My trainers tend to get very dirty as I do a lot of running on dirt trails. I don’t like to see my shoes covered in dirt to the point where they turn from white to muddy brown all over.
My washing routine is this: I remove the laces and the inner sockliner, dump the shoes together with some old towels / bed sheets (to “cushion” the ride) into the washing machine, add minimal quantity of detergent and wash the shoes on a gentle cold wash cycle. I also spin the shoes semi-dry (*not* in the dryer with heat though) at 800 rpm (the default setting for the clothes is 1100 rpm).
So far the shoes have come out squeaky clean with no perceptible deterioration / deformation. Is there any risk of damaging the shoes (the cushioning in particular) if I do this routine, maybe once in three months?
0 ·
Comments
I think its up to you. How many months would you expect to get from a pair anyway ?
Or as a test - only wash the left and see how it goes ! Would look a bit odd though.
Not sure about Trainers, but I washed my cross country spikes in ours and when my wife found out she threatened to kill me - so not safe in my opinion.
did you take the spikes OUT of the shoes first though Grendel???
Use cold water only and no detergent.
The dirt may clog up the machine.
XC shoes: I once washed a pair of NB RX Terrain's in the machine (cool wash) and the soles promptly fell off.
Now I sometimes stick my XC shoes in a bucket of cold water, no detergent, then scrub off the excessive mud. Dry with rolled up newspaper inside.
If you run on trails, you'll have to accept they're gonna get dirty! Most trail shoes aren't white - maybe the reason manufacturers don't make grey-brown ones is more of a marketing ploy..?
These are the first specialist running trainers I have bougt for 14 years.
They were absolutely filthy within 15 minutes as a ran down a dirt track in a park.
Was I gutted that my trainers looked muddy? No. I ran as far as I could and have not bothered cleaning them.
But now I wonder - does the mud and water damage the shoes? Especially as my feer are 37 degrees C.
I wouldnt dream of putting them in a washing machine.
I find a wipe with a cloth, to get the worst clods, algae and mould off, is all that's really necessary. Mud adds integrity!
I figure it costs me £50-60 twice a year to help keep me from going wrong, as opposed to £50-60 once a week for physio/ osteo to put something right.
Plus there's nothing like lining up at a race, looking at the miles you've put into yours and the bright shiny box-fresh ones you can see on others, and having a smug grin knowing that they're going to be hurting so bad later on in the day....
Yes your tootsies may be warmer than a cool cycle on the machine but surely all that wetness and detergent and spinning can't possibly do them any good. Before I took up running I washed a couple of pairs of trainers only to find that the insides wrinkled up and made them VERY uncomfortable... Therefore I would say save the machine for your sweaty kit and just rinse the trainers off to get rid of the worst... Hey, why not push the boat out and avoid the mud altogether!!! ;-)
The shoes are dried overnight on the radiator. They come out like brand new and last for ages. No problem at all.