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No More Stinky Feet
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It tends to happen in a public place. You’re sitting in class, at a meeting, or some kind of presentation when suddenly you become acutely aware of the smell of stinky feet. You immediately look with suspicion at those around you, and ask yourself, ‘Who is it that dares bring smelly shoes and feet into this small enclosed room?’

Of course, then there’s that sweeping realization that you, yes you, are the one who brought the decomposing footwear, the odorous tootsies.

Keeping your footwear and feet smelling, perhaps not like roses, but at least quite acceptable to the world is very easy to do, and inexpensive. The key is to treat both the feet and the shoes. The most important thing to do is to keep both dry. A warm, moist environment is a breeding ground for bacteria, molds, yeasts, and viral infections, making feet more prone to developing smell, athlete’s foot, rashes, yeast infections, and warts.

To keep the feet clean, dry, and smell-free:

• Use an antibacterial soap on your feet. Lather up and leave on for a minute at least. Natural alternatives include using tea tree and peppermint essential oils on your feet after bathing.

• Dry your feet thoroughly. This includes between the toes. Use a hair dryer on your feet if foot moisture leads to bacterial trouble for you.

• Do not put on damp or wet footwear. Some foot specialists recommend you don’t even wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. Alternate, to give each pair a chance to thoroughly air and dry out from a day’s use.

• Know that if you wear cotton socks, they will absorb moisture and hold it right next to your skin. To wick moisture away from the feet, better sock-material choices include wool, polypropylene, fleece, synthetics, and so on. However, excluding the superior wool sock, all of the other choices can stink to the high heavens after a certain amount of wear-time unless you specifically buy those with an antibacterial guard (which still aren’ t as good as wool.)

• Change your socks often. Feet sweat. Sometimes the best thing to do for them is to put on a clean, dry pair of socks.

Here are some tips for people whose feet sweat excessively due to genetic traits, athletic endeavors, or environmental factors. Just remember every one of us is unique so even though one of these methods may work well for you it may not for someone else.

• Soak the feet daily in a strong tea solution. High in tannins, the tea can ‘cure’ the feet making them less susceptible to sweating.

• Try antiperspirants. The book Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatment for Athletes recommends Ban Roll-on as an over-the-counter product that works well for many people. Normal contraindications apply.

• Try using a foot powder. Gold Bond Powder is the most easily available and most recommended product on the market, aside from Dr Scholl’s.

• Nylons. What can I say but try never ever to wear nylons all day in enclosed shoes. Remove the feet from the shoes and they can be considered lethal weapons.

• Make sure your shoes fit. That means enough room to be able to wiggle the toes freely and for your feet to breathe. If in doubt get fitted by a foot professional.

• Avoid rubber, vinyl, patent leather, and other types of non-breathable shoe and boot materials.

Treating the footwear itself can be a challenge. Some shoes and boots are almost impossible to deodorize. However, it can be done.

• Always keep shoes dry. If they get wet, dry as quickly as possible by stuffing them with newspapers, putting them out in the sunlight, or placing them over the gentle heat rising from the vent of your heating system. Don’t use a clothes dryer, as even a brief tumble can melt or shrink your shoes irreparably.

• For anti-odour, there are many products on the market from baking soda balls to absorbent volcanic stone. Results are often so-so. For the absolute best treatment, try what many bowling alleys use on their often-used-shoes, Lysol disinfectant spray. Try Crisp Linen Scent for a less Lysol-y smell. To use, pull out your shoe insoles and spray the entire surface, giving a spritz inside the shoes too. Let all parts air out for a few hours before wearing.

• Remove your expensive orthotics then toss footwear into the washer. Caution! Use this method only as a last resort because the washer may partially or completely destroy your footwear. That said fill the washer with water, add bleach if you dare, and soap, toss in footwear, then let her rip. When both spin cycles begin open the washer to make sure the shoes or boots are upside down and able to drain. Dry by the methods listed above. Again, never use the dryer.

I don’t know if you can tell, but much of the information above was learned the hard way by me. Yes, I’ve learned hard and I’ve learned well, so I’ll swear the stinky feet in the next meeting won’t be mine. I hope they won’t be yours either. Wink.

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Photo Credit: Shay Blufarb

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