How to Wash Running Shoes.

[@SagasuRunning]

This one is definitely for the community on this channel. You asked for it (repeatedly). Enjoy. 🤙🏻

[@torenforsberg1]

This is a video that I didn't realize I needed. You just opened a whole new world for me :-) Washing your shoes in the shower is absolutely genius!
I live in Georgia which is also fairly high on the humidity scale. My shoes are off and so through with sweat by the end of a good summer run. Going to put this info to use starting today. Thanks for all the great content!

[@SagasuRunning]

Rinse them in the shower with you and get a small floor or box fan and you are golden for summer running down there.
I spent a Summer in Atlanta years ago trying to run and cycle… was not fun… so respect.

[@tono1665]

I don’t understand people who don’t wash there shoes🙈. It’s a must👍

[@SagasuRunning]

Agree. 👍🏻

[@user-gv8wf8co6n]

P.S. can’t believe you do this after every run- wow! So much respect

[@SagasuRunning]

Haha… OCD is strong… but also the realities of running a channel where I need to often talk about these shoes helps as well.

[@recguerra3]

Very interesting. Another thing you can do to jump start drying those heavy padded daily trainers is using a towel or paper to absorb water from the thick padded areas (like heel cup and ankle bracing area) after compressing them to shake some water off.
Me, I'm a heretic that some times wash in hand, but after 400k I use to have them in my washing machine, delicate cool water program lol.
Thanks anyway!

[@SagasuRunning]

I will only do that in a hotel room where I don’t have a fan and need the shoes to dry quicker AND there are ample towels the to don’t need to laundry. 😂

[@bp5722]

Thanks for taking the time and effort to make this vid. I washed my shoes for the first time ever 😲
Began with my Superblast (rather new but dirty) followed by the best shoe of all time - my Vapofly 1 (close to 700km)

[@SagasuRunning]

Treat those VF1s well. They are very special and Newley irreplaceable! Thank you for watching. Glad it helped you to finally wash them.

[@yiann1sk]

Nice video. I wash them about once every two months. During summer I like to do an external quick wash with soap and let them dry under the sun. For winter there is a service that they come at your door take the shoes you want to wash and they return your shoes at your door after a week for 17CNY (2.5USD) a pair.

[@SagasuRunning]

Interesting service. Sounds very entrepreneurial.

[@yiann1sk]

@@SagasuRunning Best part is that they are based in an entirely other province (Jiangsu) and kuaidi expenses are included in the price.

[@bradmyers5998]

lol I thought I was the only who did stuff like this. I use a soft bristle shoe brush and just warm water in shower, remove the laces and open them up in front of small fan to dry. Filthy shoes are gross.
Good video, I also enjoy the analysis of podium shoes at major marathons, which nobody else seems to do really. Great work!

[@SagasuRunning]

I’ve never remove the laces (because it’s such a hassle)… but yes, that will definitely help speed up the drying process by opening the inside of the shoe.
I enjoy the super shoe reviews form world majors… they are a staple of the channel now… so I’ll be covering them always in the future.

[@01lsw]

Love it! A very practical sharing❤ I only wash my running shoes after raining but only wipe them after every single run. Even I wash my running shoes like what you showed here, I've never taken out the insoles as I was afraid of breaking the shoes....Now I learned something new. This is absolutely helpful. I bet many viewers will share this vid with their fellow runners and I will do so shortly :-) Btw, I use Dr Bronner's lavender soap as my body wash but feel a bit a waste of using it for cleaning shoes as they are quite expensive to buy it in CitySuper Hong Kong :-(

[@SagasuRunning]

Insoles don’t come out of many super shoes… so don’t force them. Generally you’ll be able to tell.
Dr. Bronners is expensive here as well at City Super… but you can find online group buys that cut the price way down or ordering from Amazon US and shipping here is cheaper (oddly).

[@01lsw]

@@SagasuRunning Great tips! I appreciate your suggestion on the online group buy and Amazon US for Dr. Bronners. Nobody told me about that!

[@BoardsDarkglasses]

Have put my Novablast 3 LEs in the washing machine several times - my machine has a sports shoe setting that barely tumbles. They're still in very good condition after 700km, will easily get 200 to 300k more out of them. I live in Ireland which is basically never hot

[@SagasuRunning]

Haha. I can’t picture a climate more opposite than here… though I do picture alot of rain in both places. I know some machines have that setting. I still would never do it with my performance runners. A pair of vans or something, sure. Vaporflys… never.

[@bennipollner5240]

Same for me, its called washing machine for a reason...

[@charlesbukowski9752]

After washing and rinsing i put crumpled newspaper inside the shoes. That absorbs liquid quite fast than just leaving it as is. I let normal air do drying as well.

[@SagasuRunning]

I never do the newspaper things as… well I never have newspaper or any type of paper to crumple up in a shoe. Even paper towels are precious when traveling so I don’t use those. Occasionally I’ll roll up a hotel hand towel and put it in the shoes to aid… but you have to remove it in an hour or less as the water will just sit and soak through the entire shoe (making it worst).

[@therunophil]

I hardly ever clean my running shoes, but I'm very much a road runner and don't mind the little staining that the next run in the rain won't wash away. I do however always rotate to give them time to dry/recover in the open shelf. Performance would be a reason, but is there any hard evidence that cleaning them prevents deterioration? Sure, salt and oils may have an impact but the foams are basically plastic that typically can handle that. One could even argue that soaking the foam in water causes harm in itself (which it probably doesn't).
P.S.: You said you decided to go through this elaborate process, so I guess it's not OCD😜

[@SagasuRunning]

For EVAs… sure… but the more delicate foams, while plastic based, definitely have tolerances to oils/salts and or detergents (always use mild soaps). Wear is wear on shoes but some of it is better than others.
Drying wet shoes is the most important aspect. Yes, rotating shoes too… so that the foams can relax and decompress is key too (but I have talked about rotations a lot on this channel… and will have another rotation video in May sometime).

[@robbarnett524]

I respect your OCD 💪

[@SagasuRunning]

🤣👟🤙🏻

[@brianreiter5572]

I use Dial soap in the shower.
Some kinds of dust/soil are high in minerals and will stain the shoes regardless.

[@SagasuRunning]

Yes, I like white shoes but we have alot of iron and volcanic dust here in Taiwan that turns white a reddish orange. Not quite the Iten shade of red… but similar. It is why I prefer black trail shoes.

[@FenboyTim]

Thanks, very useful tips and I’m fairly well aligned on this. The drying part has been difficult during a cold wet English Winter. I best get a fan…

[@SagasuRunning]

Ya… in any wet environment it’s key to dry the shoes as quickly as possibly. In the winter here in Taipei is usually cold (10c) and very very wet/damp. Nothing dries, ever. So moving air over the shoes with a fan is a must.

[@theandroids]

Get a dehumidifier. You're welcome.

[@SagasuRunning]

My wife and I have 4 in our living space. In fact, next to the fan in this video is a dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers are a must and very much the norm in most of Asia. Can’t live without them.

[@Charles-kc2vt]

Holy cow! That is some dedication to clean shoes 🧼 👟 Especially after every run! I'll wipe down a shoe occasionally but the last time I washed a shoe with soap like that was never 😅. And the fact you're a cyclist might explain a lot lol. Cyclists clean the drivetrain and chain constantly

[@SagasuRunning]

Not only was I a cyclist… I was a fixed gear cyclist… brakeless… a clean drivetrain is a silent drivetrain is a safe drivetrain.

[@TimGrose]

@@SagasuRunning "brakeless" = "safe" ! I did clean my bikes now and again though when was riding which haven't been of late.

[@elimejia5749]

I always wash my running shoes on the weekends since I take a break from workouts.

[@SagasuRunning]

A valid way to do it. I don’t really have a good place to put my dirty shoes between runs AND the humidity here is killer. Shoes I wear casually (retired runners usually) that live by the front door and never get cleaned last only a few months before them are gone… granted they usually have a ton of running in them but humidity kills shoes here in Taiwan.

[@klipklapklop3359]

Yessir there it is

[@SagasuRunning]

🤙🏻

[@TimGrose]

Ah so presume this is how certain TH-camrs only seem to present shoes that look like they have just been taken out of their box "for review" despite tales of several runs in them :) TBH I only real try and clean shoes like this that were "trashed" on muddy off road runs. Otherwise I might give them a wipe down with some "Flash wipes" or something. As for putting shoes through washing machines - combination of Sue's wroth and a likely very clean but ruined shoe is not a great idea!

[@SagasuRunning]

I saw your “wiping” process in your kitchen in a short… Sue was not amused. At least the sink in this video is an indoor/outdoor sink used mostly for plants.

[@TimGrose]

@@SagasuRunning running shoes are an "outdoors item" according to Sue - especially once worn!

[@SagasuRunning]

@TimGrose Hahaha… my wife for so tired of me using the kitchen scale she bought me my own. Happy wife = happy life. 👍🏻

[@TimGrose]

@@SagasuRunning i bought my own LOL but I figure I need a "better" one as takes me ages to get a stable reading - not helped by my boat feet being bigger than the "plate"

[@justoutlaw6423]

😄@@TimGrose

[@hommefield9612]

This was great to see. Honestly, I would’ve just dried them in the sun without thinking too much of the glue of the shoes 😅

[@SagasuRunning]

The bigger issue with drying in the sun is the UV exposure for all the high tech materials. The heat breaks down the materials but the UV is what kills them. Drying performance running shoes occasionally in the sun is ok...but it's best left in a pinch.

[@grankvarsvik4153]

I never run in cities, and usually rinse off my (road) shoes immediately after every run with tempered water. Every third or fourth run I scrub them gently with some mild detergent too. But when they are coming close to their end-of-life I mostly don`t do anything for the few last runs. Trail shoes on the other hand gets a clean with detergent every single time. And I actually run them in the washing machine when retiring them. I keep the shoes for a little while after their last run and use them for dirty work around the house, wrenching and such. Convenient to have some pairs that I just can throw away when they get dirty and smudged with all kinds of ugliness :)

[@SagasuRunning]

Trail shoes need the wear and they earn all the scratches and stains. Road shoes… should be clean. I wash road or trial shoes the same, though as I said in the video, trail shoes will get the cakes out mud blown off with a hose or at least knocked together outside a few times.

[@danieldepalol6101]

Gosh, there’s a drought where I live, the amount of water used would drain the reservoirs. Thanks for sharing but wouldn’t be doing it.

[@SagasuRunning]

It’s ultra wet here in Taipei at the moment… minor flooding happening in places with even slight rain. 🌧️

[@user-gv8wf8co6n]

Omg thank you so much! I never wash my running shoes 😂 I just buy a lotta shoes haha. Can’t wait to try this 🙏

[@SagasuRunning]

I hope this helps. 🤙🏻

[@jean-phil]

I wash them after every run but just the bottom of the shoe since I rarely have any dirt anywhere else. I always change socks before and after each run and I almost never run in bad weather without goretex shoes and I dont sweat a lot so ;) i just use dish soap, works well 99% of the time .. else some Resolve spay wash and Vim works case scenario

[@SagasuRunning]

If I didn’t sweat much… running life would be so much simpler.

[@Wings_nut]

Ice hockey players are very superstitious. Washing ice hockey gear is considered bad juju. I kinda carried that over to running shoes. Ironic is that my dryer has a tray insert for shoes.

[@SagasuRunning]

I played lacrosse in high school… was the same thing. By the end of a season it was awful… I’m far too much of a neat freak to let that happen anymore.

[@Wings_nut]

@@SagasuRunning That's funny.

[@justranz1]

I too wash my shoes frequently but after washing I hold them by the soles and swing them vigorously to get out any excess water before drying. However I dry them in the car under the back glass in the Caribbean sun and thats a lot of hear so I will get a fan to dry them from now on

[@SagasuRunning]

Centrifugal forces is great for removing excess water. Be careful of the heat from the sun. The heat and UV light is an instant foam killer.

[@onlineo2263]

Looks so easy. How do you clean a pair of Nike Ultrafly? In particular the white fabric wrapped midsole. Ive tried everything except the washing machine and the shoe looks very dirty.

[@SagasuRunning]

Same process, after every run. The key is to not let dirt/dust sit on the Vaporweave upper of the UF. Especially if it's wet from sweat/rain. Here in Taiwan we have Iron rich soils with alot of clay which will turn things red/orange if not cleaned immediately. Granted I also only put about 80km on my UFs due to not having the terrain to really use them on... I just have steep and technical trails. No buffed out California carpet anywhere around.

[@travelingfit2032]

Sometimes I'll just get a wet wipe and clean off the crud if there's some on the foam. I wash my running shoes if I get mud on them, but don't otherwise. I do have some cheap shoe bags off Amazon that I can use if I need to take them in a suitcase.

[@SagasuRunning]

Years ago I would travel with Theo types of shoes bags… but they got gross too… so I just wash everything always… given how I travel now.

[@Chungdol]

What an amazing Video...
I'm using dirt eraser for the midsoles, even a 5 years old never cleaned shoe looks like New after it.
But the upper, huh difficult. I washed my shoes once as I started to run, and both got deszroyed after one time. Since that Iam very scared to use soap on the upper.
Doesnt the soap damages the glue aswell?
Also the drying time... Here in Germany energy is so absurdly expensive, that I could not effort to put a fan on for so long. :/
Standing them directly into the sun doesnt Sound like a good idea aswell.
Sorry for that personal question, but may I ask what you work as? The traveling, the times you are able to Workout (follow your strava) that really sounds like a healthy work life balance to me.

[@SagasuRunning]

A mild soap/detergent is best and is better than letting the oils and salts sit in the shoe. Harsh soaps or pens with lots of colorings and chemicals are not a great idea.
If no fan is possible… finding someplace that has a breeze is the second best bet. Airflow over the shoes is what you are looking for. Drying them in the sun is ok in a pinch but keep an eye on them, too intense of sun will definitely damage some of the high tech materials with heat or UV. Though the Sun in Germany is much different than the Sun here in Taiwan (closer to the equator).
I’m a product design consultant and content creator. I haven’t worked in an office since 2019. I left that world for freelance consulting… for a better work/life balance.

[@Chungdol]

@@SagasuRunning Thank you for your detailed answer.
Finding a decent work life balance is the key, hard to find nowadays it seems.
Time to wash my shoes again ☺️

[@haryowijoyo5979]

Shoes laundry for me now.😅 fortunately there’s a new shoes care and laundry nearby that offers deep cleaning for a mere usd$6.5 for 4pairs.
But for diy crowds, the same cleaning kits and anti bacterial perfumes used by shoes and bags laundries are everywhere on online marketplaces. Adds some shoes hanger. It’ll cost less than usd$10 and good for about 30uses.

[@SagasuRunning]

I never even contemplated a service like that existing. Seems reasonable too.

[@haryowijoyo5979]

@@SagasuRunning yup. One of the perks living in indonesia, and southeast asian countries😅. This services started to caters for people who needs to keeps their hermes bags, balenciagas, down to louboutins in immaculates conditions. But then once the techniques, chemicals, tools and parts are knowns. Almost everyone can access this services, either by going to the services or diy routes.
But mid level to ultra lux premises offers complete restorations package for reasonable prices. Two days ago i saw a video on ig where they do complete restorations on a vaporfly, where they literally took apart the upper and the sole. Redo the cosmetics on both upper and side midsole, putting a new outsoles and using special tools they reglued everything back together.
Anyways, the most important part that i learned from hanging out with the owners and technicians is.. for sport shoes/sneakers.. you just don’t wash them with water. The water if not dried out properly will left waterspots that will turns any whites into ugly and beyond recovery yelowish colors. They suggests to have two microfibers towels,a regular towel, a shoe hangers, soft toothbrush, medium tootbrush for the outsoles, waterless instant shoes cleaner (any brand in online marketplaces will do, with your choice of scents), and optionally an antibacterial perfumes (this literally the same things used for helmets inner, bags, jackets). After every use, use the damp regular towel and medium toothbrush to clean up any muds or debris on the outsole. Then work from the upper to bottom using the cleaners, spray at one spots then brush using the soft tootbrush. Do until the whole upper are clean then pats them with microfibers to take out any moistures. Do the same thing with the insoles if its removables. Then spray and brush carefully using the soft toothbrush on the sidewall of the midsoles, those asics colors are notorious to flaking out.. if that happens take them out to shoes laundry and have them restore and parts with $20. Done that, pat them with microfibers, then do the outsole with spray and clean medium toothbrush and pats them dry with microfibers. After that just hang them on a shoes hanger, which is like 25cents us for a pair or 50cents for double pairs that comes with slots to hang your insoles too. They’re stackables and folds. After drying out, put the insoles back and spray some perfumes in it. Minds you that the cleaners already has a perfumes.. so unless the scents are similar, the choice is yours.
If thats too much works after every run, just hang your shoes in the shoes hanger after each uses to dry any sweat.. spray with perfumes afterwards to combat odors and molds. After two or three runs, u really needs to clean ‘em up or sent to laundry.
Nowadays because works and stuff, i just sent both my shoes and motorcyle helmets to the laundry and have them nice and clean in 3-4days (yup, having a shoe and helmet rotations is really is nice😁). Or if its urgent just pop another$2 for express jobs. Or if you know your way, usually $1 tips or a pack of ciggarettes will do the job.

[@JS-Treadmill-Running]

Really good video👍💪 I do exactly the same. I just take my shoes with me when I shower after a run. But only if they are dirty or I have run in the rain. But it rains a lot where I live. But I also come from a triathlon world. And could never dream of riding a dirty bike😱👎. NEVER

[@SagasuRunning]

That may be the one thing triathletes and road cyclist share in common…. A dirty bike is completely unacceptable!
It rains a lot here in Taiwan as well, especially up here in Taipei. I often have much more gross shoes after a run…

[@varunmusicchannel1548]

Do washing daily ruin the adhesive inside???

[@SagasuRunning]

I've never had an issue. However, it is important to dry them quickly and thoroughly.

[@akapantsusenpai181]

I only hand wash my shoes when they’re really dirty. My one complaint about the ASICS SuperBlast is that the uppers trap mud. I can’t get it out.

[@SagasuRunning]

Yes then do. I love the feel of the material of the SB upper… but it’s a nightmare for mid/grime. The Hoka upper on the Mach 6 in this video is the same…

[@theinconsequentialrunner]

As a (previous) road cyclist, totally get what you are saying about a clean bike - but rarely cleaned my shoes (just my trail shoes mostly) - and wanted to confirm this point: Are you saying that my shoes will perform better / be better for getting a wash? Thanks for the vid - grerat stuff.

[@SagasuRunning]

No, aim saying they will perform as they were designed (new out of the box) longer if you take care of the foams and materials in the shoe. Especially so performance running shoes with super foams and ultra light weight uppers.

[@theinconsequentialrunner]

@@SagasuRunning thank you.

[@nightfall1198]

How do you clean smart shoes? Is it safe to soak them in water?

[@SagasuRunning]

Smart shoes?

[@nightfall1198]

@@SagasuRunning I mean shoes that has built in bluetooth that track steps

[@SagasuRunning]

@nightfall9880 Like the UA one? If so I probably wouldn’t soak it in water but wiping it with a sponge and lightly rinses it would be fine. I’d ask the manufacturer via their help chat though to confirm.

[@royvangroningen3025]

Interesting video! Do you still use/like the Kjerags?

[@SagasuRunning]

I do and I still love them. My go to trail shoe.

[@royvangroningen3025]

@@SagasuRunning Thanks, I just bought them due to your video, I am also planning to use them for most of my road running and travelling.

[@SagasuRunning]

They wouldn’t be my first choice for road running, but they do better than you’d expect. Enjoy them.

[@mirmohsanalitalpur5884]

How many KMS or months to wash the shoes?

[@SagasuRunning]

I wash them after every run.

[@Laolu90]

Cold or warm water?

[@SagasuRunning]

In the shower I use whatever I’m showering with. If I a. Sink I do cold. Either works, just no scalding hot water. I do find warm water rinses better.

[@Laolu90]

@@SagasuRunning thanks Chris!

[@michaellund3440]

Could you use a different soap for this? Dawn dish soap?

[@SagasuRunning]

Dawn is very mild… but rinsing could be an issue. I’ve never tried it but theoretically it could work well. I’d treat it on an older pair and see how well it rinses and/or if it leaves a film or residue (it shouldn’t).

[@michaellund3440]

@@SagasuRunning I'll give your Dr. Bronner's a try since you've put some good thought into things. Thanks for the excellent content. Keep it up.

[@SagasuRunning]

I may try Dawn… I’m curious because it’s such a gentle neutral soap…

[@michaellund3440]

@@SagasuRunning let me know how it goes. I imagine a tiny bit would go a long way.

[@michaellund3440]

@@SagasuRunning ended up trying Dawn last night. Seemed to work well and rinse easily. Now I just need to find some kind of drying rack that fits in my shower.

[@tkwasik]

Yes I wash my shoes after every run - and yes I live in hot and humid place too - I wash it either in the sink with cold water and soap and brush or in top loader, cold water and gentle run (the don't tumble that much) - dry them on balcony
There is no rocket science to the process...
Myself I don't get it why runners would not wash their shoes - certainly we wash all other kit we wear on the run - but for some reason shoes are mostly excluded - people it's gross !!

[@SagasuRunning]

I FULLY agree with your last statement. 💯

[@pseudoty]

No Shower Video what a Fail
I use baby wipes after every run and allow them to air dry outside if possible. If you keep them as clean as possible from the get go they stay looking great and keeping them clean is easier. Not sure about the longevity.

[@SagasuRunning]

Be careful with some baby wipes. I know they are meant to be mild… but some have all sorts of lotions and whatnot in them to help a baby’s skin… that stuff is bad for the uppers on shoes. Just keep an eye on the ingredients of the baby/wet wipes.
Maybe I’ll do the shower video at 100,000 subscribers. Hahaha. 😂

[@JohnSmith-rx2uv]

How to wash running shoes:
Step 1:
You don't.

[@SagasuRunning]

Haha. 🤣

[@bennipollner5240]

U dont need to manually wash them. Ever heard of washing Machines?😂

[@SagasuRunning]

I talked about why you should never use a washing machine for (especially) performance running shoes (even if it has a shoe setting) at length in this video…

[@bennipollner5240]

@@SagasuRunning Yes, but that wasnt my Point. U dont nerd a special programme for shoes and its the best was to really Clean them inside and outside like I do with regular clothes.
Shoes are not eggs, U can wqsh them normally. They wont fall apart. The "glue" or midsole wont decease or solve into pieces, dont worry😙

[@SagasuRunning]

Put sneakers in a washing machine is fine… putting performance running shoes with super foams, lightweight uppers and certainty is not…