Best Shoe Dryer 2024 (to Dry your Trainers and Boots)

If you’ve ever got your shoes, trainers or boots soaking wet you’ll understand just how uncomfortable it feels wearing wet shoes. Once you get home you then have to find a way to dry them for the next time you need to wear them. If that’s the following day, they’ll probably still be at least damp when it’s time to put them on again.

Even if you completely stuffed them with newspaper and left them in a warm place overnight. But there is a far better way to dry your footwear. Shoe dryers get your shoes dry quickly and safely. Shoe dryers come in many styles, sizes and designs, to help you find the best shoe dryer for your shoes, keep reading.

This Months Popular Shoe Dryers

Here’s this month’s popular shoe dryers:

What Are The Advantages Of  A Shoe Dryer?

Using a shoe dryer has many advantages including;

• Removing Excess Moisture
  The whole idea and design of a shoe dryer is to remove excess moisture from your shoes. As leather is such a porous material it is important to dry them out before wearing them to help them last longer. When it comes to synthetic shoes, the moisture often has nowhere to go so without a shoe dryer your feet will be in wet shoes for days, or longer.
• Removing Bad Smells
  The bacteria that causes bad smells thrive in damp, dark conditions which makes wet shoes the perfect breeding ground for the bacteria that causes shoes to smell bad.
• Preventing Mould And Bacteria
  As we just said, the bacteria that causes bad smells and mould thrive in dark, damp conditions. If you don’t dry your shoes out every time you wear them you add to the damp with perspiration. Using a shoe dryer will help to prevent the bacteria that causes mould and smells from developing.
• Helps To Prevent Shoes Becoming Misshapen
  If you try to dry shoes at home, either in a tumble dryer, in front of a radiator or with a hairdryer, you run the risk of melting some part of the shoe and making it out of shape. Shoe dryers are specially designed to work using low heat directed at just the right points to dry your shoes safely.

Disadvantages Of A Shoe Dryer

The disadvantages of a shoe dryer include;

• They’re Quite Expensive
  Many shoe dryers can be quite expensive especially compared with stuffing your shoes with newspapers which costs nothing.
• The Amount Of Space They Take Up
  As shoe dryers are designed to fit shoes and boots, they’re not the smallest items in the world. This means they can be quite difficult to store when not in use. Plus if you intend going on a walking holiday, the shoe dryer would probably not fit in your hand luggage.
• Long Term Damage To Shoes
  If you have to use a shoe dryer for a prolonged period of time, subjecting especially leather shoes to a constant drying process which includes heat, however low, could dry the leather to the point of cracking. This happens when all of the natural oils in the leather evaporate. You should always treat freshly dried leather shoes to a polish to at least try to add some protection to the leather.
• Need A Power Source
  Many shoe dryers run on electricity. This means they can’t very easily be taken on camping trips for example. So the very time when your shoes (or boots) are liable to get soaking wet you will not have the convenience of your shoe dryer.

Shoe Dryer Buyers Guide

There are a few things to consider when buying a shoe dryer, don’t just buy the first one you see. You’ll need to consider;

Ease Of Use

As with all of these gadgets, some are easier to use than others. The shoe dryer you buy should at least have some basic control on heat, time etc.

Heat Control

Depending on exactly how wet your shoes are, you’ll need different levels of heat to dry them correctly. For example, if your shoes are completely soaking wet, a higher level of heat will help to get them dry faster. As they dry, you can adjust the heat accordingly so as not to burn or dry out the leather to the point of no return.

If your shoes are only slightly damp, then a lower level of heat will probably suffice. Some of the shoe dryers we looked at only had on/off controls with no switches to adjust the level of heat. Granted this was at the cheapest end of the price range but it’s something worth considering.

Timer

Many shoe dryers are fitted with timers allowing you to set a time for the dryer to turn off the heat or at least make some sort of noise to inform you it has been running for however long you set the timer for. This can be good if you are drying a particularly expensive pair of shoes and you’re worried about damaging them.

Speed

Some shoe dryers can have a soaking wet pair of shoes dry in an hour, others take ½ hour whilst others take far longer. If speed is important to you, go for a shoe dryer that works fast.

Deodoriser

Some models include a deodoriser which not only kills any bacteria that can cause smells, but removes the smells as well.

Versatility

Some models have tubes that can be extended to accommodate not only shoes but boots as well. Which means you only need one appliance to dry all of your shoes and boots. On some models, it’s possible to dry shoes, boots, trainers and slippers, plus gloves and hats as well.

2 Or 4 Shoe Dryer

Some shoe dryers have the ability to dry up to 4 shoes at once whilst others can only accommodate 2 shoes at a time. If you and another member of your household regularly take walks together and both come home with wet shoes, a 4 shoe dryer will probably suit you best. If there is only one person that suffers from wet shoes, a 2 shoe dryer will be better as it will take up less room.

Weight

As with all things in life, some shoe dryers are far heavier than others. If you struggle with carrying heavy weights, check the specs on the shoe dryer you like the look of before you buy it. Remember, you’ll have to move it from the cupboard to the boot room etc.

Compact

Some models fold almost flat for easy storage. Some models consist of just 2 separate units attached to a central control unit. This looks like one of those early remote controls with a permanently attached cable. Whereas other units are large and bulky.

Wall Mounted Or Freestanding?

There are various designs available with some being freestanding whilst others need to be attached to a wall.

How Much Does A Shoe Dryer Cost?

The price of a shoe dryer varies depending on the type you prefer.

• 2 individual units which slot into each shoe cost anywhere between £12 to £40
• Freestanding units with 2 shoe dryers attached to the central control unit cost anywhere between £25 to £100
• Freestanding units with 4 shoe dryers attached to a central control unit cost around £120 or more
• Wall mounted shoe dryers cost anywhere between £40 to £100

All prices are subject to change due to special offers or inflation.

Frequently Asked Questions