I stepped in a puddle that was deeper than it looked. Like, ankle-deep. My sneakers were squelching with every step and I had work in nine hours. No dryer — the rubber soles would melt or the shoes would shrink. No newspaper — who even has physical newspapers anymore?

A box fan and a towel dry shoes faster than newspaper ever did. I know this because I spent my twenties living in the Pacific Northwest where wet shoes were basically a lifestyle. Here is what actually works.

The box fan method that dries shoes in 4-6 hours

Remove the insoles. They hold the most water and take the longest to dry. Pull them out and set them aside — they’ll dry separately. Loosen the laces and open the shoe as wide as it goes.

Wad up a dry microfiber towel and stuff it into the toe of each shoe. Press the towel in firmly. This pulls out the bulk of the water in the first five minutes. Replace with a fresh dry towel after ten minutes if the first one got soaked.

Now point a box fan directly at the shoes. Angle the shoes so the opening faces the fan — you want air moving through them, not just around them. In four to six hours, they’ll be dry enough to wear. If you have a dehumidifier, run that in the same room — it pulls moisture out of the air and speeds everything up.

What I have tried that did not work

Stuffing with toilet paper — disintegrates and leaves white flecks inside your shoes. Rice — same problem, plus rice dust gets everywhere and now you have rice in your sneakers. A hair dryer — gets too hot and can melt the glue holding your shoes together. Putting them directly on a heating vent — warps the soles on some shoes.

The dryer is the worst option. Even on “no heat” or “air fluff,” the tumbling beats up your shoes and the rubber bumpers can scratch the dryer drum. Plus the noise — it sounds like someone is throwing sneakers at your dryer for an hour, which technically is what’s happening.

For the insoles: microwave a towel

Take a dry towel and microwave it for 1-2 minutes until it’s warm but not hot. Wrap each insole in the warm towel for ten minutes — the warmth speeds evaporation. Then lay the insoles flat in front of the fan with the shoes. This is way faster than just letting them air-dry on the counter.

• Remove insoles first — they hold the most water
• Dry towel stuff: Absorbs bulk water in the first 10 minutes
• Box fan pointed at opening: 4-6 hours to dry
• Never: Dryer (melts glue), hair dryer (too hot), rice (messy)