Do Bike Shoes Shrink?

[tab123]

A pair of my Sidi shoes got soaked on a recent ride. It rained buckets for about an hour on the way home, and water was running out of the shoes when I took them off. I took the insoles out and let the shoes air dry for a couple days. Now the shoes feel really tight and are horribly uncomfortable.

Any suggestions?

[05Fierte TI]

Yes, I have noticed the same thing with my Sidi's. I put in shoe horns after every ride and that seems to take care of the problem. A good leather dress shoe will loose it's shape without shoe horns over time and I assumed that bike shoes might have something of the same thing. I know that they are not leather but I also noticed that a shoe which fit me just fine until I got rained on no longer fits. Tried the shoe horn trick and that seems to make all of the difference for me.

[Gothard]

Dunk them in a bucket of water. Put them on and go for a ride until they dry on your feet.

[gdw]

I used Domintors for years in all kinds of wet weather and never had a problem with shrinkage. Use a shoe horn or fill them with newspaper after wet rides and let them dry in a cool place like a garage or cellar.

[merlinmurph]

Shrinkage??? Defintely.

Oh, shrinking shoes - nevermind....

[tab123]

Dunk them in a bucket of water. Put them on and go for a ride until they dry on your feet.

Gothard, I'll try your suggestion but may wait until it is warmer here than 42 degrees F with a 25 mph NE wind!

[John M]

Any suggestions?

do the water suggestion, but use shoe trees instead of your feet. Otherwise you might be wearing them for two days.

[John M]

....shoe horns ....Tried the shoe horn trick and that seems to make all of the difference for me.

This can work--but the devices are called shoe trees. Shoe horns are what you use to squeeze your feet into the tight fitting shoe :)

http://www.shoetreemarketplace.com/

[zap]

Yes.

Newspaper after the ride. Replace often. Dries quicker this way.

[05Fierte TI]

Just read my post, John M, you are right on the shoe tree thing, shoe horns do not really make any sense.

[RABikes2]

Yes. Newspaper after the ride. Replace often. Dries quicker this way.
+1
After wet rides, take out the shoe insert and place between newspaper, squeeze down, move to a dry newspaper, and leave. Crumple up newspaper and stuff inside shoe tightly to form the shoe. Replace with clean/dry newspaper at least once or twice before bed, including the paper holding the inserts. Newspaper draws out moisture while keeping the form of the shoe, which helps to prevent shrinkage. Put inserts back in the next day.
Been doing it for many years.
RA