How to Get Dog Poop Off Shoes (and Out of the Tread)

Stepping in dog poop is one of those small disasters everyone meets sooner or later, on a walk, in the park or in your own back yard. The worst part is usually not the shoe itself but the trail it leaves once you walk inside. This guide covers getting it off the sole and out of the tread, cleaning different shoe materials, keeping it off your floors, and a simple yard routine so it happens less often.

Dog poop is not just messy. The CDC says plainly: “Dog poop can carry germs that make people and animals sick.” So treat this as a hygiene job, not only a cleaning one, and wash your hands well at the end.

First: stop before you go inside

Take the shoe off outdoors or on a hard floor near the door, and set it sole up on a plastic bag or an old newspaper.
If it has already been tracked in, see how to clean dog poop out of carpet and deal with the floor first. The CDC advises cleaning up any dog poop in the house straight away and disinfecting the area well.
Put on disposable gloves. The CDC recommends gloves for this kind of cleanup, and washing your hands thoroughly afterwards.

Step by step: the sole and tread

Let fresh poop firm up a little if it is very soft. Smearing it around makes it harder. Dried poop comes off in chunks more easily.
Scrape off the bulk with a stick, an old plastic card or a paint stirrer, working from heel to toe into a bag or straight into the bin. Keep the tool for this job only, or throw it away.
Dig out the tread. An old toothbrush, a wooden skewer or a stiff brush reaches into the grooves. Hiking boots and running shoes with deep lugs take the longest.
Rinse the sole with a garden hose or under an outdoor tap if you have one. Point the water at the sole only, so you do not soak the upper or the inside of the shoe. Avoid doing this in a kitchen sink.
Scrub with soapy water. Warm water and a little dish soap or laundry detergent on a brush lifts what is left. Rinse again.
Disinfect the sole if you like, with a household disinfectant that is labelled for the surface, following the label for contact time. Let it dry before wearing the shoes inside.
Wash the brush and tools, or bag and bin them, then take off the gloves and wash your hands with soap and running water.

By shoe material

Rubber boots, sandals and plastic clogs

The easiest case. Scrape, hose off, scrub with soapy water and rinse. These can usually take a disinfectant wipe or spray afterwards.

Canvas and mesh sneakers

Clean the sole as above first, so the washer does not take the mess. Many canvas and some mesh sneakers can then go in the washing machine, but check the maker’s care instructions. If they allow it, remove the laces and insoles, put the shoes in a laundry bag, use a cold or warm gentle cycle and let them air dry. Wash poop splashed laces separately.

Leather shoes and boots

Do not soak leather. Scrape and brush the sole, wipe the upper with a damp cloth and a little mild soap, wipe again with clean water, and let them dry naturally away from a heater. Condition the leather once dry if it looks parched.

Suede and nubuck

Keep water off the upper. Let any marks dry, then brush them away with a suede brush. Clean the sole carefully with a barely damp brush. For a stubborn mark on the suede, use a cleaner made for suede.

Smell that lingers

Check the tread again in good light. A leftover smear deep in a groove is the usual cause.
Check the side of the sole, the welt seam and the heel edge.
Let the shoes air outside for a day.
If the poop got onto fabric, an enzyme cleaner made for pet waste helps break down the odor. Spot test it first.

Keep it off your floors

Keep a stiff outdoor mat or boot scraper at the door and a tray for outdoor shoes inside.
Make “shoes off at the door” the house habit, especially if you have a crawling baby or a pet that sniffs at shoes.
A pair of yard shoes or clogs that stay by the back door saves your everyday shoes.

For mud rather than poop, see how to clean muddy paw prints off floors and furniture. For dog pee on trainers and shoes, see how to get dog pee out of clothes, bedding and shoes.

A yard routine that helps

The CDC advises: “Dog poop should be picked up, even in your own yard, and especially in areas where children may play.”

Pick up daily, or after each time your dog goes, with a bag or a scooper.
Bag it and put it in the trash, unless your local council or city has other rules for pet waste.
Rinse and disinfect the scooper now and then, and store it outside.
Wash your hands with soap and running water afterwards, “even if you use a bag”, as the CDC puts it.
If your dog uses a run or a kennel, clean it regularly too. See how to clean an outdoor dog house or kennel run.

Picking up daily matters even more if your dog has worms, because the eggs in poop can reach people. See how to clean up after a dog or cat with worms.

Keep cleanup supplies ready

If the shoe got as far as a rug or the carpet, our Pet Cleanup Kit is made for pet stains and odors on carpets and fabrics. Keep a pack of disposable gloves and a few bags with it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest way to get dog poop off a shoe?

Scrape off as much as you can with a stick or an old card, then hose the sole and scrub the tread with an old toothbrush and soapy water. Rinse and let it dry.

Can I put shoes with dog poop in the washing machine?

Clean the sole by hand first. After that, canvas and some mesh sneakers can go in the machine if the maker’s care instructions allow it. Leather and suede should not.

Is it safe to clean dog poop off shoes in the kitchen sink?

Better not. Dog poop can carry germs, so clean shoes outside, in a utility sink or a bucket, and disinfect anything it touched.

How do I get the smell out of my shoe?

The smell almost always means some is still in the tread or along the sole edge. Clean those again, air the shoes outdoors, and use an enzyme cleaner on any fabric it reached.

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Dogs and your health (US government work, public domain)

This guide is general cleaning information. If you feel unwell after contact with dog poop, or your dog’s poop changes, talk to your doctor or your veterinarian.