Shoe cleaning, but on the inside

[g19]

We all know that inside shoes after a ride it is a basket of bacteria's after a ride.

My q'n is how do i clean the inside of the shoe to get rid of those bacteria's and so my feet get a fresh start every time i step in to them.

Can i just wash the soles (specialized/side etc) or must i put them in the washingmachine or ....

Bacteria's can be the start of nasty things for ones feet so it's better to deal with them in the correct way.

Let's hear it

[alpinerabbit]

Never have... mine are fine. They don't smell. I wear fresh socks. Where's the problem?

If I needed to, I might rinse them with a handwashing detergent or baking soda. Or a sneaker foam product. Always think of any leather parts you might have.
Plain Soap kills 99% of bacteria, which should be sufficient.

[OakLeaf]

Bacteria's can be the start of nasty things for ones feet so it's better to deal with them in the correct way.

Um... why? If you have compromised circulation or immune system, then you should be getting your shoe advice from whoever treats you for those conditions. For healthy individuals, there's mounting evidence that having things TOO clean is destructive to our health in and of itself, never mind the toxic effects of many cleaning products. Bacteria are everywhere. Many of them are good. People pay extra for yogurt with added bacteria.

[F8th637]

I have found that a quick spritz of Lysol into my shoes keeps the foul-smelling bacteria at bay. I have custom insoles and water-proof shoes (not cycling shoes) and so there isn't a whole lot of breathing room and the shoes can get downright funky. Lysol does the job in a pinch.

[g19]

Well yes, there are good and bad bacteria's, but knowing that there is a lot of pressure when cycling on ones feet and there for injuries can occur quit easily in case of infections than the smell is the least price to pay, but it's just not good the step in and out and in and out etc. in cycling shoes without cleaning them.

Cleaning ones cycling cloths is not just for the dirt because most times it's not dirty, but the sweat is the main reason why it's get cleaned.
However the smell of sweat is being caused by these bacteria's and i don't feel good about it to do nothing about it.

I feel it's like not sleeping in clean bedsheets although one might sleep real well it's just not healthy and that's something everybody will agree on.

However i read some good tips in what to use which i will try out and see what 's working best.

Thanks everybody for the input.

[alpinerabbit]

Yeah the tips were good but honestly, I would stop worrying about infections on your feet. I've never, ever gotten an infection on my feet, not even on an open blister. And I've never gotten a blister from my cycling shoes.

I have picked up nail mycosis once but that was waaay before I cycled.

Are you being a bit obsessive, perhaps?

The smell in cycling clothes is also less from the bacteria and more from the fact that wicking fabric "ultraconcentrates" your sweat when it evaporates.

I've never thought about sleeping in elderly sheeting not being healty...

I think you worry too much.

[g19]

Well maybe i am being obsessive maybe i'm not, but what is a fact that my english is not my home language and this also playes part in not being able to use the correct words.

Anyway i read the posts and i'm gonna try the tips and enjoy cycling despite being maybe obsessive about this one

[Blueberry]

Wear cycling sandals?? I love mine - and one can easily scrub them when they get icky

I've never had a problem with my cycling shoes, though. I do try to leave them open to dry when returning from a longish ride.

CA

[HillSlugger]

How often do you change your bed sheets and sleeping garments?

[lph]

I dry my shoes either open in the sun or with a cold-air shoe dryer, so they don't get so funky. Never washed them though. If you're reasonably clean once you put the socks and shoes on you don't actually *create* any new bacteria from sweating in your shoes, you just give the bacteria already there a warm and damp environment to thrive in Drying them out fast will take care of that.

Likewise with my rock climbing shoes - the only times they get really smelly is if I walk around barefoot before using them and bring gunk into them, or if I don't get them dried fast enough after use.

[aicabsolut]

Yeah, just let them dry well. take out the insoles if you want to really let them air out. I suppose you could wipe down the insoles occasionally too, but i would just use a mild soap. I can't imagine using Lysol! Ugh! I am far more sensitive to cleaning products than I am to a little dried up sweat. I would get contact dermatitis on my feet from Lysol. I've never gotten a foot infection either, even when I've had nasty blisters. Just have clean feet, wear clean socks and let the shoes dry well.

I guess you could do a light dusting of Odor Eaters powder or something similar in there to help keep them and your feet drier. Even a little baby powder might help. Of course, those things can make the shoe more slippery, so if you have any issues with heel lift, that could be a problem. Plus, cycling shoes are vented on the bottoms, so you might loose bits of powder along the way. I do not know how that could affect the cleat system. For cycling shoes, I've never bothered with anything like that. I'm sure I get much more funk in there from riding in rain or through puddles full of road grime, and there's really only so much you can do.

Never ever put them in a washing machine.

[shootingstar]

I come from a family that has never thrown any shoes into a washing machine. It sounds...alien....to me. and my partner has never done that in his life either.

But then I'm from a family that always took off outside shoes before walking around inside the house. We just cared about hygiene..differently.

We did wash sneakers in a bucket of water outddors..during childhood.

I don't wash my cycling shoes, but I wear slip-in custom-made orthotics. For years, I've tried to always make sure I have a bunged up pair of old cycling shoes..for rainy weather and my usual, better pair. Keep the dirt separated.

[Fujichants]

When my shoes start to get all funky smelling and ratty looking on the inside...I throw them away and buy a new pair. But it hasn't happened to any of my shoes yet, with the exception of a pair of sneakers that I used in high school.

Buy moisture wicking socks...then perhaps your shoes won't be so sweaty on the inside anymore.

And if you're already so concerned about shoes...what about the inside of your gloves?? Do you wash your gloves after every ride?

[Aint Doody]

I wash my gloves after every ride because my nose runs a lot, and I don't want to think about wearing gloves with old snot on them!

[ny biker]

I wash my gloves after every ride because they get just as sweaty as my clothes and it's easy enough to toss them in the laundry. I put them in a mesh lingerie bag so the velcro doesn't snag on anything.

For my road shoes, I use special insoles (not custom-made, but stiffer and with more arch support than the ones that came with the shoes) and I take them out after every ride. I figure since the most expensive shoes I own are my Sidis and the insoles were not cheap either, it can't hurt to give them a good chance to dry and air out.

For my mountain bike shoes (as well as sneakers and other shoes) I don't do anything except throw them out when they get too worn to wear.