Blog/Shoe Care
How to Dry Golf Shoes Without Ruining Them
The way you dry golf shoes matters as much as how you clean them. Here's how to do it without cracking leather or warping the fit.
You cleaned your golf shoes the right way after a wet round. Then you set them on a heater vent overnight to dry, and by morning the leather has stiffened and the toe has started to curl. The drying step undoes more shoes than the cleaning ever will.
Why heat is the enemy
Direct heat pulls moisture out too fast and unevenly. Leather dries tight and brittle, adhesives that hold the sole soften, and mesh and knit uppers can shrink out of shape. A hot car trunk, a radiator, a hair dryer, or a sunny windowsill all do the same damage in different amounts.
The right way to dry them
- Knock off loose dirt and wipe away surface grime first, so it does not dry into the material
- Pull out the insoles and loosen the laces so air can move through the shoe
- Stuff each shoe with dry newspaper or paper towel to pull moisture from the inside out
- Let them dry at room temperature, away from any heat source
- Swap the damp paper for fresh paper after an hour or two if they were soaked
Give them time
A properly soaked pair can take a full day to dry from the inside. If you play often, a second pair in rotation means you never have to rush the process or reach for a heat shortcut. Rushing is exactly what shortens a shoe's life.
Clean first, then dry
Drying works best on a shoe that is already clean. Dried-in mud and grass are far harder to remove later, and trapped dirt holds moisture against the material. A quick clean before you dry keeps the whole routine short and protects the shoe on both ends.