As someone who has moved away from so-called waterproof footwear in favour of lightweight trail shoes (with waterproof socks when appropriate) for most walking, my experiences are very different to that of many others.
Non-waterproof shoes dry quickly. If they are wet inside or after cleaning, I stuff them with microfibre cloths, which I find to be much more effective than newspaper (something that's rarely found in our house anyway!). When cleaning, I stuff cloths into the shoes to push the uppers to their non-creased state and brush them clean under hot running water (avoiding pouring water over the upper mesh areas).
The reason I clean shoes and boots is so I can wear them around the house before setting off on a walk. I don't like to put them on at the door, because I might have forgotten something and would need to take them off again if they're muddy! Making the uppers last longer is of absolutely no concern to me because every shoe or boot that I've ever retired was worn down on the outsole, not the upper - they get binned when they lose their grip.