how to clean cycling shoes: Don't drop the dirty bike shoes into a bucket of water and scrub! When you remove them to dry out, the leather or vinyl may crack. Instead, make those shoe more water resistant so, if you get caught in a rain storm, your shoes will hold up much better as they dry out (don't forget to fill them with newspaper).

So how should we cleaning cycling shoes? We consulted the experts, the leather boot manufacturers for the best tips on cleaning leather and vinyl.

When very dirty, clean with a damp cloth or even better, use a magic eraser. Just dip in water, squeeze, wipe. Very dirty mtb bike shoes may require Dove, soft brush, water as shown later in the video. Submerging the shoe in water and washing as shown in a number of videos, at least to me, does not sound like a good idea and can lead to cracking of leather as it dries.

Saddle Soap: We've used Saddle Soap on our leather equine tack for years to clean, preserve and prevent cracking. So why not on the leather of cycling shoes. Dampen a sponge, squeeze out the excess water and wipe shoe to remove excess dirt. Rinse the sponge and again squeeze out excess water. Open the saddle soap and using the damp sponge or cloth, rub on some saddle soap to leather surface. Use a firm hand to get it to absorb into the leather. Finally, use a clean cloth to give it a soft shine. I prefer a microfibre cloth because it leaves no residue.

Use a soft brass brush on cycling cleats, either road shoe or mountian shoe, to remove dirt, grime and debris.

One can also use mink oil or substitute such as Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP after shoe dries. Apply with your finger and work it in. Let it sit for an hour and then wipe off the excess with a cloth. The process works for road bike shoes as well as mountain bike shoes. CAUTION: On very light colored shoes (white or yellow) the Mink Oil may slightly darken the leather. This will help soften the leather and make it hold up better in wet conditions. Note below if you get caught in the rain.

If you do get caught in the rain or ride through the mud, wipe them off with a damp cloth or magic eraser and fill the shoe with newspaper after removing the sole to get them to dry out.

Keep those shoes looking like new.

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