suggestions for cleaning inside of shoes

hey all,

so im having an issue with a pair of my climbing shoes. I have a pair of Scarpa Vapor's in the Velcro version. my problem is recently ive developed a layer of, for lack of a better term, grime on the footbed. I think it stems from a combination of sweat and walking around barefoot at my local gym between climbs ( they use ground up tire rubber instead of mats). I no longer walk around barefoot but the damage is already done. what happens is once I have the shoes on im good for the first couple climbs but then my feet warm up and due to the layer of "grime" my feet start to slide and roll around in the shoe. its to the point where if I try to edge on a small foot hold my foot rolls off the hold inside the shoe. im trying to figure out the best way to clean my shoes and see if anyone else has run into this and had success with solving this problem. I would prefer to keep the shoes as they fit very well and I just had them re-soled. also I know they are not too big because when I first got them they had a perfect fit all day.
I would appreciate any help or suggestions.
thanks

you can

- wash em in cold water, soap and hang dry

- then use an antibacterial spray

sweat, grim and dirt are common causing "looseness" in climbing shoes is a common problem

washing the shoes well and regularly, and disinfecting after wearing helps ... as do wearing thin socks if you want

;)

Also, get a brush and really scrape the gunk out when dry and then also scrub when you wash them. It's basically dead skin combined with sweat. How's that for a pleasant combination.

Wear thin liner socks. Reduce the sweat, grime and stink inside your shoe.

bearbreeder wrote:you can - wash em in cold water, soap and hang dry - then use an antibacterial spray sweat, grim and dirt are common causing "looseness" in climbing shoes is a common problem washing the shoes well and regularly, and disinfecting after wearing helps ... as do wearing thin socks if you want ;)

what kind of soap do you use?

kurt gregory wrote:what kind of soap do you use?

I've had good luck with dish soap, a bucket of warm water, and a plastic scrub brush (like those dish brushes they sell at the grocery store). Soak the shoes for a little bit to allow the dirt to loosen up. I've found it takes a pretty good amount of scrubbing to get the accumulated grime out.

I'm not sure what happens with synthetic shoes, but leather shoes shrink a bit as they dry. They're a little uncomfortable for a day or two while they break back in, but it's over quick and worth it to have clean shoes.

kurt gregory wrote: what kind of soap do you use?

hand wash i use soap flakes or dish soap

if washing in a machine i use this ... just add with a some old cheap clothes you need to wash

mec.ca/product/5028-522/no-…

;)

Rich Farnham wrote: I've had good luck with dish soap, a bucket of warm water, and a plastic scrub brush (like those dish brushes they sell at the grocery store). Soak the shoes for a little bit to allow the dirt to loosen up. I've found it takes a pretty good amount of scrubbing to get the accumulated grime out. I'm not sure what happens with synthetic shoes, but leather shoes shrink a bit as they dry. They're a little uncomfortable for a day or two while they break back in, but it's over quick and worth it to have clean shoes.

I'll second what Rich says: Dawn dishwashing soap, warm water, and a scrub brush. I used a toilet brush (bought specifically for the purpose) as it fits perfectly.

Dry the shoe thoroughly. I let them drain for a bit, stuff them with newspaper and paper towels, wrap them in more paper towels and an old bath towel, then stand on the whole thing. Then I let them dry for two days. If they aren't completely dry before wearing them, they're pretty gross.

I've only done this with unlined shoes.

Be careful washing them as they are unlined leather, not synthetic. They stretch quite a bit. I have the same shoes as my gym shoe, and they were pretty tight when I bought them, now they are a bit sloppy, on the first resole with them.

What FrankPS said ^: wear thin socks to prevent this problem.

I began climbing in the southeast where heat and high humidity are the norm. Foot grime was a major problem. If you use thin 100% cotton socks you will retain 99% of your normal sensitivity through the shoe, but you will have clean & internally grippy shoes throughout their life.

Controversial but, I use a 10% solution of bleach. Wet the inside with about a cup of solution, rub a tooth brush or whatever on the problem areas, swish for a bit and rinse in the sink with cold water. The bleach will kill any bacteria. Lightly stuff with newspaper and let dry for day.

thanks for all the help guys, the dish soap with warm water and a good brush worked wonders!!

I have a pair of defys that are about five years old . I took them to do some dws and put them in a plastic bag and threw it in the trunk of my car from June until august. Those shoes smelled so bad that I refused to take them into the gym.

I threw them in the washing machine and loaded it up with soap. Came out smelling brand new. Let them sit on my patio for a week during the summer and now they are good as new.