How do you clean your running shoes?

i dont, they are just dirty, all 4 pairs or so. i do let the mud dry & then bang it off, i will occassionally wipe them down with a washcloth with rubbing alcohol on it, and i use the sneaker balls & silica packets inside to help them dry thoroughly. I like the swishing them in baby shampoo idea and stuffing with newspaper ideas though.

I wash mine in the washing machine on gentle and then put them in front of the refrigerator to dry. I wear Reebok leather cross training tennis shoes.

<my emphasis>

Is this what you really meant?

I'm sure it is - we have put wet shoes in front of the fridge to dry - down at the bottom where the warm air comes out of that vent? Works great!

I don't usually wash my running shoes, but will have to remember the newspaper trick after runs in the rain.

I was told put them in a washer and to air dry stuff with newspapers over night then pull them out and let them finish air drying. This has always worked fine for me.

Machine washing shoes destroys them... But if your running in them very much at all than you only have them for about 400-600 miles before they need to be retired

You get 400-600 miles out of your shoes???

Do you run on a cotton ball trail??!??!?

I have to retire mine at about 150-200.

From Runner's World:
When is it time to retire my running shoes?
Between 300 and 500 miles. Why the range? Because how quickly a shoe wears depends on you. If you land hard on your heels with each stride, for example, you're going to wear through shoes more quickly than more efficient runners. Go by feel. If after a normal run your legs feel as if the shoes aren't providing you adequate protection, they probably aren't. Give your legs a week to make sure it's really the shoes and you're not just tired. If the shoes still feel dead, replace them. We can tell you that the vast majority of runners replace their shoes too late. When you can see white midsole material poking through the outsole or when the sole under the heel looks crushed, the shoes are long past their prime.

I don't wash mine, but I do stuff them with newspaper after a run in the rain. The newspaper sucks the moisture right out of them. Fully dry in 12 hours.

This. Plus clean, pretty shoes are lame. I wear the dirt on my shoes like a badge of honor--I earned that dirt! Clean shoes scream NOOB and fair-weather-runner to me. I can't wait to get brand new shoes a little dirty so I don't have to feel like a poseur running along...

Machine washing shoes destroys them... But if your running in them very much at all than you only have them for about 400-600 miles before they need to be retired

You get 400-600 miles out of your shoes???

Do you run on a cotton ball trail??!??!?

I have to retire mine at about 150-200.

Is this due to visible wear or how they feel when you run?

How they wear - I'm a 'toe-runner' in that my heels don't even touch the ground, so the ball/outer edge of my front foot take the brunt of the abuse. I also run in very light shoes (Currently using Saucony Kinvara 2) and they're made out of less durable material than a heavier shoe. By about 120 miles, the soles are starting to show serious wear. At 150, they're becoming 'bald' in a few areas. When retired, the heels still look nearly new.

The Kinvara 3's seem a bit heavier than the 2's, and I want to go from 4mm drop to zero anyhow. After Bolder Boulder (or is it Boulder Bolder? - I'm never sure on that), I plan to go to an even lesser shoe, probably the New Balance Minimus (zero drop). I'll probably buy the trail version because the soles seem a bit 'tougher' - and oddly enough, the trail version is a couple ounces lighter than the road version. 4.4 oz!!