer periods.
How to Dry Soccer Cleats with a Hair Dryer
If you’re unsure whether or not your footwear is safe to put in the clothes dryer and you need to wear them soon, a hair dryer is another option. However, like the clothes drying method, it’s crucial to avoid applying too much heat, which may ruin the shoe material.
While this strategy requires patience and attention to detail, it’s effective in drying shoes quickly.
Set your shoes on a towel and loosen the laces. For this quick way to dry soaking wet boots and shoes, put your hair dryer on the low heat setting and blow-dry your shoes with a back and forth sweeping motion while holding the dryer at a distance. Do not hold the heat too close to the shoe and constantly move it from one section to another to prevent damaging the material.
Drying Your Soccer Cleats with a Fan
The safest way to dry a leather shoe or cleat quickly is with a fan. The moving air dries the material safely without using heat, and it gets your shoes dry faster than just air-drying them. Here is how to dry cleats quickly with a table fan.
Remove the laces from your cleats and spread them on a flat surface to air dry. Position your shoes in front of a fan and turn it on high. If they are extra wet, stuff the insides with newspapers to absorb moisture. Check your shoes regularly for dryness and rotate them as needed until the outsides and insides are completely dry.
How to Dry Your Cleats Naturally
If your sports shoes are not soaked and you have time to spare, the best way to dry them is to do it naturally. This method is perfect for drying a leather cleat without the fear of damaging the material.
Remove the laces from your cleats, stuff loose balls of newspapers inside each shoe, and set them outside in the shade. Try to find a spot with a good breeze, and avoid placing them in the direct sun since the sun’s rays may cause discoloration and damage.
Cold is another natural element that dries shoes quickly. Consider placing your cleats in the refrigerator to speed up the drying process if you don’t mind the smell.
How to Maintain Your Cleats after Drying
While a quick wipe-down after a game is great, your sports shoes require more attention to withstand tough play. Discover how to care for your cleats to maintain their appearance and performance.
We all know the old saying, out of sight, out of mind, so always clean and dry your cleats thoroughly before storing them in the soccer bag with your shin guards, soccer ball, and other sports equipment to keep you from forgetting about your wet, dirty shoes.
Use a soft-bristled brush to scrub the mud off the cleats and soapy water to remove dirt from the fabric. Stuff the insides loosely with newspapers to hold their shape, and set your shoes on a shoe rack to air dry.
Keep them out of direct sunlight, and avoid using high temperatures to dry them. For leather cleats, rub a small amount of leather cream on your clean cleats with a circular motion and set them in a safe place to dry for 24-hours.
To deodorize your cleats, pour baking soda into a pair of cotton socks and place them inside each shoe overnight. To kill germs and odor-causing bacteria, and remove nasty odors, lightly spray the insides with a vinegar and water solution.
Soccer cleats are expensive, and it’s important to maintain your footwear to ensure they do not stretch or shrink and cause blisters. While it’s tempting to throw them into the washing machine and clothes dryer, it’s crucial to use proper care to prevent damaging the cleat material. Fortunately, there are easy ways to dry your shoes between games.
We hope you enjoyed learning how to dry soccer cleats quickly and safely, and we’d love it if you’d share our soccer cleat drying techniques with the sports players in your life on Facebook and Pinterest.