Why Feet Smell: Facts And Myths
There is a great deal of inaccurate, and even completely false, information circulating out there regarding foot odor.
It is all based on the misconception that the person with the problem is responsible because he or she does not practice proper hygiene or has some genetic disorder that is causing the smell.
The false myths contribute to undermining self-esteem and cause anxiety in any situation that requires taking off your shoes in public
Why The Horrible Smell
Ever wondered what causes smelly feet? Yes, there are more sweat glands on your body than anywhere else on your body. But contrary to the popular belief, it is not excessive perspiration that leads to that fishy smell it is just one part of the problem. Now one might argue that sweat is odorless, but the bacteria that thrives on it isnt. The spaces between your toes become the ideal place for bacteria and other fungi to breed and multiply, hence the foul odor. Other reasons include-
- Not cleaning your feet regularly
- Repeating the same shoes and socks everyday
- Hormonal imbalances
- The ever growing stress and work pressure
- Other medical conditions such as Hyperhidrosis and Athletes Foot
A Cure For Stinky Shoes
It doesnt matter who you are, weve all had a pair of tennis shoes that smelled really bad. Most people try to get the smell out of their shoes by covering it up with a deodorizing spray or powder. And while this is a quick cover for stinky shoes, this actually doesnt help solve what is causing the problem to begin with. The deodorizer might mask the smell for a short period of time, but as soon as the fragrance wears off, the stench is back in full force!
Odor-causing bacteria live and breed in moist, dark places. If we cant eliminate the fertile breeding ground for bacteria, there will be no way get rid of the smell permanently. Therefore, the first step to removing the smell from your shoes is to dry them out and keep them dry.
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Foot Odore: How To Prevent It
Leather Insoles
A pair of insoles made of vegetable tanned leather with tannins. You will find this model on the Ragioniamo con i Piedi online store.
Arke Vibram
Unisex ankle boots in extra soft suede leather. You will find this model on the Ragioniamo con i Piedi online Store.
Sottopiede Orma
A pair of insoles made of vegetable tanned leather with tannins. You will find this model on the Ragioniamo con i Piedi online store.
Arke Vibram
Unisex ankle boots in extra soft suede leather. You will find this model on the Ragioniamo con i Piedi online Store.
The smell inside the shoe can be prevented thanks to the insole and the lining made of vegetable tanned leather with tannins.
Febreze The Stink Out
This solution involves a one-two process. First, you spray the inside of the shoes with Febreze. Then you place them outside while the Febreze is drying. The combination of the air freshener and the power of the sunshine should banish the bad odors from the shoes. Leaving them out overnight is best if you have the time to do so.
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Tips For Preventing Shoe Odor
- Air out your shoes regularly by opening the laces and placing the shoes in a sunny spot. Sun is a natural disinfectant.
- Wet insoles, orthopedic inserts, or other wet parts of a shoe encourage bacteria growth . Remove any wet parts of the shoe and air-dry the shoe in a warm spot or a clothes dryer set on low heat.
- Don’t wear the same shoes every day. Alternating pairs of shoes gives the offenders time to air out and dry completely.
- Wear socks with your shoes whenever possible. Socks will absorb the sweat moisture that fosters odor in shoes.
Washing Inserts And Insoles
This step also works for non-washable shoes. Even shoes that cant go in the washing machine may have removable insoles that you can wash to get rid of shoe odors. If you have orthotic inserts, you should wash them, too. All you need to do is fill a sink with 2 cups water and 1 cup white vinegar then let your inserts soak for 5-10 minutes. Rinse them well then press the inserts between dry towels to blot excess moisture. Let your inserts fully air dry before putting them back in your shoes. Do this once a month to keep your inserts and insoles fresh.
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Lightfoot Foot And Shoe Deodorizer
This natural spray will do a tremendous job of removing odor from your shoes. A concoction of pure anti-Bacterial essential oils will help remove the most resilient foot and shoe odor without any exception.
The spray contains the power of peppermint, tea tree oil, eucalyptus, and thyme. Even a little spritz can go a long way. You can potentially use this bottle for hundreds of sprays.
While the spray is powerful, it is safe and gentle for your feet. You can directly spray it into your shoes to get that refreshing effect.
When To See A Doctor
Smelly feet are a harmless problem that generally clears up. Sometimes, however, it can be a sign of a medical condition.
See your GP if simple measures to reduce your foot odour don’t help, or if you’re worried that your level of sweating is abnormally high.
Your doctor can offer you a strong prescription antiperspirant or refer you for a treatment called iontophoresis, which delivers a mild electric current through water to your feet to combat excessive sweating.
Page last reviewed: 29 October 2018 Next review due: 29 October 2021
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Repurpose Your Dryer Sheets
Shoes are considered part of your wardrobe. With this in mind, dont limit your dryer sheets to your clothes. While you may not actually throw your shoes in the dryer with the rest of your laundry, the scented towels are great at masking unfavorable scents.
This method is also really easy. Just ball up two dryer sheets and stick them in your shoes and wait for your results. A simple smell and touch test will reveal when the sheets soak up extra moisture and leave their pleasant scent behind.
How To Treat And Prevent Smelly Feet
The good news is that smelly feet are usually easy to treat by keeping your feet clean and dry, and changing your shoes regularly.
To treat sweaty or smelly feet yourself, try to:
- wash your feet with an antibacterial soap once a day
- dry your feet well after they have been wet, especially between your toes
- try not to wear the same pair of shoes 2 days in a row so they have at least 24 hours to dry out
- change your socks at least once a day
- keep your toenails short and clean, and remove any hard skin with a foot file
If you often get sweaty feet, you might want to try:
- using a spray deodorant or antiperspirant on your feet a normal underarm deodorant or antiperspirant works just as well as a specialist foot product and will cost you less
- putting medicated insoles, which have a deodorising effect, in your shoes
- using a foot powder to absorb sweat
- trying socks for sweaty feet some sports socks are designed to keep feet dry, and you can get special antibacterial socks
- wearing leather or canvas shoes, as they let your feet breathe, unlike plastic ones
- always wearing socks with closed-toe shoes
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Smelly Running Shoes Happen Find Out Why And Follow These Steps To Rid Your Shoes Of The Stench
Did you know that sweat itself doesnt smell? The odor you find in your running shoes actually comes from bacteria: It comes out in the chemical process of bacteria on your skin breaking down acids in your sweat. Though the sweat glands in your arm pits vary from those in your feet, the process of breaking down acids is the same and can also leave behind an odor.
Along with the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet contain the greatest concentration of sweat glands with each foot containing 600 to 700 per square centimeter. In total, the human body has between 1.6 to 5 million sweat glands.
So its no wonder when all that sweat and bacteria get trapped in our running shoes and socks that our shoes would retain the smell after going unwashed day after day. On the other hand, our feet and socks get washed and disinfected regularly.
Just as with all other organisms, bacteria need fluid to thrive, and your foot sweat does that job perfectly, explains Sara Landvik, who works at Novozymes and is an expert in bacteria and other microorganisms.
Our skin is covered with bacteria, including staphylococci, micrococci, and corynebacteriumand thats quite normal. When your feet sweat, corynebacterium and micrococci break down the sweat into a fatty acid called isovaleric acid, which causes the smell in your running shoes.
How To Get Smell And Bacteria Out Of Shoes
Deodorizing shoes is not just important for the social factor of not being the person with smelly shoes, but it is also a practice in foot health. Remember, smell comes from the combination of bacteria and sweat. According to this article in the Journal of Athletic Training, athletes are more susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections on their feet. And while bacteria-rich shoes are not the only cause of infections like athletes foot, giving them some TLC is just one more way to keep feet healthy.
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Natural Remedies For Smelly Shoes With Vinegar
Vinegar is also one of the best odor eaters in shoes. It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties which are effective in killing the bacteria. So, use this homemade shoe odor remover regularly.
How to Stop Shoes from Smelling at Home?
Dry Your Smelly Shoes Out
Wet shoes are definitely a common culprit of bad smells. As if the sweat your feet naturally produces wasnt bad enough, sloshing through rain or snow will not help your shoes in the scent department.
If you realize your smelly shoes problem is caused by added moisture from the elements, start by drying them out. Finding a sunny spot or other heated area will be beneficial for drying your shoes and reducing the spread of bacteria and therefore the smell.
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Make Good Footwear Choices
Since shoe odor starts with sweaty feet, an easy way to reduce it is by choosing shoes made of natural materials and open weaves. Hemp, fabric, and canvas are all good choices since they allow air to circulate, so your feet stay drier. Plus, shoes made from natural materials are usually washable, so theyre easier to clean.
Get Bad Smell Out Of Shoes
How do you get a bad smell out of shoes?
The more we wear our favorite pair of shoes, the more we may notice that they are beginning to smell. Overuse, sweat, skin shedding, dirt, bacteria, fungus, and lack of aeration can all contribute to stinky shoes. Below are a few ways to remove the bad smell out of the shoes:
Simple methods:
- One of the best ways to remove smells from shoes is to revitalize them with a much more pleasant smell. Leave a fresh lemon or lime peel in your shoes overnight or squirt a few drops of any essential oil such as lavender into the soles of your shoes and allow the shoes to dry. Both remedies will help to eliminate odors.
- If your shoes are washable, give them a bath. You can get leather and fabric cleaner to clean up shoes that are not washer friendly, or if theyre machine safe, throw them into the washing machine or submerge and hand wash them in a detergent bath. Place your shoes in the sun or near a heater and allow them to dry out. This will help to prevent the bacterial growth that causes odor. Ensure they are completely dry before reassembling the shoes and wearing them again.
- Pop your smelly shoes in a large plastic sandwich bag and leave them in the freezer overnight. Take them out of the freezer the next day and allow them to dry naturally. The extremely cold temperature will kill the bacteria and make your shoes less stinky.
Ingredients methods:
Preventive methods:
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Sweat X Sport Extreme Odor Eliminator Spray
Tester Smell Score: 4 out of 5
- Eco-friendly formula
- Smell was hit or miss among testers
While our testers were split on whether they actually liked the smell of Sweat X, they agreed that it did a stellar job of eliminating the scent of the Limburger. That said, the smell wasnt nearly as overwhelming as some of the other sprays. Plus, Sweat X also helps remove blood, dirt, and grass stains.
Lumi Outdoors Natural Shoe Deodorizer Spray
Tester Smell Score: 3.5 out of 5
- Treats and prevents Athletes Foot
- Also helps eliminate sweat and moisture
- Left a chemical-like scent
The classic de-stinking brand makes an excellent powder for repelling nasty foot odors and keeping your toes dry on hot, swampy runs. Not to mention it helps prevent and treat most types of athletes foot when applied to your skin directly. It smells like hand sanitizer and chemicals, but it really did its job, said one tester. Theres no lingering cheese smell at all. We also liked the brands Stink StoppersKids and Teens version for its milder aroma much like a dryer sheet or fresh laundrybut it doesnt promise to kill fungal bacteria.
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Elite Shoe Deodorizer And Foot Spray
This product serves multiple purposes as a shoe deodorizer, a foot spray, and a moisturizer. It can control odors and prevent your feet from becoming smelly.
Once you start using this product, you will notice that your feet are becoming healthier. Formulated in the United States, it contains 11 helpful herbs and 7 pure essential oils. It can both moisturize and repair dry feet. As soon as you spray the product on, you will feel an icy sensation.
How To Solve One Of The Stinkiest Summertime Problems
Don’t just cover up the smell of stinky shoeseliminate the odor at its source!
Summertime is all fun and games until someones smelly shoes are stinking up the house! It happens in a predictable cycle: hot temperatures lead to sweaty feet, and sweaty feet leave behind moisture in shoes causing unpleasant odors.
But dont give up on those smelly shoes just yet, because today Im sharing the best and most effective methods for eliminating odors in shoes. If youve been wondering how to get the stink out of shoes, youve come to just the right place!
More Ideas You’ll Love
The secret to removing odor from shoes is to deal with the moisture issue. Many people simply try to tackle the odor itself by using a deodorizing spray, but that only covers up the smell. By drying out the moisture, you can cut the smell off at the source by killing the odor-causing bacteria.
There are a few different ways to do this, so Ive included a few different options for you in this post. Use whichever method you like best, or whichever method you can do using stuff you already have at home.
Heres to a stink-free summer! 🙂
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Smelly Feet Causes: A Common Problem
It is an embarrassing topic for some, and yet, foot odor is a common problem that affects men, women, children, teens and adults.
A research study conducted in 2012 by the IPFH revealed that 16% of Americans over the age of 21 have experienced smelly feet. This translates to approximately 36 million people, in the US alone.
More and more people are searching on the internet under headings like How to get rid of foot odor or Remedies for smelly feet.
The search results often suggest buying products such as foot sprays or creams that are not effective over time and are quite expensive, or propose creative do-it-yourself home remedies of questionable reliability and efficacy.
When To See A Doctor About Smelly Feet
Most of the time, smelly feet can be managed with simple self-care measures. But sometimes, it can be a sign of a medical condition. See a doctor if your feet still smell after youve tried all treatment options, or if the skin on your foot is red, hot and painful, broken or weeping.
Foot infections like athletes foot can sometimes cause foot odour. And while the fungal infection that causes athletes foot can usually be treated with creams from a pharmacy, for some people athletes foot can be harder to treat and lead to complications. See a doctor if you have athletes foot and:
- the treatments from a pharmacy arent working
- you have diabetes foot problems can be serious if you have diabetes
- you have a weakened immune system for example, youre having chemotherapy or have had an organ transplant
If you have very sweaty smelly feet, it may also be a sign of a condition called hyperhidrosis, which is when you sweat too much. See a doctor if youre worried that you sweat a lot more than other people and:
- its happening more than once a week
- youve been sweating a lot for at least 6 months
- its stopping you from doing your daily activities
- its affecting your social interactions, quality of life and self-esteem
- youre having night sweats
- you have a family history of hyperhidrosis
- youre taking medication for another condition
- you’re losing weight without meaning to
- you have a fever
- a fever or chills
- you feel confused
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