How to wash running shoes (and whether the washing machine is OK)

After a rainy trail run, your shoes look like two lumps of mud. The washing machine is right there. Before you press start, here’s what the people who make them think.

What brands say: no machine

They’re surprisingly united:

• ASICS: don’t put your running shoes in the washing machine, and don’t put them in the dryer either.
• Nike doesn’t recommend machine-washing shoes and warns that dryer heat can damage them. Only the laces can go in the machine.
• On never recommends putting dirty running shoes in the washing machine, or the tumble dryer.
• Brooks also advises against the washer and dryer: soaking and heat can warp fabric and foam.

Water isn’t the problem; the mix of long soaking, spinning and heat is. A modern running shoe is made of foams, thin fabrics and glued or heat-bonded parts: nothing that enjoys an hour in a hot drum.

The hand-wash method

1. Get the worst off dry. Let the mud dry, then knock the soles together and brush. Dry mud comes off far more easily than wet mud.
2. Take out the laces and insoles. Laces can go in the machine in a mesh bag. Wash the insoles separately, by hand.
3. Scrub with lukewarm water and a little mild soap. An old toothbrush works for the upper, a stiffer brush for the outsole. No harsh cleaners, no hot water.
4. Rinse without drowning them. A damp cloth or a trickle of water, not a bath.
5. Air-dry. Stuff the shoes with newspaper to soak up water and keep their shape, swap it if it gets soaked, and let them dry away from radiators, heaters or direct sun.

Mistakes that cost you a pair

• The radiator or the dryer. Heat is what peels soles off and hardens foam. Be patient and use newspaper.
• Bleach and stain removers. They attack fabrics and glues.
• An overnight soak. The foam fills with water and takes days to dry.
• Wearing them while still damp. Blisters and smells guaranteed.

What about the smell?

It mostly comes from the insole and leftover moisture. Wash the insoles separately, let the shoes dry fully between runs, and if you run often, rotate two pairs so each has time to dry. We cover the other benefits of rotating in our guide on running shoe rotation.

Make them last, not just look clean

Good care adds a little life to a pair, but it can’t bring back tired foam. To see whether yours has miles left in it, check the wear signs in our guide on how long running shoes last. And if you spend your autumn in the mud, a waterproof pair will save you a few washes: they’re all in our waterproof running shoes selection.

Sources

• ASICS, “How to clean running shoes”.
• Nike, “Can you put shoes in the washer?”.
• On, “How to wash running shoes”.
• Brooks, “How to clean running shoes”.