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How to clean rock shoes


dryad

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OK, I suspect this thread is destined to be crapped on, but here goes anyway... My rock shoes are getting seriously funky, both in the olfactory and tactile sense. How do I clean my beloved shoes without damaging them? Soap? Some special shoe de-funking spray?

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I doubt your shoes could be as stinky as Toast's or Ade's. I'd put some baking soda in a sock and stuff it in the shoe after first air drying it for a day. Either than or store with charcoal Odor eaters insoles in them that you would, of course, take out when you wear them.

Edited by catbirdseat
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I brush mine off with a soft brush everytime I wear them to get the dirt off and help keep the dirt from drying out the sticky soles....I put some antibacterial foot powder inside after wearing them as well and let it sit overnight while they airdry, then dump it out the next morning, knock em together to get any loose dirt and particles off, and put them in a cool dark place. They don't smell too bad....yet. I've only had mine for about 3 months though...but they're the mythos you told me to buy.

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My pretty feet don't smell, can't help tongue.gif

 

I have heard that one solution is to climb in wool socks with polypro long johns under your shorts, thus ensuring appropriate wicking of the odorful sweat to the outside world.

 

And I just use a sponge to clean the soles of my shoes after each climbing day.

 

drC

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I brush mine off with a soft brush everytime I wear them to get the dirt off and help keep the dirt from drying out the sticky soles....I put some antibacterial foot powder inside after wearing them as well and let it sit overnight while they airdry, then dump it out the next morning, knock em together to get any loose dirt and particles off, and put them in a cool dark place. They don't smell too bad....yet. I've only had mine for about 3 months though...but they're the mythos you told me to buy.

 

you're kidding about brushing them off, right?? OMG that's funny.... yelrotflmao.gifyelrotflmao.gif

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you could throw them in the washing machine and they'd be good as new...

 

I thought the same thing a pair of mine are synthetic but 5.10 says washing them in the washing machine would weaken the glue bond on the shoes so they recommend a damp cloth.

 

Unless you got slime build up odor shouldn't affect your climbing...

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I agree. There's no need to wash them until you start getting weird foot infections. And putting antibacterial powder in your shoes just makes the nastiest, most resistant bacteria survive. Once those bury themselves into one of your blisters or hangnails, you're pretty much screwed and you'll just soon only need a 5.10 rubber leg stump cover. hellno3d.gif

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i think 5.10 is worried about heat...don't put them in the dryer and don't put them in a hot wash cycle...woolite is so gentle that it won't screw up the cement...

 

Best place for drying them, i've found, is the vent under the refridgerator...it is warm air and the driest in the house...the shoes will be dry by the next morning inside and out....

 

all of this has worked great for me for more than 10 years...on synthetic shoes of course...

 

I also try to do john ramuta a favor and wash my stinkers before a resole...

Edited by RuMR
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Scrub 'em out (inside) with mild soap, warm water, and a scrub brush. Then put them somewhere they can air dry.

 

If you've got shoe-funk problems, try to always give your shoes an edge in terms of drying out after climbing. That is, after climbing don't immediately shove them inside a plastic bag or deep into your backpack. Let them air out. Clip them to the outside of your backpack, even though this will make some insecure types think you are a poseur.

 

Also try to store them in a place that facilitates the drying (baking hot non-insulated garage is a good place). If your shoes really stink, make sure the place you store them is isolated from humans. laugh.gif

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I doubt your shoes could be as stinky as Toast's or Ade's.

 

Catbird, Any reason why you exercised your Olfactory Nerve. Sticking your nose in other peoples shoes? crazy.gif

 

If the smell doesn't bother you, who cares what other people think. Just wear them.

There are shoes that are so bad, that you don't have to stick your nose anywhere near them. The odor permeates throughout the general area. When you are tethered to the same anchor as your partner, there is absolutely no escape, except for the sweet release of death by plunging into the abyss.

 

The cause of the odor bacterial action on unsaturated fatty acids. They start out with chain lengths of of 16 carbons or more and are non-volatile and hence odorless in that form. When the bacteria, present on your skin, go to work they shorten the chains down below 6 carbons and you get the smell of valeric acid and others, which is quite foul like dog or goat. Also oxidation of unsaturated groups results in cleavage and aldehyde formation. Aldehydes have a rancid odor.

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Preventative measures work best. The problem for me is more that the dirt and funk in the shoe makes it slippery on the inside once your foot sweats a little. There's nothing quite like edging onto a tiny chip and having your foot move/slide around inside the shoe.

 

If you are cragging, just carry an old washcloth and some rubbing alcohol, and clean the feet really well before you put the shoes on. It works great because you are getting rid of the skin oils, dirt, and some bacteria that would otherwise get into the shoe. And having a dry/oil free foot a clean shoe really makes a difference in how the shoe feels on precise edging stuff.

 

And while you have the alcohol, clean the hands too. Get rid of that sunscreen residue, skin oils, etc. Other than making the holds feel less slippery, cleaning them with alcohol also makes tape stick better.

 

If you are doing to long approach/alpine rock thing, carry some pre-packaged med alcohol preps in the little foil packs.

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