Breathability is key when it comes to tackling smelly feet (and shoes). In fact, breathability is so important that it should be a filter option on booking.com. When choosing a countryside inn, does it possess a rack to hang your well-worn and freshly trodden hiking boots upside down? No? Then scroll on immediately for the sake of your sanity and relationship, for that means one thing: storing your wet, smelly shoes within your room.
You see, no matter how dainty, how prim and proper, how hygienic you are, shoes that carry many happy memories do so wrapped in an odour that is deemed anti-social. But why?
“There is lack of breathability, of course, plus water ingress,” says Natasha Barwell-Jones of Grangers, the Peak District brand that specialises in waterproofing and cleaning your apparel and equipment. “Conditions like athlete’s foot don’t help, either, as the sweat and bacteria builds up in the shoe.”
More specifically, your feet contain over 250,000 sweat glands. Sweat in itself is odourless but when it soaks into your hiking boots or trail shoes, it provides a rather delicious diet for bacteria. As the bacteria break down the sweat and skin oils, they release sulphur compounds and other rather smelly chemicals. All of this is exacerbated by your foot-meets-shoe’s rather hot microclimate.
How can you prevent smelly feet?
Prevention is tricky but not impossible as, says Barwell-Jones, there are several odour-preventing strategies that’ll make nasal passages everywhere rather happy.
“Allowing footwear to breathe is key, along with regular cleaning and using products such as our Odour Eliminator to remove the cause of lingering odours. Ensuring your footwear is waterproof and using insoles with properties that possess good air circulation is also important. Odour-absorbing activated charcoal will help to reduce moisture, too.”
Yes, you read that correctly. Activated charcoal, which you can buy online, is made by heating charcoal at extremely high temperatures. In the process, this creates a huge network of microscopic pores, of which odour molecules are trapped instead of floating in the air. You can either slip these into your shoes via bags or buy charcoal insoles.
Insoles featuring silver, copper, cork and even baking soda are further odour-consuming options, though regularly replacing your insoles will result in greater refresh and revive.
You could also try a few more extreme ideas including sealing your shoes in a bag and popping into the freezer overnight. The cold attacks many of the odour-creating bacteria, albeit it might put you off your Findus Crispy Pancakes.
Longer-term ideas include thoroughly washing your feet with antibacterial soap every time you shower, especially between the toes. Wool or moisture-sucking synthetic socks help to draw sweat from your feet; avoid 100% cotton as it remains damp. And, returning to that air-flowing theme, it’s worth spending more on shoes that are breathable. Ultimately, dryness is vital.
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