How to Clean and Maintain Beach Footwear | Beyond the Rinse

Rinsing beach footwear after every use with fresh water and air drying it away from direct heat is the foundation of care; deep cleaning with mild soap, baking soda, or vinegar handles the salt, sand, and odors that ruin both water shoes and sandals.

The fix isn’t complicated. You don’t need specialty products or a machine. What you need is a routine that matches the material you’re working with — and the discipline to skip heat drying, bleach, and fabric softener. Below is the exact process used by brands like KANE Footwear and OluKai, adapted for the two main types of beach footwear.

Why Fresh Water Rinses Are Non-Negotiable

Salt crystals left inside the fabric or between the sole and footbed act like tiny razors, cutting fibers and breaking down adhesives over time. Sand acts as an abrasive that wears down stitching and creates rough spots against your skin. A quick freshwater rinse while the shoes are still wet — before either has dried onto the material — prevents most long-term damage.

Shake the shoes to dislodge loose sand after rinsing. Tap the soles together or use a soft brush on any caked-on grime before moving to the soak phase.

The Core Cleaning Routine for Water Shoes and Sandals

Most beach footwear — whether mesh water shoes or EVA sandals — follows the same five-step process. The specifics change for leather or knit materials, but the sequence stays consistent.

Step 1: Remove Inserts and Laces

Insoles, laces, and removable fasteners trap moisture and bacteria against the shoe. Take them out before any cleaning. If an insole is glued in, skip this step and focus the scrub on the footbed surface.

Step 2: Soak in Warm Soapy Water

Fill a bucket or sink with warm water and a small amount of mild dishwashing liquid. Submerge the shoes for 15–20 minutes. This loosens embedded sand, kills surface bacteria, and softens any dried salt crust. Hot water, bleach, and fabric softener are all banned here — each one degrades the synthetic materials or glue layers that hold water shoes together.

Step 3: Scrub Gently

Use a soft-bristle brush — an old toothbrush works well for seams — and scrub the inside and outside of the shoe. Focus on the soles, the stitch lines, and the tongue area where grit collects. Don’t press hard enough to stretch the mesh or separate the sole bond.

Step 4: Rinse Until Clear

Run fresh water through the shoes until no bubbles emerge. Residual soap stiffens the fabric and traps a musty smell that’s hard to remove later. Squeeze the shoes gently to work the water out — don’t wring or twist them.

Step 5: Air Dry the Right Way

Stuff the shoes with a dry towel to pull moisture from the inside and help them hold their shape. Set them in a well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight, which fades colors and weakens materials. A fan speeds drying; a hair dryer or radiator does not — heat warps soles and shrinks fabrics. Pat the outside with a towel before leaving them to dry, especially after a beach day when the shoes are saturated.

Handling Odors That Won’t Quit

When the rinse-and-dry routine isn’t enough, two household ingredients fix most smells.

Baking soda: Sprinkle a generous layer inside the shoe and let it sit overnight. Shake it out the next morning. This absorbs moisture and neutralizes odor-causing bacteria.

Vinegar soak: Mix equal parts white vinegar and cool water. Soak the shoes for 30 minutes, then rinse and air dry. The vinegar kills the bacteria that produce smell. The scent evaporates as the shoes dry, leaving no trace.

For leather or synthetic straps, Tread Labs and OluKai recommend swabbing tea tree oil along the footbed and letting it sit overnight. Its antibacterial properties handle odor without soaking the material.

Material-Specific Care: Know What You’re Working With

The material your beach footwear is made from determines everything — whether it can be machine washed, whether soaking is safe, and what cleaning products you can use. If you’re unsure which material your pair uses, check the tag inside or the product page. For an in-depth comparison of the top beach footwear options and which materials work best for different water activities, check out our complete beach footwear guide and product picks.

Machine Washing: When It Works and When It Doesn’t

KANE Footwear confirms that some water shoe models can go through the washing machine, but only on a gentle cycle with cold water and a mesh laundry bag. Add a few towels to balance the load and cushion the shoes. Hot water, bleach, and fabric softener are the three things that will destroy the shoe’s structure in one wash.

Leather and suede shoes never belong in a machine. Knit sandals from Tread Labs are machine-washable, but the company specifies that leather-strapped models require hand cleaning with a leather cleaner and conditioner. When in doubt, hand washing is safer for every material.

Stain-Specific Treatments

Salt stains show up as white rings or chalky patches on sandal straps and shoe uppers. OluKai’s care guide recommends a cloth dampened with equal parts water and white vinegar to wipe the stain away. For general dirt that doesn’t lift with a soap soak, repeat the scrub step while the shoes are still wet — dried-on grime that survived the soak needs gentle abrasion, not stronger chemicals.

Common Mistakes That Shorten the Life of Beach Footwear

• Leaving shoes wet inside a bag or car trunk for hours after the beach — this is the fastest path to permanent smell.
• Drying on a radiator, near a campfire, or with a hair dryer — heat separates soles and shrinks synthetic fabrics.
• Using fabric softener in any wash — it coats the fibers and reduces breathability.
• Applying leather conditioner to Salt-Water Sandals — the brand specifically warns that conditioners and protectors erode the factory sealant that makes them water-resistant.
• Ignoring sand inside the shoe between uses — sand that dries inside the footbed grinds against the stitching the next time you walk.

Cleaning Thrifted or Heavily Worn Beach Footwear

Second-hand sandals need a disinfection step beyond basic cleaning. Lysol wipes, an antifungal spray, or a steam cleaner handles surface microbes on rubber and synthetic materials. Some owners store the shoes in a freezer for several days to kill bacteria and fungi that survive mild cleaning. For thrifted leather sandals, skip any soak and stick to the vinegar wipe method for disinfection, followed by a thorough air dry.

When to Replace Instead of Deep Clean

If the sole separates from the upper at the toe or heel, if the footbed has a permanent odor that survives two baking soda treatments, or if the fabric has torn near a stress point, a deep clean won’t bring the shoe back. Beach footwear with exposed foam — where the outer layer has worn through — is also done, because the foam will absorb water and never fully dry.

Getting Sand Out of Shoes After Every Use

Rinsing removes most sand, but residual grit often hides inside the stitching or under the insole. After rinsing, shake the shoes hard over a trash can or outside. For webbed or mesh water shoes, run a gentle stream of water directly into the seams while working the fabric with your fingers. Gaiters reduce sand entry during hikes but don’t eliminate the need for a post-walk rinse.

Finish With the Right Drying Habit

The single most effective thing you can do for any beach footwear is dry it completely before the next use. Stuff with newspaper or a towel, set in front of a fan, and don’t wear them again until the inside is fully dry. Rotating between two pairs breaks the “damp again” cycle that creates smells and shortens the shoe’s life faster than any single cleaning mistake.