Mold in cycling shoes??

For the past month, my shoes have been smelling worse and worse, so I decided to soak them in Woolite and then air dry them thinking that would take care of it. Upon removing the sole, I noticed that the footbed which is made of some squishy foamy stuff (and it's glued to the bottom) is covered in black spots. Soaking and drying didn't help at all. I also put them in the freezer for 24 hours. No change. Vinegar did not work. Lysol did not work. I wouldn't care except that they REALLY REEK. I mean, they stink up a room. Are they done for? Or is there some way to get rid of the mold (or at least the smell)

When you say footbed, do you mean the removable insole or the shoe itself? If it's the insole, just buy some replacements. There are several brands out there. I have the Sole Slim Sport Moldable insole.

it's underneath the insole in the actual foam bed of the shoe

Ew. I'd toss them.

Ick. What brand and where did you buy them? I'd contact their customer service and complain. I've never had a pair of shoes grow mold.

Think I'd set 'em on fire. ;-)

Yeah - some parts of the country that's true of anything you don't wear for three days running - and a whole lot of the country has fallen into that camp this year. I just found some mold on the strap of my computer bag. You'll have that when it's humid enough that the carpet squishes when you walk on it.

I guess it depends on what the shoes cost, but I would think that if you think they're worth saving, a cobbler could remove and replace the insole.

Ewwww! How awful. You've got a problem. That is a problem where I live too---definitely.

Bleach and vinegar both work to remove mold but be careful not to use them together. I've always heard that if you mix them together, they form a toxic gas. Same goes for bleach and ammonia.

Have you tried a bathroom or kitchen cleaner with bleach?

Miconazole is an antifungal agent used in foot powders (like Desenex--but look for the one with the highest concentration). Before I tossed the shoes, I would smother them with powder and leave them for a few days. If it works, maybe leave some powder between the insert and the sole, and change the powder after each ride.

That's a great idea!

As advanced as she describes the mold being, I might see if I could get rid of the insoles anyway, but use the powder for prevention and killing mold on the uppers.

I too, have never heard of this. It seems that you have lots of good suggestions though!

As a suggestion for those of you that do live in humid areas(which seems to be a big part of the US this summer)try putting newspaper in your shoes AFTER your ride. If you are able to change the newspaper a couple of times, it will help eliminate your shoes holding on to water/moisture.

You could move to Utah.
It's a dry heat.

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Originally Posted by kjay

Think I'd set 'em on fire. ;-)

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Except for the certainty of producing toxic gas, I like this idea best. :) That sounds downright nasty. Good luck solving the problem (I don't have any good suggestions) and let us know what works!

What about powdered detergent with bleach like Biz??

OK I guess this will sound weird to folks: I wear leather Sidies for both road and mountain biking. My feet get sweaty and will get wet while mountain biking (we have lots of stream crossing even in the summer). I have always done this and its doesn't seem to hurt the shoe at all. I run a sink full of warm water, add 2 capfuls of bleach and allow the shoes to soak for an hour or so (after first taking out the insole and soaking that separately). I then put them outside to dry in the sun. I also, after every ride, take a small spray bottle filled with alcohol and spritz out the inside of my shoes and helmet. It kills what ever bacteria and mold that can form and keeps my shoes and helmet smelling fresh.

There does come a time when shoes need to be replaced especially because they constantly get damp and used. I replace mine every 3 years or so...

I paid about $80 for the shoes...they're Specialized brand. I've read NOT to use bleach as it will break down the shoes (glues/threads/etc.). I think I may take them to a cobbler today to see if they can rip out the foam and replace it. Because it rains a lot in North Florida and the humidity hovers around 90%, my shoes have definately been wet. And then I usually just take them off and leave them in my garage. Apparently, that turns them into a petri dish for mold and mildew. Lesson learned. Right now they're drying in the sun after another ride in the rain. I will probably keep them as my "rain shoes" and buy another pair for "dry rides".

Oh, yeah, forget about the garage (at least, if it doesn't have AC, and please tell me it doesn't!). We try not to keep anything that's not 100% hard plastic, glass or metal in the garage. But we do park the motorcycles there ... and the seats get moldy.

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Originally Posted by buffybike

For the past month, my shoes have been smelling worse and worse, so I decided to soak them in Woolite and then air dry them thinking that would take care of it. Upon removing the sole, I noticed that the footbed which is made of some squishy foamy stuff (and it's glued to the bottom) is covered in black spots. Soaking and drying didn't help at all. I also put them in the freezer for 24 hours. No change. Vinegar did not work. Lysol did not work. I wouldn't care except that they REALLY REEK. I mean, they stink up a room. Are they done for? Or is there some way to get rid of the mold (or at least the smell)

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It's a Florida sweat thing. We have problems in Miami with sweat eating the clearcoat finish off bikes, rusting out bottom brackets & ruining shoes in a matter of months. My husband is a serious sweater and this is the only thing that helps us keep his shoes "mildly offensive".

Determine where the sweat is coming from--for us it is running down our legs into shoes. Wearing higher socks also allows more of the sweat to dissipate before it gets to your shoes. For some their feet actually sweat more. Try spray-on antiperspirant made for feet.

As soon as we get home we remove the insoles and wash with soap and water & let dry in the sun. Then the shoes get wiped with a damp sponge on the outside just to remove dirt/sweat. They get stuffed with newspaper & set outside for a few hours in the sun. Then I replace the newspaper with cedar from stuffitts.com & I put them in an airtight box with a container of "Damp Rid" that removes the moisture in the container. They sit in that box for a few days until the next use. We rotate between three pairs of shoes to give each a chance to thoroughly dry. I do spray then w/ Lysol occassionally. They still only last 9 mos or so but we ride 250 miles a week so each pair is worn 1x per week.

make a mix of miconazole or other antifungal powder and baking soda and put thick thick layer in there and leave a few days... works for my toxic birkenstocks and they never ever smell nasty again after that treatment

UPDATE: I called Specialized and told them about the problem. The guy said, "Whoa. That's a bummer." (silence)

So much for that.

The cobbler cannot take the foam out b/c it's part of the shoe. Leaving them on my front porch where they get sun every day has maybe helped. If anything i don't have to smell them every time I walk past my laundry room. When I get some $, I'm just going to buy another pair.