Keeping your cycling shoes looking like new

THURSDAY NOV 20 / 2014 / by Andrew Talati
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Lee St Kilda Cycling president with his clean white shoes

 

The St Kilda Cycling Club is based on a love of cycling, a laugh, great friends, shared pain, camaraderie and – good coffee, so it’s hardly surprising that a café is the place we recently caught up with the SKCC President, Lee Turner.

One of the first things you notice about Lee is his impeccably white cycling shoes. So, is he dropping money on new shoes on a regular basis or does he have a secret to keeping them looking like new. We really wanted to know, so we cornered him and posed the question.

Turns out he does have a trick or two up his sleeve and luckily he’s prepared to share…

According to Lee, it’s a simple and easy process to get your old cycling shoes looking new again:

  1. Spray the shoes all over with Preen Pre-wash
  2. Sprinkle the shoes all over with Napisan and leave for about 10 mins
  3. Place the shoes in a lingerie bag
  4. Place the bag in your washing machine with a soft load such as towels
  5. Dose your washing machine with your normal washing powder or liquid
  6. Wash on a gentle cycle with the temperature of the water about 20 degrees

Lee does have quite a few pairs of shoes but the stellar white ones we saw him wearing were about 18 months old and he wears them about 3 – 4 times a week.

This cleaning process should be done on a regular basis – apparently you’re stuffed if you leave them go for a year and then try this (oops!). Lee finds that he needs to use this technique every 2-3 weeks during Winter and less often in Summer.

And if you find that your riding shoes are getting a bit on the nose there could be numerous reasons for that – overuse of one pair of cycling shoes (particularly if you ride over long distances, often), fungal or bacterial infection or lack of air. Want to get rid of that musky, tangy smell?  We’ve found some tips to help you out:

  • Baking soda – sprinkle a bit of baking soda into your shoes when you take them off. Leave overnight and shake to remove any excess powder before wearing;
  • Use odour-control insoles – they can be cut to fit the shape of your shoes and come in a range of different colours, if that’s important to you. Some double-sided tape will help to keep them in place;
  • Use nano-silver shoe linings – linings containing nano-silver have anti-microbial properties and inhibit the growth of odour-causing bacteria;
  • Use dryer sheets – very popular in the US and now on the Australian market, dryer sheets will instantly deodorise your riding shoes and neutralise any smell when placed in your shoes;
  • Freeze them – place your shoes in a freezer-proof clip seal plastic bag and put them in the freezer overnight. The extreme cold should kill any bacteria or fungi causing the odour;
  • Alternate your shoes – try not to wear the same pair of shoes two days or two rides in a row so that they have a chance to air out before the next wearing;
  • Air them – speaking of airing, your shoes need airing just as much as your feet do. Pop them outside in the sun for as long as possible;
  • Breathable socks – firstly, you should never wear shoes without socks but you should also pay attention to the type of socks you’re wearing. Breathable cotton socks should help to absorb some of the moisture from your feet, keeping your shoes from smelling. There are also socks specifically designed to whisk moisture away;
  • Get a good fit – correctly fitting shoes will stop your feet from sweating as much and therefore your shoes from smelling as bad.

Cleaning shoe ingredientsClean white shoesKeeping your shoes white

Learn more about the St Kilda Cycling Club

‘St Kilda Cycling Club is one of Australia's most dynamic cycling clubs. A not-for-profit association, SKCC provides high quality racing and social activities that encourage and engage cyclists of all ages and abilities. We are focussed on the continuing development of women's cycling in the club. The Club prides itself on its sense of community, professionalism and its welcoming, friendly atmosphere and is keen to remain one of Australia's premier cycling clubs.’

bunchrides.com/teams/SKCC and skcc.com.au