Out of desperation, (read: the shoes will be tossed if this doesn't work) I've thrown lots of shoes into my front loader. I've done three pairs at a time with some towels and I have yet to ruin a pair. In fact, they often come out looking brand new!

I usually air dry the shoes. They dry faster if you stuff them with newspaper, but be careful of the ink. Maybe paper bag paper would work better? The paper helps them dry in they correct shape too. Either way, they tend to dry well overnight. Good luck!

I wouldn't dry the shoes in a tumble dryer, but if you were really pressed for time, and you have a dryer with a fixed platform and can run at very low-to-no-heat that might be ok.

I find line drying with the tongue clothespinned to the line and and pulled out as far as it will go makes for a quick dry. Do the shoes first thing in the a.m. on a warm, sunny, day and the shoes should be dry by nightfall.

Take the laces out before washing and wash them inside a small lingerie bag so they can't slither into the innards of the machine. Also check to see if you have removable foam insoles in the shoes. They can usually be washed as well, but taking them out of the shoes (and, again putting into a zipper-closed, mesh, lingerie bag) will ensure they don't get lost and the shoes are as open as possible for good cleaning of the stinky insides. (Before washing check the interiors for any accumulation of sock lint, grass clippings and other scurffiness. That's where a lot of stink comes from.)

I have washed Merrill, Nike, and Saucony running shoes without leather parts. Many have sort of fake leather components which seem to do OK, but real leather would be a problem, I think. I have never, so far at least, killed off a pair of sneakers, but washing may shorten their life somewhat. But if the alternative is discarding them, so what? YMMV, of course.

I use normal powdered detergent, and warmish, but not really hot, at least by my standards, water of about 130F. More than that might melt or damage the glues used to assemble parts of the shoes. I don't use additives like vinegar or FS. I wash a single pair, or at most, two of the same style and construction together. I don't add towels, though I see no reason not to. SOme FL's have plastic doors which might be scratched by collisions with shoelace eyelets. I have never scratched my glass doors, but there's always the chance. Always check the soles and remove any stones embedded in the treads.

As the previous poster said, the shoes will likely look (embarassingly in some social groups) almost brand new when you're done.

I have no experience with the "silver care" feature. I just use water and detergent.

Regular, thorough, sun-drying with laces and insoles out will help keep shoes in a non-smelly state, but that generally requires at least two, if not three, pairs of shoes so you can alternate days of use and never wear them damp. For rapidly growing young men, that many redundant pairs would probably be prohibitively expensive.

HTH, Molly

gym/running/tennis shoes??? do this all the time... take out laces, pull tongue to the outside as well as possible, take out insole if possible (put laces and insoles i zip bag)... I toss them in with my towels typically.... the spin will make noise when it ramps up and slows down... it is not vibration...

I put mine to dry with the tonuge out on a floor heat vent in the "cold weather" (when heat is running) months, or else, leave them in the laundry on top of the dryer... may take a day or more this way, but it works...

I have done canvas and leather without a problem... and those 'water' sandals....

Does your dryer have the stationary drying rack (doesn't move) for drying shoes, sweaters, etc? If so, that should be a big help after washing them.

Some disinfectant added to the load will get rid of any funk smell and keep it away for a while. My favorite disinfectant for laundry Pine-Sol. It does a great job with shoes as well as pretty much any other laundry you use it with.