Can any one tell me if washing your trainers every couple of weeks in the washing machine will ruin them?

I just give them a good scrub under the outside tap then hang them on the radiator to dry (the missus loves me doing that).

I wouldn't advocate it. Besides, dirty, smelly trainers are a badge of honour! The worse they are, the more you've run in them!

Drying them out by putting newpaper balled up inside seems to work a treat for keeping the damp trainer smell away, as the radiator technique doesn't go down well with the wife!

Andy

Thanks for the advice, it seems that a good scrub is the way to go.

Putting them on the radiator is not good for them either, if it is too hot it will loosen the adhesive used in the shoes

I bung two or three pairs at a time in the washing machine, on a short programme, with NO heat and NO detergent - it's just easier than using a scrubbing brush! I stuff 'em with newspaper and leave 'em to dry in the fresh air. Definitely NO heat!

The insoles can be washed separately, with detergent and at whatever temperature you fancy!

Sorry, Martin, but we are talking about shoes here, aren't we? Get a grip, man! ;)

I will confess that when I bought my bright yellow cross-country spikes I 'ran them in' before their first race, not only to make sure they were comfortable but so that they didn't attract smirks and facetious comments, as out of the box they outshone the sun! After a race they certainly need a good brush under the garden tap to get the mud and grass off, and they only go in the wash at the end of each XC season.

The road shoes only get washed occasionally, as much to combat the smell as anything!