Boot & Shoe Dryer

Boots or shoes get wet from the perspiration that comes out of the 500,000 pores or sweat glands located in our feet. All of this moisture is a problem and for years shoe companies and sock manufacturers have tried to minimize it, but have not been very successful. Actually with the addition of materials designated as waterproof and breathable the problem has gotten worse. At least before products such as Gore-Tex the moisture coming out of the pores of the feet had some chance to vacate the footwear, but since that has been nullified or better said has been stopped with the advent of these films. Why (?) because these films do not allow the moisture out of the footwear! Prior to the use of films inserted in footwear the moisture would be absorbed by the leather and did eventually evaporate out of the footwear. That being the case a series of problems does arise which impacts foot health. Wet feet become soft and vulnerable to blisters, athletes foot, plantar warts, nail fungus, itching, redness, burning sensations, rashes and all of these conditions can lead to infections. And of course there is the possibility of trench foot. Trench foot is a medical condition caused by prolonged exposure of the feet to damp, unsanitary and cold conditions. However, it can occur in temperatures as high as 60 degrees F. Its name comes from WW1, WW2, and Vietnam when soldiers were in trenches.

I now have a product that you can place in your boots that will absorb the moisture in the boot over a period of 6 to 8 hours.

When I was a youngster my mother would stuff newspaper in my wet winter boots to dry them out overnight. When I was in basic training the first forced march I went on it was raining quite hard and we slogged through mud and some streams from about 6 PM till about 3AM before we got back to the barracks. I stuffed my boots with newspaper and the next night they were dry and I was able to clean and polish them much to the surprise of the other guys in the company. Keep in mind that newspaper is made from wood originally and it will absorb moisture. When you buy footwear most always each shoe is stuffed with paper, maybe this is the reason to absorb any moisture.

The new product that I am making I am calling “SHOE DRYER” as a generic term because it is not isolated to only using in boots, while that is its main purpose.

The components for this product are two; brushed nylon tricot and viscose rayon fiber batting. The exterior is the nylon tricot because it is a porous knitted material which will allow the moisture to get in to the viscose rayon. The nylon fiber has a small absorbency capacity while the viscose rayon has a very high absorbency capacity. Viscose rayon is made from tree bark which is porous and that porosity is not diminished by the processing from bark to fiber.

How does this product work, you get two pads, one for each boot. Roll them up like a tube and insert into the boot up to the toe. The material will expand to touch almost all of the lining of the boot. To further make the material touch the lining, cinch the laces tight. The more of the Shoe Dryer material that touches the lining of the boot, the more efficient the absorption will of moisture that will occur. If you are wearing the boots all day and then go home place the SHOE DRYER material in each boot. In the morning when you remove the SHOE DRYER you should hang it (see hanging loops) and they will air dry in your home. If you are out in the field for a week or so and if the temperature is mild just hang them in your tent. If the temperature is cold, below freezing you can wear them in a vest against your body and your body heat will dry them at best but more importantly will keep the moisture in them from freezing. Also, in cold conditions after placing the pads in the boots place the boots in your Wiggy sleeping bag, which will also aid in drying them. They will perform this task of absorbing the moisture for about a month. When you get home all you have to do is place the SHOE DRYER in any dryer for one cycle set at normal heat and that will dry them completely. If they have gotten dirty wash them with any other laundry without damage.

The life expectancy of this product will last for several years at least. If the nylon exterior is not damaged then the fiber will not get damaged. There is no shelf life that I know of at this time.

COST SHOWN FOR SHOE DRYER IS PER SET OF TWO.

COST FOR VEST IS PER EACH.