How to wash road bike shoes?

[CampyorBust]

Got stuck in a downpour the other day and my shoes were completely soaked. I dried them good and proper but now their inner funk has come out and they need a good washin. Any tricks, tips or things to avoid? They are very nice shoes and have a carbon sole, I don't want to mess them up.

I was thinking just hand wash with regular detergent or dish soap and let them dry next to the dehumidifier. Or do I have to use the fragrance-free stuff like with my bibs?

[gjc985]

I'm wondering the same thing. I have shoes that're dirty as hell and stinkkkk. they're carbon, so I don't want to do something stupid

[djg21]

I've never had to wash my shoes, but I've used these DryStix boot dryers in my shoes and they worked really well.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000TSIL4/navigsyste-20s

[Hindmost]

On my SIDI's I have used a bucket of lukewarm water and a small quantity of OXYCLEAN! With a soft brush clean the insoles and the shoes inside and out. Rinse with fresh water. Allow the shoes to drain and air dry at room temp. I use a vinyl cleaner/treatment afterwards on the outsides.

Very cathartic.

[jasonification]

This (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psPJk7c-ph4) might be helpful!:D

[muz]

There is a trick to dry them quickly: stuff them with old newspapers.

[CampyorBust]

This (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psPJk7c-ph4) might be helpful!:D

Awesome thanks! Forgot those chaps in GCN have an answer for everything.
Those $1 Ikea brushes are great I use them for everything. Newspapers, will do. Dont put them in the oven, ok wont do.

[Lovetoclimb]

Vinegar, tea tree oil, and oxi clean are all things I have employed in the past. They have worked especially well in keeping my yellow Mavic MTB shoes somewhat yellow.

[SteveV0983]

I got caught in a downpour a couple of years ago and there must have been some gas or oil on the road because my shoes smelled like an oil rig after they dried. I tried washing with Dawn, submerging in Dawn, covering them with baking soda and washing them again, but nothing worked. It was so bad that I couldn't stand riding in them and was about to throw them out and buy a new pair (they are Specialized BG Pro shoes - about $260.00). As a last resort and since I was accepting that I was going to throw them out anyway, I submerged them in a bucket of water with about 1/4 cup of bleach and let them soak for hours. Then I rinsed them and they have been perfect ever since. It took a few rides for the bleach smell to go away, but it worked great. By the way, the shoes are white, so it cleaned them nice also. But in case anyone is afraid of the bleach ruining the shoes, it had no effect on them whatsoever other than it got rid of the smell.

[david]

I got caught in a downpour a couple of years ago and there must have been some gas or oil on the road because my shoes smelled like an oil rig after they dried. I tried washing with Dawn, submerging in Dawn, covering them with baking soda and washing them again, but nothing worked. It was so bad that I couldn't stand riding in them and was about to throw them out and buy a new pair (they are Specialized BG Pro shoes - about $260.00). As a last resort and since I was accepting that I was going to throw them out anyway, I submerged them in a bucket of water with about 1/4 cup of bleach and let them soak for hours. Then I rinsed them and they have been perfect ever since. It took a few rides for the bleach smell to go away, but it worked great. By the way, the shoes are white, so it cleaned them nice also. But in case anyone is afraid of the bleach ruining the shoes, it had no effect on them whatsoever other than it got rid of the smell.

glad it worked for you, but be careful with bleach. i soaked my son's football shoulder pads in bleach and they degraded severely. had to buy him a new pair. so you might have different results depending on the shoe materials and the strength of bleach to water ratio.

anyway, i usually take my shoes into the shower with me. shampoo and a good brush that reaches inside to the toes works well. Stuff them with Bounty and put a fan on them. bingo.

[Black Dog]

This (http://www.mec.ca/product/5002-458/gear-aid-mirazyme-cleaner/?f=10&q=mirazyme) for the stink:

http://images.mec.ca/fluid/customers/c822/5002-458/generated/5002-458_NOC02_view1_720x720.jpg