2 weeks to race and ruined my shoes

[ARunnerwithNoShoes]

I am running a half marathon in 2 weeks, quite a feat for me but I was finally starting to feel confident after putting in some decent training.

Yesterday I left my running shoes out in the garden. Not only do I never usually take them in the garden, I happened to do this on the most stormy day I can ever remember....

It dawned on me as I got into bed last night, I went to retrieve them and they were utterly soaked through.

What do I do now? I have kind of managed to dry them through a combo of newspaper and airing cupboard, but from what I understand it may have managed the foam? (Not to mention they smell like a swamp)

What is least likely to cause niggles, potentially damaged shoes or brand new shoes? I was going to buy an identical pair but could not find them in my size so I've taken a punt on a different model, arriving Friday. Shall I wear them for my long run on Saturday?

Any advice welcome

Ah don’t panic at all. Once they’re dry they’ll be fine.

im a trail runner and have my trainers in constant rotation because this weather has meant they’re soaked often.

good luck in your race!

DO NOT WEAR NEW SHOES!!!!!

Your old pair will be absolutely fine.

Phew that is reassuring! I am glad I checked how to dry them on Google last night as I was going to chuck them in the tumble dryer which I understand is a big no-no for the glue! I was then up until 2am researching a replacement 😂. The stress of a beginner!

Haha OK, message heard loud and clear, thank you. Can I wear the new ones for short runs, or wait til after the race? I realised I'd had my current ones 18 months so was probably due an upgrade either way!

As others have said they’ll be fine. I wear my shoes out in pouring rain and they’re often soaked through. I ran through an ankle deep flood in my “good” road shoes a couple of weeks ago. My trail shoes live in a constant wet and muddy state!! I’ve given up cleaning them!

your shoes will be just fine. Good luck for your race.

They’ll be fine, my roads are almost as bad as my trail trainers at the moment, everything is so wet! I probably wouldn’t risk a new pair this close, like for like absolutely but not a new model Good luck with your half!

I put mine on top of the radiator, upside down. Dries them out no bother when the heating is on. Probably not the top recommended solution, but it works for me and doesn't seem to damage anything.

If they stink like a swamp just wash them. I always put mine in the wash and had no issues whatsoever. Dry them on top of the radiator, or I recommend investing in a dehumidifier!

Yes, feeling much more reassured about the shoes still being usable now, but the swamp smell is an issue! I might consider that as counter productive as it seems now they are finally dry!

They'll be fine, dont panic.
I put my runners through the washing machine every couple of months, dry them in a radiator, they're still fine