How to Fight Shoe Odors?

Feet care is one of the most important aspects of personal grooming and care. While most people are focused on the exterior aspects of their outfit, the internal aspects matter equally. You can wear a good shirt, high-quality jeans, and some top-class sneakers but if you have a problem with shoe odor, the entire impression created by your perfect outfit would be ruined. Here are a few ways to fight shoe odors. 

What is a Shoe Odor?

As the name suggests, a shoe odor is an unpleasant smell that resides within the shoe a person is wearing. There can be several reasons why shoe odors occur. Firstly, when a person does not care as much for his feet as for the other body parts, the feet start to get dirty and have a lot of bacterial growth among them as well. 

As a result, when you wear a shoe, it gets sweaty and the inner part of the shoe absorbs this sweat. Once this sweat absorbs in the shoe, the shoe starts to give a bad smell which can stay there for quite long. The bad thing about this is that shoe odor usually stays for a long time and the smell can be quite displeasing to people around you.

In certain cases, shoes without socks cause excessive sweat while in other cases, shoes with socks cause extra sweat. Other than that, there can be dead skin cells at the end of your feet. The bacteria break down at this part which also leads to a foul odor coming from your feet. 

How to Fight Shoe Odor?

Leaving them Overnight

One basic way to fight shoe odor is to leave the shoe overnight as it is. Not wearing a shoe and keeping it at some open place such as your terrace, would help in eliminating the foul odor naturally. Additionally, you can peel a lime or lemon and put that peel inside the shoes. Moreover, keep them out in the open during the daytime as well. Leaving the shoes in the sun will help in killing bacteria as well as prevent their further growth as well. However, if you don’t have a good quality shoe, and you have exposed it to the sun too much, there are chances that the shoe expands and slightly deforms.  

White Vinegar Solution

One of the most recommended solutions to treat foul smells from the shoes is to use a solution of white vinegar and water. White vinegar has a strong chemical proposition that can help in removing the bacteria found in the shoes. It also helps in eliminating the foul smell of sweat. To make a solution of white vinegar and water, you should use water and vinegar in an equal ratio. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle and then spray it inside the shoes.  Keep in mind that this is a temporary solution that could keep the foul odor away from your shoe for a few hours. You need to use this spray on your shoes over the next few days to completely eliminate the smell. 

The Freezer Technique

Bacteria and various other kinds of germs cannot survive in the extreme cold. Therefore, keeping your smelly shoes in the freezer appears to be a good idea. However, don’t just do it right away. First, put the shoes inside a plastic bag and then place them in a corner of the freezer. For the night, try to remove the food items from the freezer and put them in the refrigerator. After keeping the shoes in the freezer overnight, take the shoes out and let them stay in the open for a while. Once they are naturally dry, there will be no foul odor coming from them. 

The Tea Solution

There are two solutions associated with tea that can help you in fighting the various types of shoe odors. Firstly, steep some tea bags in boiling water and let them steep. Once they are ready, take them out and let them cool down for about 5 to 10 minutes. Place these tea bags inside the shoes for one hour. The shoe might be a bit wet after you remove these tea bags so make sure you dry it with a microfiber cloth. Keep in mind that black tea is what’s most useful for killing bacteria so buy black tea bags only. 

Another important tea-based solution is the use of tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is a vital essential oil that comes with many anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties. This oil will help in eliminating the bacteria as well as provide a fresh fragrance from the shoes. Using tea tree oil is a great way to fight bad odor from shoes. 

Use Deodorizer Items

There are various types of deodorizer products that can be used to overcome the bad odor. These are verified and tested products that work not only for shoes but for many other products as well. With specific antibacterial chemical properties, these deodorizers can eliminate the bacteria while not letting it grow. Besides, they instantly disinfect the shoe causing the smell to end right away. There are many deodorizer products that have been mentioned below. 

1. FunkAway Big Jobs Spray | The Extreme Odor Eliminator

Whatever stinks can be easily treated with this amazing aero spray. Over 10,000 customers have bought this odor eliminator and have been highly satisfied with its usage. This is because this versatile odor eliminator can be used on multiple items such as clothes, shoes, gear, and other equipment. Regardless of what you use it on, this odor eliminator works like magic by making your shoe worth wearing once again.  It can be used on different types of smells and it will still work the same way as it does on a basic bad odor. All you need to do is to spray it inside the shoe and let it dry out naturally. That's all it would take you to fight shoe odor. In case the odor is really too much, you would need to do a few extra sprays. The basic bottle comes in 13.5oz packaging but you can get the same in a size of 3 and size of 6 packaging variants.   
Pros

• Works well on all bad odors
• Helpful for treating bad smell coming from shoes and other items
• Best Seller on Amazon.com

Cons

• Requires usage with care

2. Marsheepy 12 Pack Charcoal Shoe Deodorizer Bags

If you are someone highly concerned with the environment and want to get something more natural to treat the bad shoe odor, you should consider these charcoal bags which are a convenient solution to deodorizing your shoes. Although it requires a certain amount of time to remove the foul smell from the shoes, the effect is generally long-lasting. These natural bags have been made of charcoal and contain no chemical products. This makes them a perfect choice for people who have some kind of sensitive skin problem. Besides, these are a better value for money compared to the spray above. There are 12 bags included in one package. Although the color is not an important factor to consider, yet there are options of gray and beige to choose from. These charcoal bags can be used for other places as well such as the inside of your car which may get smelly over time. One thing to keep in mind is that it is recommended to give these bags some sunlight for about 3 to 4 hours so that they work even better. Best part? The company provides a satisfaction guarantee and you can refund these bags in case you aren't satisfied.
Pros

• Natural Product
• Has a long-lasting effect
• Good value for money

Cons

• Works slow
• Sunlight exposure for at least 3 hours is recommended (prior to usage)

Get Anti-Sweat Socks

Some people can try all of the solutions mentioned above and still not be able to overcome the problem of shoe odor. This could be because they naturally sweat excessively. Such people should always wear socks and not wear shoes without one. While wearing shoes without socks may seem like a fashion trend, it is still not worth having shoe odor. Besides, there are specialist anti-sweat socks as well which keep the sweat from your feet inside and not let anything come to your shoe. As a result, your shoe will no longer smell, and neither will there be any kind of bacteria absorption in them. Here is a good option that we recommend

3. Copper Infused Athletic Crew Socks for Men's and Women's

Men and women both can face the issue of shoe odors. As mentioned earlier, it is not always the bacteria that is causing it to happen. Sometimes, it is the sweat from the feet as well. This usually happens among people who are highly active in sports and other physical activities. Therefore, such people should get these socks that prevent sweat from reaching their shoes while eliminating the chance for any smell to stay there. They are made of a mixture of cotton and copper yarn with a 1 to 4 ratio between copper and cotton. They are not only relaxing but also help in maintaining muscular integrity keeping all the painful blisters away. The best part is that because of the copper yarn mixture, no sweat or smell stays within the feet or the shoes. As a result, the sock stays dry making sure that the shoe does not have any foul smell. Besides, the socks allow for proper airflow as well as minimize the chances of excessive sweating too.  You can wear them in summers as well as winters because they work well either way. Moreover, with a graceful color and style, they also add up to your fashion taste.
Pros

• 99% sweat and smell elimination
• Perfect for all seasons
• All sizes available
• Over 1500 satisfied customers

Cons

• Expensive than regular socks

Based on our analysis, we recommend that one should use copper-infused socks as a must in case they are highly active in sports. If you aren’t into a lot of physical exertion, leave these as they are most likely not going to solve the problem. The other problem is bacteria inside the shoes which also come from human feet or dirt. 

If you are very keen on chemical products and have no problem using them, the deodorizer spray is perfect because it gives an instant and quick action against the foul smell. In case you are willing to wait to gain a more long-lasting effect against the smell, the charcoal bags are very useful for you. 

Conclusion

Fighting shoe odor has become a major problem for many but if you follow the tips mentioned above, there is no chance that the shoe odor still stays and causes problems for you. Keep in mind that the products we suggested are some of the best ones and have been working for almost all the customers. Try them out in case your issue pertains to the basic tips.