Putting on wet or squishy footwear can feel very uncomfortable, so you need your boots to be dry for comfort. Dry boots also protect your feet from trench or immersion foot problems. Investing in a boot dryer is one way you can ensure you constantly have dry footwear, even in the winter weather. This article focuses on everything you need to know about shoe dryers.
What Is a Shoe Dryer?
Shoe dryers are machines used for blowing warm air inside shoes. Constant air circulation dries the boots faster, making them perfect for wearing the next day. Shoe dryers also prevent the growth of mold and mildew inside your shoes, helping to eliminate odors.
The reliability of shoe dryers stems from using thermal convection to produce heat. Shoe dryers suck in the air in your room and transfer it through vents into the shoe to help the moisture out.
Most boot materials like leather are heat resistant but can catch fire when exposed to heated air for prolonged periods. The heat can also affect the shoe’s material tensile strength or make the boots shrink, so you must limit exposure. Dryers have timers that shut the machine off after consistent use to prevent damaging the shoe.
Types of Boot Dryers
You can expect various shoe dryer options to choose from in the market. These include:
Forced Air Shoe Dryers
This machine has a fan and compressor, ideal for directing air into the shoe. Passing air through the shoe’s interior helps them to dry faster for satisfactory results. Forced air dryers deal with your boot’s wetness in about one to three hours.
Pro:
- Quick and efficient boot drying due to the forced air technique.
Con:
- Forced air shoe dryers need a motor to run the fan, which can cause noise at home. Many people find the noise irritating.
Convection Air Dryers
Convection air dryers have an internal heater to warm air at room temperature before using them on the boot. Unlike forced air options, convection dryers are more relaxed since they only cause a gradual temperature rise. The average duration convection dryers take to dry your boot completely is between three to eight hours.
Pros:
- Less heat harshness on the shoe,
- These dryers are quiet and ideal for home use without irritating the household.
Con:
● Convection dryers are considerably slower for drying shoes.
PTC Dryers
Positive temperature coefficient (PTC) dryers use ceramic heating components to dry shoes. Ceramic heaters are stone-like items that fit your boot to heat the air on the inside and force it out. A common property of ceramic heating is its self-limiting features; the temperature cannot exceed a certain predetermined level.
The average duration PTC dryers take to dry a boot is four to eight hours. It, however, depends on the water saturation level or wetness of the boot.
Pros
- PTC dryers are energy efficient; the self-limiting feature prevents energy wastage.
- The temperature stabilization feature in PTC dryers ensures the device does not overheat. This also limits the risk of heat damage to the boot.
Cons
- PTC dryers take longer periods to dry your shoes.
UV Shoe Dryers
UV dryers use ultraviolet bulbs to provide mild heat that dries your shoes. The bulbs create a vortex effect – optimal circulation of warm air- which improves the drying time.
UV shoe dryers also sanitize the shoes by killing microorganisms that grow in wet boots. Leaving the unattended microorganisms causes a foul odor in your shoes, so the device helps keep them fresh.
The dryers take about three to eight hours to dry your boots completely, but it depends on their wetness level.
Pros
- Mild heating ensures the shoes dry without the risk of getting damaged.
- The use of UV technology makes this shoe dryer a much safer alternative for the household.
- UV shoe dryers are energy efficient
- Silent drying
Cons
- UV shoe dryers are comparatively slow when drying shoes.
How To Correctly Use a Shoe dryer
A common issue many first-timers experience in using a shoe dryer is its functionality; improper use might affect your results. Here are the critical steps for correctly using a shoe dryer.
Step 1: Use paper towels or cloths to absorb as much water in your boots as possible. Manually removing the water helps make the drying process much faster. You also should not use electronics and water; you risk shorting the drying equipment.
Step 2: Insert your shoe dryer and plug it in until it has completed the boot drying process.
Step 3: Your boots need care after the drying process; apply tan, shoe polish, or nourishing cream to improve how the shoes look.
Get the Best Boot Dryer
Using a shoe dryer is a wise decision to protect your shoes and feet during winter. The different shoe dryer options work differently, so you should choose an option that fits your needs. Shop for the best boot dryer to keep your shoes dry and odor-free.
