To clean climbing shoes, wipe the chalk and grit off with a damp cloth after every session, and when they need more, hand wash them gently with room-temperature or warm water and a little mild soap, rinse the soap off, and air dry them in the shade. No washing machine, no long soak, and no heat of any kind. What you're protecting is the sticky rubber and the glue that holds it on.
The maker advice on this page comes from La Sportiva's and Scarpa's care pages. SneakerSalt is not affiliated with either.
Why climbing shoes need different care
A climbing shoe is a sticky rubber sole and rand glued onto a leather or synthetic upper. La Sportiva describes its climbing shoes as "primarily made of leather". The glue is heat-activated, which is the important part: enough heat, in a hot car for instance, can reactivate it and the rubber starts to come away from the upper. Scarpa adds that "rubber softens in the heat". Its advice on cars is blunt: "Do not leave your rock shoes in the car, PERIOD."
So the dirt on climbing shoes, mostly chalk and rock dust, is the easy problem. The things that actually ruin a pair are heat and soaking, and several popular cleaning shortcuts involve one or the other.
After every session: the quick clean
La Sportiva recommends "a quick clean" after each use, to get rid of chalk and rock debris, with a damp cloth on the chalk. That's the whole routine: wipe the upper and the rubber, then let the shoes dry before they go back in the bag. La Sportiva gives the reason for drying them first: damp storage leads to "the formation of mold or unpleasant odors".
Take them out of the bag when you get home rather than the next weekend. And don't leave the bag in the car.
How to wash climbing shoes when they need more
For dirt that a damp cloth won't shift, both makers describe a gentle hand wash.
- Mix a mild wash. A little neutral soap or light detergent in water. Scarpa says room temperature; La Sportiva says warm. Neither says hot.
- Clean with a rag or a soft-bristle brush. Scarpa's words are "gently wash". Work over the upper and the rubber without scrubbing hard, and wipe the inside the same way if it smells.
- Treat leather gently. La Sportiva says leather shoes "can receive a delicate hand wash". Delicate is the operative word.
- Rinse the soap off. Wipe or rinse briefly with clean water so no soap is left in the upper. Don't leave the shoes sitting in water: La Sportiva warns that long soaking "could irreparably damage the materials and structure".
- Dry in the shade. Scarpa says "Air dry in the shade", and La Sportiva says to dry them "without using a hairdryer, other heat conductors, or direct sunlight". Paper stuffed inside helps them keep their shape and draws out moisture.
- Dry completely before storing. Then back in the bag, and the bag stays out of the car.
How often? The quick clean after every session, and the full wash only when dirt persists. There's no need to wash a pair on a schedule.
La Sportiva, Scarpa, Evolv, Tenaya
The method above comes from La Sportiva and Scarpa, so for those brands it's the maker's own. We don't have care guidance from Evolv or Tenaya to quote. The same gentle method is the cautious default for any climbing shoe, and the maker's own instructions, where they exist, are the final word. Used shoes bought secondhand get the same treatment: a full gentle wash, a long dry in the shade, then baking soda inside if they smell.
Smell and mould
Climbing shoes smell for the usual reason: sweat that never fully dries out. The fix is mostly drying.
- Dry them every time. Out of the bag after each session, somewhere airy and shaded, until they're dry all the way through.
- Baking soda for smell. Sprinkle some inside once the shoes are dry, leave it for a day or more, then shake it out. It's for odour, not for cleaning dirt off.
- Mould. If you find it, brush the spores off outdoors with a soft brush, give the shoes the gentle wash above, and dry them thoroughly. Shoes that are badly mildewed inside may be past saving.
Our insoles and odour guide has more on smell in general.
What to keep away from climbing shoes
| Thing | Why not |
|---|---|
| Washing machine | La Sportiva says no, and outdoor retailer Ellis Brigham says machine washing can damage the rubber and the adhesives. |
| Dishwasher | No shoe maker recommends it, and heat is what loosens shoe glue. |
| Long soaks | La Sportiva warns they can do irreparable damage. |
| Hot cars, radiators, hair dryers, direct sun | Heat softens the rubber and can reactivate the glue. |
| Rubbing alcohol on the rubber | It gets recommended online, but we couldn't trace it to a maker, so we won't suggest it. |
Where our foam fits (mostly, it doesn't)
We haven't tested our foam on climbing rubber, and the rand is glued right up against the upper, so it would be hard to keep foam off the rubber. We don't recommend it for climbing shoes. The makers ask for a damp cloth and a little mild soap, which is cheap, easy and already in your kitchen. If your climbing shoes lace up, the laces are the one part our foam is rated for ("Good"). Sticky rubber that has gone glassy or lost its grip isn't a cleaning problem we can speak to.
Questions people actually ask
Should I wash my climbing shoes?
Wipe them after every session and wash them gently by hand when the dirt won't come off with a damp cloth. Never in a machine.
Washer or dishwasher: which is better for climbing shoes?
For climbing shoes, neither. La Sportiva rules out the washing machine, and no shoe maker recommends the dishwasher. Both add the heat or the soaking that climbing-shoe glue doesn't tolerate.
How do you use baking soda on climbing shoes?
For smell only. Make sure the shoes are completely dry, sprinkle baking soda inside, leave it for a day or more, and tip it out. It does nothing for chalk or dirt on the outside.
Not for the rubber on your climbing shoes, but for the trainers you walk to the wall in: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam, $24, free shipping, brush and cloth included, and a 30-day refund if it doesn't clean them.
