In a world where things are ever more expensive, I personally want to get the most use out of everything I buy. Running shoes are not exactly cheap are they. Sure, it’s possible to pick up a deal in the end of season sales, especially if you have a particularly large or small shoe size, but still.
I also love the feel of putting on a new pair of shoes. There’s always that marginal concern that they will somehow not be suitable, but most of the time it’s just good.
One day I was feeling a bit down, but knew I would feel better after a run – we all do right? So, I got ready and went to put my shoes on… but they were wet, muddy and smelly.
Judge me however you like, but this was enough to break my resolve on that day, I just couldn’t face putting them on. It was cold outside, I wasn’t feeling it anyway, and it was the last straw, they were disgusting.
I know that for some people doing very long challenges, there is no other choice but to put the shoes you have back on, but bear with me.
So I went back inside, made myself a coffee and contemplated what was going on inside my head and heart, what I was doing, and eventually, got to thinking about how I could get rid of this problem.
What follows are my top tips for never having to face pulling on wet, muddy smelly shoes ever again.
Buy two pairs of the same shoe
This sounds expensive, but hey, we all end up buying more shoes eventually and they all wear out at the same rate, so if you can, when you find shoes you really like, buy two (or more) pairs at the same time.
There are numerous advantages to this.
First, you can put your shoes in rotation, this helps give them enough time to dry out between runs. This helps reduce the build up of bacteria and fungus reducing the chances of developing a case of Athlete’s foot and helping reduce nasty smells.
Secondly, you won’t have to buy new shoes for quite some time. I have even come to believe that they last longer somehow – no science – just a feeling from my experience.
Third, you skip the manufacturer ‘updates’ for a season, or longer. Sometimes these changes can be for the better, but most of the time they are marginal and sometimes they can make a shoe worse.
Rinse your shoes after every run
Without fail, after every single run, whether I think my shoes need it or not, I take them off, pull out the insoles and rinse both the insole and the shoe under running water.
It became such an important part of my running rituals, that I actually had an old sink fitted outside to help with this.
The difference rinsing everything out after every run makes is huge. It removes the mud which helps them dry out quicker, it reduces the build up of fungus and bacteria which as we know means less chance of infection or smells.
It keeps them looking clean, which helps me feel good, and if you combine this with the tip above and make sure your shoes dry out properly after each use, they feel great – every time you come to wear them again.
I also believe this increases the lifespan of the shoes. If small pieces of mud, grit, salt, or whatever, work their way into the seams, and stay there, the next time you go for a run, all that pressure that has to be transferred from your legs/feet through the shoe into the ground, is moving those bits of grit around, essentially acting as an abrasive. Remove the grit – remove the abrasion – get longer lasting shoes. That’s my theory anyway.
Clean your shoes
This one I am still working on, I am not sure what the best way is yet, but what I will say is that a little soap goes a long way.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are two pictures of some of my favourite shoes.
They are before and after shots, but it doesn’t matter which way you view them. My shoes look clean and new after each time I clean them.
Here they are covered in mud, looking very dirty indeed:
And here they are after a clean and how they look every time I go out for a run:
What’s that? Why are the laces tucked in like that?
I am glad you asked. After I caught my lace loops on some heather one time and fell flat on my face, I decided to tuck them in like that. I haven’t fallen since. You are welcome!
Okay, that’s all for today. Do you have any top tips for looking after your running shoes? Please share in the comments on Mastodon.