Last Updated on September 21, 2026 by Umar Farooq
Yes, but only on low heat and only if the shoes are not tumbling. Samsung’s own instruction is to “choose a cycle with low heat and place the shoes on a drying rack” — the accessory that sits still in the drum while the air moves. Tumbling is what does the damage, not the drying.
That distinction is missing from almost every answer to this question. “Put them in a pillowcase” is the standard advice, and a pillowcase full of shoes still falls three feet onto a steel drum, several hundred times.
Two separate risks, and most articles only cover one
Shoe brands write about the shoes. Appliance sites should also mention what the shoes do to the dryer, because both problems have the same cause.
What the heat does to the shoe. Nike is direct about the mechanism: “High heat can also damage the glue used to construct your athletic shoes, which can deform your shoes or cause them to come apart.” It also names the second effect — “the heat can also cause your shoes to shrink” (the best way to dry shoes). Modern trainers are assembled with adhesive, not stitching, and adhesive has a temperature it stops liking.
What the tumbling does to the shoe. Nike’s phrasing is that shoes “get beat up as they tumble around the dryer.” Soles separate at the toe, heel counters collapse, and eyelets tear.
What the tumbling does to the dryer. This is the part nobody writes about. A shoe is the densest thing that will ever go in that drum, and it lands on the same spot repeatedly. Over time that means scuffed and dented drum panels, stress on the drum supports, and a noise that gets blamed on bearings. If your dryer has started rumbling and you have been drying trainers in it, that is worth a thought — see dryer making loud noise.
The rack is the answer
A drying rack is a wire shelf that clips inside the drum and stays put while the drum turns around it — or on some models the drum does not turn at all in rack mode. Warm air circulates, nothing falls, nothing bangs.
Check your dryer’s manual or the manufacturer’s parts page before buying one — racks are model-specific, and a rack that does not seat properly is worse than none.
If you have no rack
Then the honest answer is that the dryer is your third choice, not your first. If you are going to use it anyway:
- Low heat, always. This is the one thing Nike and Samsung agree on without qualification.
- Tie the laces together and hang them over the door lip, so the shoes hang inside the drum and the closed door holds the knot. It is a workaround, not a fix, but it stops the falling.
- Bag them and add towels. Samsung’s advice for the washer applies here too: “to prevent excessive noise and vibration, you can add a few towels or other soft items” (how to wash sneakers and tennis shoes). Towels cushion the impact and absorb water.
- Short cycles, checked often. Twenty minutes, then look. Shoes hold water in places that stay wet long after the outside is dry.
- Remove the insoles and laces first. They dry faster on their own and they are what warps.
When can you put shoes in the dryer, and when never?
No heat, no exceptions, whatever the hurry:
| Shoe | Why |
|---|---|
| Leather and suede | Heat dries and cracks the material permanently |
| Anything with a gel, air or foam midsole unit | Heat deforms it and it does not come back |
| Dress shoes and anything with a shank | The construction is not designed to be flexed hot |
| Shoes with glued embellishments or lights | Adhesive and electronics both fail |
| Waterproof membrane boots | Heat can delaminate the membrane |
| Anything already coming apart | The dryer finishes the job in one cycle |
If the shoe came out of the washing machine and you are now wondering about the dryer, the washing half is covered in can you wash shoes in a washing machine.
What the shoe makers recommend instead
Both of Nike’s own methods avoid the machine entirely, and both work.
Newspaper. Stuff crumpled paper inside, wrap a towel around the outside, leave them somewhere dry and ventilated out of direct sun, and change the paper as it dampens. Nike puts this at around twelve hours.
A fan. Bend wire hangers into an S, hook the shoes onto the front of a floor or table fan, and run it. Nike gives this as a couple of hours — much faster than paper, and no heat anywhere near the glue.
The second one is genuinely the best method most people have never tried. It is faster than a radiator, safer than a dryer, and uses a fan you already own.
Not the oven, not the microwave, not a hair dryer. Nike warns against all three, and the reason is the same each time: concentrated heat on adhesive.
After drying muddy shoes by any method, give the drum a wipe — grit that came off the soles is abrasive, and it stays in there. The routine is in how to clean a dryer.
FAQ
Will the dryer ruin my shoes?
On high heat, very possibly — the adhesive is the weak point, not the fabric. On low heat with no tumbling, the risk is small.
How long do shoes take in the dryer?
Longer than you expect, and it should be done in short checked bursts rather than one long cycle. Shoes hold water in the midsole after the upper feels dry.
Can you put shoes in the dryer with towels to soften the impact?
Yes, and it helps — towels cushion the impact and pull moisture out. It reduces the damage rather than removing it.
Is a drying rack worth buying for one pair of shoes?
If you dry trainers more than occasionally, yes. It also handles wool, soft toys and anything else that should not tumble, so it earns its place beyond shoes.
Why is my dryer so loud with shoes in it?
Because a shoe is the densest object that drum will ever carry, and it is landing from the top of every rotation. That noise is impact, and it is the reason to use a rack.
Can I put shoes in the dryer on air fluff with no heat?
That removes the heat risk entirely and leaves the tumbling one. It is slow, but for a shoe you care about it is safer than low heat plus falling.
