The Best Way to Dry Wet Running Shoes

How to dry sneakers running shoes

Over the years I’ve come to realize that if the weather report says “chance of showers”, chances are those showers are going to find me when I’m running. If anyone knows how to dry wet running shoes it’s me.

Not surprisingly, a couple of weeks ago while on our 10 mile training run, Erin and I got caught in the rain. Actually, that’s an understatement. It started as a sprinkle––which actually felt quite nice after 45 minutes of running––but that sprinkle gradually turned into a shower, and then a steady rain, and before we knew it we were running in the middle of a torrential downpour. Thankfully it didn’t last long––just long enough to soak us head to toe and make those 5 miles back extremely squishy and feel twice as long.

Now, when it comes to newspapers my husband knows I usually prefer the digital version but the paper kind is actually quite handy when you get stuck running in the rain. I learned this trick from my cross-country coach way back in high school and shared it with dozens of friends over the years. After letting Erin in on this little secret a couple of weeks ago I realized this might be the single most helpful yet unknown tip for all of you runners.

To dry wet running shoes, simply yank out the insoles, crumple up a few sheets of your daily news and stuff away. You’ll be shocked at the amount of water just a couple of sheets of paper in each shoe will pull out. If your shoes are really soaked, swapping out the paper after several hours and putting them in the sun will speed the drying process along. Obviously, if you’re in a super rush to get those shoes back on your feet the dryer will do in a pinch if you can tolerate the noise, but if you have the time they should be good to go in less than a day or so with just a little newspaper.

Be sure to to hang on to a section or two of the Sunday paper this weekend for the next time you get caught in the rain!

Did you know about the newspaper trick? How do you typically dry your running shoes when you get caught in the rain?

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