How to Reduce Shoe Odor
- 1). Sprinkle baking soda inside the shoes. Baking soda absorbs odors and also helps keep your foot dry in the shoe. Let the baking soda work in the shoes overnight. Another option is to pour two tablespoons of baking soda into some old socks, tie them closed and stuff them into the toes of your shoes overnight. Repeat nightly.
- 2). Wear cotton socks with your shoes. Cotton socks absorb moisture really well. Try not to wear nylon or dress socks too often as they do not absorb moisture well at all. If you are wearing a shoe that does not go well with socks such as women's flats, to using cotton liner socks that just cover the bottoms of your feet, the toes and ankle. Another option is to place cotton inserts into your shoes.
- 3). Remove the insole and let them air dry if possible. Better yet, throw them in the wash and then hang them to dry. If they're really bad, throw them out and replace them with new insoles.
- 4). Put antiperspirant on your feet. Just like when you use it on your underarms, antiperspirant prevents excessive sweat from coming out of your feet, reducing the amount of moisture on your feet when you are wearing shoes. Athletic stores carry specialized antiperspirant for your feet.
- 5). Alternate shoes. Let shoes rest for a day before wearing the again so that they can air out. If you need athletic sneakers, have at least one other pair available so that you can rotate between the two.
