How to Clean Climbing Shoes Without Ruining Them

Climbing shoes are expensive, precisely engineered, and surprisingly easy to wreck if you clean them the wrong way. Before you reach for the washing machine, here's what actually works — and what's likely to cost you a good pair of shoes.

Can You Machine Wash Climbing Shoes?

In most cases, no — and it's worth being genuinely cautious here. Climbing shoes are built with glued (not stitched) construction, heat-sensitive rubber soles, and materials like unlined leather or synthetic microfibre that can warp, shrink, or delaminate when exposed to a washing machine's heat, agitation, and detergent. Some specific models and brands are known within the climbing community to be particularly prone to damage from machine washing, so unless your shoe's manufacturer explicitly says it's machine-washable, it's safer to assume it isn't.

The risk isn't hypothetical — a warped sole or a delaminated rand changes how the shoe performs on rock, not just how it smells.

The Safer Way: Hand Cleaning

Hand cleaning takes a bit longer but protects the shoe's shape, glue bonds, and rubber. Here's the process:

1. Remove loose dirt and debris first. Tap the shoes together or use a soft brush to knock off any dried mud, chalk, or grit before introducing any water.

2. Use lukewarm water and a mild soap. Hot water can affect the glue and rubber; a mild, unscented soap avoids leaving residue that could affect grip.

3. Focus on the inside lining. This is where sweat, dead skin, and the bulk of the odour-causing bacteria actually live — not on the outer rubber. A soft cloth or brush worked gently around the inside lining does more for the smell than scrubbing the outside ever will.

4. Don't soak the shoe. Wipe and clean rather than submerge. Prolonged water exposure is what causes glue bonds to weaken and materials to warp.

5. Air dry naturally, away from direct heat. Never dry climbing shoes on a radiator, in direct sunlight, or with a hairdryer — heat is the single biggest cause of warped soles and shrunk uppers. Stuff them loosely with paper to help hold their shape and leave them somewhere with good airflow.

What About Leather vs Synthetic Shoes?

Leather (lined or unlined) shoes are the most sensitive to water and heat. Keep water contact minimal, and if the leather is unlined, be aware it will stretch slightly over time regardless of cleaning method — that's normal wear, not damage.

Synthetic (microfibre) shoes hold their shape better and are generally a little more forgiving with a damp cloth clean, but the same rules on heat and soaking still apply — synthetic uppers can still warp under high heat.

Whichever material, the rubber sole and rand are the parts to be most protective of. Rubber that's been softened by heat or excessive moisture wears faster and loses precision.

Preventing the Need for a Deep Clean

The best clean is the one you don't need. Airing your shoes properly after every session, never sealing them straight into a rucksack or car boot, and using a natural, reusable deodoriser between sessions all reduce how often you need to actually clean the shoe itself — which is better for the shoe's longevity as well as the smell.

The Bottom Line

Machine washing is a real risk to your climbing shoes' glue, rubber, and shape — hand cleaning, focused on the inside lining, lukewarm water, and natural air drying is the safer route for almost every pair. Treat cleaning as occasional maintenance, not a routine fix, and lean on airing and a natural deodoriser to keep the smell down between proper cleans.

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A natural deodoriser sachet left in your shoes overnight tackles the odour between cleans, so you don't have to risk a deep clean as often. See Shoe Sausage's handmade sachets.