How to stop your shoes from smelling?

Shoes gradually start smelling with usage. Be it your pair of sports shoes which are more prone to stink than formals or leather shoes, all of them, at one point or another tend to send out bad odours. In this article you’ll learn about the cause and what you can do to prevent it.

Why do shoes stink?

Our bodies sweat through tiny holes on our skin called pores. Our soles especially, contain more sweat glands per centimetre than any part of the body. But we keep them covered with shoes most of the time. Sweat on other parts of our body evaporates. But as our feet are covered by our shoes most of the time, sweat remains in our shoes and when combined with the warmth, a shoe becomes the perfect condition for very smelly bacteria to grow. These bacteria live in our feet, socks and throughout the inner part of a shoe. While these bacteria aren’t harmful, they can leave bad odours. Don’t worry. You can prevent them and here’s how:

Baking Soda

Liberally sprinkle baking soda inside each shoe and let it rest overnight. Dump out the powder in the morning. As simple as that. This is a home remedy that is proven to work. You can also add a few drops of your favourite essential oils to enhance the smell of your shoes.

Tea Bags

Place one or two unused tea bags in each shoe, depending on the severity of the smell. Drier the conditions, the better it is. Leave it as it is for 24 hours. The tea bags absorb all the moisture in the shoe and leave it smelling like tea. 

Vinegar

In a spray bottle, mix equal parts of vinegar with water. Now, spray the solution inside your shoes and let them dry. Vinegar fights bacteria and removes odours. Repeat the process every day to keep your shoes fresh for a long time.

Tea tree oil

Sprinkling a few drops of tea tree oil inside the shoe reduces and prevents bad odours. It kills any bacteria and fills the shoe with its pleasant smell. You can consider applying tea tree oil on your feet directly, but make sure to dilute it with a carrier oil such as coconut oil, olive oil or almond oil. 

Soap

Drop a bar of soap in each shoe making sure the soap is not wet. Soaps have pores or holes which absorb moisture and foul smells caused by it. This not only absorbs the smell, but produces a soapy scent throughout the shoe.  

Professional Shoe Cleaning

Just like humans, shoes also need some time off. Not just the time they are put away, they need a detox session to refresh. Professional shoe cleaning does just that. Your shoes are washed inside out carefully, without damaging the material or stitches, dried and then enhanced with pleasant smelling deodorizers. This not just keeps bad smell away but also keeps your shoes looking brand new.

Wear socks

Some shoes, especially loafers or slip-ons are mostly worn without socks. Socks considerably reduce the sweat stored in shoes by absorbing most of it themselves. So, wearing a pair of socks will help reducing bad odours.

Keep your feet clean & dry

While there are ways in which you can stop your shoes from smelling, there are preventive measures you can take to stop it from developing in the first place. Washing your feet regularly and soaking them in a hot bath often helps keeping them clean. Making sure there’s no water (especially between the toes) before wearing your socks keeps your feet dry. 

Sometimes, there are gaps in the shoe that allows dirt to enter. This dirt combined with sweat and the warmth of the shoe produces bad odours. Avoid this to keep your shoes smelling fresh for longer.