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dovecom
Sep 15, 2010
start new shoes off by using something like Stuffitts shoe savers all the time, to eliminate the moisture that leads to odor. With old shoes, wash the insoles by hand if possible and air dry. hand wash shoes (not too often) or spray inside with Lysol. keep stuffitts in them to keep odors from coming back. They really work. -
jennyterz
Feb 21, 2010
I now use a shoe tree with UV light to kill the bacteria. This method seems not to be very well known but it works like a champ. UV kills 100% of the bacteria and reduces the odor greatly. The shoe tree is sold on Amazon as Sterishoe.
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katiegrey
Mar 04, 2008
Is there something I can do for open toe dress shoes or pumps? I really don't want to get rid of my FAVORITE and MOST COMFORTABLE work shoes!
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katiegrey
Mar 04, 2008
What if the shoes are open toe dress shoes or pumps? I need a remedy for shoes that cannot be thrown in the washing machine.
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MSV9326
Sep 27, 2007
After you have cleaned and deodorized your shoe, buy a shoe drier (I have the PEET Shoe Drier but there are many brands) and place your shoes on the drier IMMEDIATELY after you have finished using the shoes for the day. The drier will prevent an infestation of the microbes that cause the odor. This must be an everyday routine. If you wait until you have an odor before you use the shoe drier, its too late and you have to start over and wash and deodorize the shoes. Think of this analogy. If a clean towel is wetted and dried quickly, there will be no significant smell. If the towel is used repeatedly without washing and never fully dried, it will start smelling very soon. Once the towel starts smelling, no amount of drying will take the smell out. I had a shoe odor problem for years and the shoe drier solved the problem once and for all.
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MSV9326
Sep 27, 2007
After you have cleaned and deodorized your shoe, buy a shoe drier (I have the PEET Shoe Drier but there are many brands) and place your shoes on the drier IMMEDIATELY after you have finished using the shoes for the day. The drier will prevent an infestation of the microbes that cause the odor. This must be an everyday routine. If you wait until you have an odor before you use the shoe drier, its too late and you have to start over and wash and deodorize the shoes. Think of this analogy. If a clean towel is wetted and dried quickly, there will be no significant smell. If the towel is used repeatedly without washing and never fully dried, it will start smelling very soon. Once the towel starts smelling, no amount of drying will take the smell out.
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amandaestratton
Jul 18, 2007
I have a FAVORITE pair of hush puppy sandals. I am afraid that I am going to have to throw them out soon. I have tried baking soda & that didn't work. They are leather so I am wary about what I do to them. Please let me know if there is anything I can do!! I do not want to loose these sandals!!!
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Aug 01, 2006
Don't buy the aerosol can deodorizer. We sprinkled Shower to Shower brand deodorant powder liberally on my daughters stinky shoes. The smell was wonderful!
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Feb 25, 2006
I have sweaty feet and thus smelly shoes. My of research leads to the following remedies: 1. Wash your feet! 90% of folks do not wash their feet with soap when they bathe. This, along with thoroughly drying your feet between the toes, is a must. 2. If shoes have odors already, the following remedies seem to be the easiest and generated the highest overall success with most of my shoes. 2a: put baking soda in shoes and shake/sprinkle to cover most of the inside of the shoes. 2b: put shoes in a bag and freeze for at least 12 hours. It seems bacteria cannot survive the cold. Other options that seem to work, but have more effort, are combinations of washing the shoes in a washing machine without the laces, and if all white shoes; trying a bit of bleach. The goal is to kill the living bacteria and reducing the source. Also, I use cedar shoe trees and I also rotate my shoes often. I travel a lot, so this is not easy, so two pairs of the same dress shoes is good advise with a cedar tree on the packed pair.
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Nov 22, 2005
What is happening is your feet get moist throughout the day. Like Thomas said, wearing shoes more than one day in a row will result in a stronger odor. The sweat we produce is perfect for the diet of bacteria, and in return, they "use the bathroom." What you smell is bacteria feces. If, for whatever reason, you have a pair that just won't lose the smell, get a jar full of formaldehyde and put a wick through the lid. Place it in a shoe box with the shoes for 24 hours, and the shoes will be as good as new the following day. You can also try a 40% solution mixed with water and methanol (methyl alcohol) used for polymerization. It is used as an antiseptic, disinfectant, and preservative for biological materials. This works. If you can't find any at a chemical store, diet soda turns into formaldehyde at room tempature. Enjoy!
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Nov 22, 2005
In a well ventilated area, pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol into your shoes and swirl it around. Dump out the excess and allow it to dry. The rubbing alcohol will evaporate, and the odor and bacteria will be gone. Also, you can use the wintergreen-scented Rubbing Alcohol for a fresh scent. Caution: Rubbing Alcohol is highly flammable. Do not use it near heat or flame.
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Nov 22, 2005
Stick a laundry dryer sheet in each shoe and let it sit over night. The aroma from the sheet will shield the odor from the shoe!
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Nov 22, 2005
I heard a long time ago about a tip to remove shoe odors. Simply wash your shoes, then place them in the freezer overnight. The next day, you have fresh shoes again!!
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Nov 22, 2005
Stuff a sheet of fabric softener into each shoe every night. This works especially well with cleats and running shoes.
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Nov 22, 2005
Shoe odor forms when the leather stays moist long enough for bacteria to grow. Never wear a pair of shoes two days in a row, let them dry out thoroughly (even if they don't seem wet) before you wear them again. Place cedar shoe trees in shoes immediately after taking them off. It absorbs the moisture and salts that have built up in the lining during the day. Wear wool blend socks. Cotton is a sponge, soaking up sweat and holding it in. Wool wicks moisture off the foot and out of the shoe far better than cotton, does not absorb as much, and keeps your feet and thus shoes drier than cotton socks. Polypropylene (olefin) is even better than wool, but I haven't been able to find wool/polypropylene or polyprolyene dress socks, only sock liners meant to be worn under regular socks.
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Nov 22, 2005
Place shoes in a plastic bag. Place them in the freezer and leave overnight. The cold will kill odor-causing bacteria.
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Nov 22, 2005
What is happening is your feet get moist throughout the day. Like Thomas said, wearing shoes more than one day in a row will result in a stronger odor. The sweat we produce is perfect for the diet of bacteria, and in return, they "use the bathroom." What you smell is bacteria feces. If, for whatever reason, you have a pair that just won't lose the smell, get a jar full of formaldehyde and put a wick through the lid. Place it in a shoe box with the shoes for 24 hours, and the shoes will be as good as new the following day. You can also try a 40% solution mixed with water and methanol (methyl alcohol) used for polymerization. It is used as an antiseptic, disinfectant, and preservative for biological materials. This works. If you can't find any at a chemical store, diet soda turns into formaldehyde at room tempature. Enjoy!
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Nov 22, 2005
Place shoes in a plastic bag. Place them in the freezer and leave overnight. The cold will kill odor-causing bacteria.
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Nov 22, 2005
I simply sprinkled some plain baking soda inside my running shoes and left it in overnight to soak up the odor. The next day, the odor was almost completely gone.
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Nov 22, 2005
In a well ventilated area, pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol into your shoes and swirl it around. Dump out the excess and allow it to dry. The rubbing alcohol will evaporate, and the odor and bacteria will be gone. Also, you can use the wintergreen-scented Rubbing Alcohol for a fresh scent. Caution: Rubbing Alcohol is highly flammable. Do not use it near heat or flame.
