Help for Wet, Smelly Shoes

Nothing puts a damper on a morning run like a pair of athletic shoes that are still moist from the day before. Likewise, no kid wants to hit the soccer field or tennis court in shoes that hold sweaty traces of earlier workouts. At our house, wet shoes and boots used to spend a lot of time propped in front of heating vents. Not anymore. We’ve found an easier (and much less unsightly) way to remove moisture and keep shoes smelling fresh. It’s called Stuffitts. These brightly colored, foot-shaped inserts are made out of highly absorbent eastern red cedar. Just slip them in your athletic shoes after a workout, or in your loafers after a sock-less summer day. Within an hour, 60% of the moisture will be gone. That’s eight times faster than regular air drying.

The founder of Stuffitts is Mike Huebner, who was determined to find a better way to dry his running shoes and make them last longer. He tried to find a pair of cedar inserts that he had purchased years before, but the company had stopped selling them. So Mike bought the business and leftover inventory, then gave the product a fun, fresh makeover. The result is Stuffitts. Each insert consists of a removable moisture-wicking fabric cover, with a cedar core inside. There’s also a handy carrying strap. They’re available in four unisex sizes for kids and adults. So go ahead, jump in that puddle, play baseball in the rain, or take one more run down the sledding hill. Just make sure you have your Stuffitts handy.

— Christopher