Dear Home-Ec 101,
How do you get the foot-stink out of shoes? Specifically, leather shoes, since those make your feet sweat like a fat guy chasing after an ice cream truck in August?
Signed,
Ivy says:
Stinky shoes are no laughing matter, and neither are fat guys and ice cream trucks. We on the internets like to call that “serious bidness”.
There are 2 ways to control shoe odor: make the feet less stinky and make the shoes less stinky. Before you put your shoes on in the morning, make sure your feet are washed and dried. You can actually apply an antiperspirant to your feet and that may help. Soaking your feet in tea, odd as it may sound, can help, as tea has tannin in it, which is a drying agent.
Now, to make the shoe itself smell better, I have always taken old pairs of tights or pantyhose (the thinner pairs tend to leak a bit, so thicker like tights is usually better) and filled them with baking soda and left them in the shoes overnight. It also helps to wear shoes on alternating days to give them time to thoroughly dry out. You can also put dryer sheets in the shoes, but I find the baking soda works the best.
Stumble it!
9 responses so far ↓
1 Greg // Mar 10, 2007 at 1:54 am
I found using cedar shoe trees eliminate odor and leave the shoes feeling fresh. they are supposed to made the shoes last longer.
2 Carye // Mar 12, 2007 at 10:56 am
Another great method is to crumple up old newspaper and put them inside. This not only helps keep odors at bay, it also helps shoes retain their shape. I throw in a dryer sheet for a great scent, along with the crumpled newspaper, just for the heck of it.
3 Home Ec 101 » Blog Archive » Stank shoes and other travesties // Mar 22, 2007 at 6:11 pm
[...] part of this question has already been answered. Have your son try some of the tips mentioned in this post. That should cut out some of the smell, for [...]
4 Milan // Mar 24, 2007 at 6:30 am
Putting smelly trainers in a ziploc bag and then freezing them overnight seems to help.
Apparently, it kills stink-causing bacteria.
5 LifeParticles » Blog Archive » What you wish your mama taught you // Mar 24, 2007 at 9:15 pm
[...] 101 is a sweet blog about all things domestic. Let Ivy help out with those stank shoes. Ph33r Heather’s mad dishwasher repair skillz. Get some quick tips, or even ask a stupid [...]
6 Jeffrey // Mar 24, 2007 at 9:37 pm
a product called Sportzyme by a company called Norwex works pretty amazingly. I’ve used it on sneakers and leather work shoes. My buddy uses it on his softball shoes and equipment bag. The only drawback to this product might be how it’s sold. It’s a home-based business where people try to set up parties, and convince you to become a “representative” etc… I hate that kind of crap. Maybe you can just buy it online? I don’t really like their other products too much, even though my wife keeps trying it. But that Sportzyme is pretty cool.
7 Cindy // Jun 2, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Very informative post
This will come in handy with my husband’s shoes.
8 Kay Tracy // May 20, 2008 at 12:26 pm
It is also a good idea to wash your shoes a couple times each year. Plain clean water inside and out will let the salts that your feet have been sweating into the shoes all that time be gently re-dissolved and flushed form the fabric and leather.
If concerned about spotting, then use distilled water. submerge int he water and let sit a moment or two, then pour out and let dry in a cool airy place. (I usually walk around in ine till dry as they then form fit to my feet- and make them very comfortable.
Use a light conditioner for leather to keep them supple and protect the surface.
Some shoes are built with glue and that can offgas causing odors and foot pain or irritation. Not always a lot you can do for those.
k
9 Shelley Haggert // May 29, 2008 at 9:29 am
Putting baking soda was the simplest solution but the effective I’ve tried and test it and it really works.
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