Off-Road Riding & Racing

Homemade Booties

Take Care Of Those Shoes!
Your homemade booties will keep your tootsies dry and warm, however, they won't keep your shoes dry like booties that fit over them. So, when you get home, you'll probably have soaked shoes. It's important to dry them properly. Here's how (Note: Never put wet shoes over a heat source because this can shrink and damage them.):

1. Hose off any grit and mud build-up on the outers and tread. If you're using cleated shoes, be sure to remove any mud or gunk around the cleats so you'll be able to get in and out of your clipless pedals smoothly. To knock off any embedded grit, hold a shoe in each hand and clap the soles together. It's also a good idea to lightly lube metal cleats so they won't rust.
2. Find a Sunday or other large newspaper or a few issues and s pread some newspaper on the floor to rest your shoes on.
3. If they're designed to be taken out, remove the insoles, place them inside a section of the newspaper and stand on them so the paper absorbs most of the moisture inside them. Then rest the insoles on the paper to dry.
4. Now, completely open all the closures and stuff the shoes with balled-up newspaper. Rest the stuffed shoes on the newspaper and let them dry.
5. Remove the wet newspaper stuffing and replace it with balled-up dry pieces a couple of times during the day. By morning, the shoes and insoles will be dry and ready to go.

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