cure for stinky shoes

[flowmom]

This is kind of embarassing, but what can be done about stinky shoes? I have clean feet, but they sweat in the summer and I often feel that shoes get ruined by becoming stinky after only a few months, especially with closed toe styles (even though I wear leather). Often in the summer I wear flipflops because I can wash them in the washing machine after wearing them for the day -- but I don't want to wear flipflops regularly any more. Any stinky shoe rescues out there? I have an OK pair of shoes that I might toss due to stinkiness -- even if my feet are freshly washed, the warmth of my feet activates the horrible aroma in the shoe

[~Megan~]

A piece of muslin doubled with baking soda in it. Tie it up like a little baggy and put it in your shoes when not wearing them.

Also wearing cotton or wool socks can help with the sweating. My feet sweat less in wool socks than cotton even on warm days.

[MamaFern]

i second the baking soda idea..maybe add a drop of some EO too? and maybe sunning them out once it gets a bit warmer, to kill off any bacteria. smell is caused by bacteria, right? so anything that fights bacteria will help. maybe even a vinegar solution spray, then sun-out? ive never done this, but its worth a try!

[stellarae]

:

[annekevdbroek]

Little footie socks. You can usually find some that won't show (sort of like those things for trying on shoes). No socks = stinky shoes.

[Staceyy]

I stick dryer sheets in dh's shoes. I've heard crumpled newspaper will work, but I haven't tried it.

[misswerewolf]

My mom used to wash our shoes with soap and water and then she would leave them out to dry. She would also throw tennis shoes into the washer and then leave them out to dry. They looked a bit funny coming out of the washer, but after they dried and we wore our shoes again, they went right back to their regular shape.

[NicaG]

Another vote for footie socks!

You could also put Odor Eaters in your shoes, depending on the style. They're like insoles that stick in your shoes. Helps somewhat.

[nathansmum]

I used to have this problem when I wore the same pair of shoes all day every day. Now that I'm home with the kids and seem to wear bare feet more often and when i do wear shoes i circulate the different pairs of shoes around I no longer suffer from stinky feet. I think if you have current stinky shoes (even if washed) then they will always be like that. I think what helps me is that my shoes I do wear are allowed to air and completely dry off from any remaining sweat before they get worn again (ie. every day wear would create stink regardless coz there will be some dampness still). I'm thinking you might have to start again with new shoes and allow them to dry off completely between wearings. I'd also try the baking soda first and see if that fixes it though.