Today I went for a run. One foot was dry while the other foot was wet. That’s because one trainer was dry while the other one was wet. And all this came about because I was testing a new product called Tioram quickdries.
The testing began after I went for a run in very wet conditions yesterday and when I came home I pushed one of the Tioram dryers into one trainer. I left the other trainer to fend for itself.
The next morning, the trainer with the dryer inside was nice and dry while the other one was still pretty wet.
I didn’t use any artificial heat and I left both trainers well away from the fire.
I was very impressed with the Tioram quickdries.
I confess that when I received the Tioram quickdries through the post I thought they looked kind of basic and non-innovative. I thought to myself: “Yeh, yeh, a colourful and attractive looking product but how will these dry out my shoes? There is nothing heated and they simply look like a pair of long, thin beanbags.”
Except, I had no idea about the technology hidden in the long, thin bags. Inside each fabric bag is silica gel. It seems that silica gel is clever stuff because it is very good at absorbing water. (Silica gel is a dessicant.) The gel is also non-toxic and can be regenerated easily.
According to Tioram, the gel will absorb up to 40% of its own weight in water.
In addition, rather than drying your shoes next to a hot radiator or fire or by using an electrically heated insert (I have tried these before and they dry out the trainer too quickly) the silica gel bags dry footwear gently but very effectively.
The gel is also good for preventing the growth of the bacteria and the subsequent yukky trainer whiff because by drying out the footwear the trainers are far less likely to grow bacteria in the first place.
Having tested one trainer with the gel bag and the other without I can conclude that it works very well indeed.
Using the Tioram quickdries
It’s simple. You push the bags of silica gel beads into your shoes or boots. This needs a bit of push and shove to ensure the bags reach deep into the footwear.
Then you leave the footwear somewhere, anywhere, overnight. You can even leave them in a damp place, such as the garage, and they will work well.
The gel in the bags sucks out the wet from your footwear to leave you with nicely dry trainers or boots the next morning.
When not in use, Tioram quickdries should be stored in a sealed polybag.
After successive uses, you simply regenerate the silica gel in a microwave oven. A few two-minute bursts at 750W – cooling them in between – brings the Tioram quickdries back to life.
The Tioram invention
Tioram quickdries are the brain child of Gairloch High School teacher Fiona Johnston. She wanted to find a way to stop all those wet and smelly sports shoes. She has subsequently won Best Commercial Idea award at a Create Business Idea Competition run by the University of the Highlands and Islands. She has now launched the products for sale on-line.
The product is made in Gairloch, Wester Ross. If you didn’t know – and I didn’t – Tioram (pronounced cherum) means dry in Gaelic.
They can be used in all kinds of footwear and, let’s face it, at the moment many people will be trying to cope with several pairs of wet sports shoes. I know we are…
A pair costs £12 to £25 depending on the size, XS to L. Choose from about 16 different colours. See Tioram quickdries.