How to Clean Cycling Shoes the Right Way
The Do's and Don'ts of Bike Shoe Maintenance
Dirt, mud, grass stains, rubber burns, sweat, stink, and slop—any manner of road or trail grime can gunk up your favorite pair of cycling shoes, but that doesn't mean they're doomed to pedal out their existence stinky and smudgy.
Perhaps you've slopped your mountain bike through some mucky preseason puddles, and now the XC9s look like a half-dipped Hagan Daz bar. Maybe those RX gravel shoes have spent a season collecting a fine coating of powdery dust. Or those spiffy white road shoes that glistened so bright are now dulled with months of road grime and tire burns.
Whatever the mess, Shimano cycling shoes are built to last season after season, from the road to the trail and everywhere in between. Keep your kicks looking spiffy with a few tips and tricks for cleaning cycling shoes in a safe and effective way.
The Tools of the Cleaning Trade
However you managed to scuff and contaminate your shoes, the process of cleaning them starts the same way. Gather the following simple household items, or consider picking them up the next time you're out. These cleaning supplies will help you keep your shoes looking new all year while avoiding damage during the cleaning process.
- A Bucket
- Some Mild Dish Soap or Laundry Detergent
- A Medium Bristle Brush
- Baking Soda
- Magic Eraser (Optional)
- Bleach (White Shoes Only)
BEWARE! Avoid using any solvents and petroleum-based cleaners. These products can damage Shimano shoe materials, cause premature wear, or distort or ruin the colors. This is especially important when cleaning the upper portion of your shoes, which are made of microfiber (S-PHYRE level) and synthetic leather (all other models).
Soak and Scrub: Properly Cleaning the Outside of Cycling Shoes
Fill a bucket with warm (not hot) water and add a mild detergent or dish soap. Before dunking your shoes in the bucket, use a hose or cloth to gently remove large clumps of dirt stuck in the shoe's tread or smeared across the upper. Dislodging the clods of dirt will keep your bucket's water cleaner longer and allow you to get all your shoes' nooks and crannies cleaner faster.
Now, place the shoes in the bucket of soapy water for 30 minutes. This will allow the detergent enough time to get to work on whatever contaminants and scuzz are stuck on the shoes. After a good soaking, take a medium-bristle brush or durable cloth and start scrubbing any remaining grime off the shoes.
Don't be afraid to give the uppers a good scrubbing. Shimano shoes are made of a super durable rubber/synthetic blend designed to withstand harsh riding conditions. Between soaking and scrubbing, most grass stains, mud, dirt, and dust contamination should now easily wash away.
The soles of Shimano cycling shoes can be vigorously scrubbed with a medium-bristle brush. Get your brush in between the lugs for a deep clean that will leave them looking like new. It's worth pointing out that no amount of scrubbing will remove scratches on the carbon sole of road shoes or replace the chunks of tread that, over time, get dislodged on mountain bike shoes.
Keeping White Shoes Fresh
FOR WHITE SHOES ONLY: To restore your crispy white kicks to their original shine, you can take an extra, more aggressive step in cleaning. However, please note that this tip is only valid for Shimano's white shoes that also have a white mesh liner, like the S-PHYRE RC903 or XC903.
Use a small amount of diluted bleach to freshen up the lining of a shoe that has become fouled with sweat, dirt, or other stubborn stains. Apply a small amount of your bleach mixture to a rag and spot-apply to the toughest stains. Be sure to rinse your shoes thoroughly when finished, and don't use the same rag or rinse water on any other shoes but your white ones.
Removing Tire Burns
While the move to wider and wider road and gravel tires has no doubt expanded riders' options for big, fun adventures on two wheels, the bigger tires also increased the probability of toe/tire overlap on the bike. When this overlap happens, we can often finish a ride with black rubber marks smeared across the front of the shoe.
These stubborn marks are tire burns, where small amounts of rubber get rubbed or "burned" into the upper fabric when your foot accidentally touches the tire. A "magic eraser" or melamine sponge can help remove the black tire marks. Wet the magic sponge with water and gently scrub the affected areas until your shoes look new again. Stick to spot cleaning with the magic eraser because these sponges remove a small amount of material from the shoe along with the tire burn, so they are best used in moderation.
Getting Rid of The Stink: Deodorizing Cycling Shoes
Bacteria buildup is often the culprit when it comes to stinky shoes. Our bodies have their own microbiomes, millions of bacteria that act together and play an important part in our health and many biological systems. These bacteria are present when we sweat from long rides or hot days in the saddle. When our sweat (and bacteria) encounters external bacteria from riding through mud puddles or spilling electrolyte drink mix on our shoes and forgetting about it, things can get pretty smelly pretty fast.
Fortunately, there’s a simple solution to freshening up these kicks.
Fill a bucket with water and mix in a few tablespoons of baking soda. Dunk the shoes and let them soak for five minutes, allowing the sodium bicarbonate to absorb into the shoe liner, where all the bacteria mixing typically occurs. Let the baking soda work its deodorizing magic, and then remove your shoes from the bucket and dry them following the drying procedure below.
This quick and easy deodorizing step can be performed on its own, or you can add it to your full shoe cleaning routine, doing this step after the initial scrubbing and cleaning stages. In either case, your riding buddies will thank you.
How NOT to Dry Cycling Shoes
A cycling shoe is a precision-engineered, finely crafted piece of equipment. While it is designed to withstand normal (and even extreme) riding conditions, the materials and construction need special considerations during the drying process. As a general rule, avoid exposure to excessive heat and UV rays. That means don't leave them sitting next to the woodstove overnight (whoops), put them in a dryer on high (yikes), or even leave them out in direct sunlight for more than a couple of hours.
Prolonged exposure to high heat or sunlight can cause very slight shrinkage of materials in the shoes. While these changes are small, they can have a detrimental impact on the shoe's fit, leading to discomfort or even creating biomechanical issues due to poor fit. Instead, follow the RIGHT WAY to dry your cycling shoes below.
How to Dry Cycling Shoes the RIGHT WAY
It might seem old-school, but the best way to dry your cycling shoes is by using the good old-fashioned newspaper stuffing trick.
Once you’ve sufficiently soaked and scrubbed your shoes in the cleaning steps above, empty and shake them out to remove excess water on the surface or from inside the shoe. When they’re still sopping wet from their refreshing soak and scrub bath, take pieces of newspaper and stuff them into the shoes. Pack it in there as tightly as you can, as this will have two specific advantages. First, the newspaper will wick water away from the shoe, causing the inside to dry rather than remain damp and dank. And second, the packed-in newspaper will help the shoe maintain its shape as it dries out and avoids shrinking.
Place the shoes stuffed with newspaper in the sun or a safe distance from a heater or stove for no more than two hours. This is enough time for the shoes to expel most moisture while not cooking so long that they begin to deform. Still, avoid placing the shoes too close to heat, as melting and other nasty things can happen. If it's too hot for your skin, it's too hot for your shoes!
After several hours of drying, if the insides of the shoes are still wet, stuff with fresh newspaper and repeat.
Finishing Details: BOA Maintenance
BOA dials are incredibly user-friendly and relatively maintenance-free. Still, they can become contaminated in dusty or muddy environments and get jammed if too much gunk gets in the dials. Fortunately, BOA dials are quick and easy to maintain for smooth operation and snappy engagement.
If your shoe's BOA dials start to feel crunchy when tightening your kicks, simply pop the dial up to release the ratchet and pull the wire out as far as it will unwind. Wipe off any dust or grime on the full length of the cable wire. Then, tighten your shoes up like normal, and they should feel silky smooth.
If the dial is still dirty or causing you grief when tightening, the BOA mechanism can be submerged, swished, and soaked in soapy water to help break up any stubborn contamination. Be sure to rinse and then dry your shoes and the BOA with care, just as you would in the steps above.