# I need shower shoes that won't get stinky **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 23, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854 "2006-09-23T15:34:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/1 "2006-09-23T15:34:01Z")
The shower shoes I have (for wearing in the shower–dorm life you know) have a footbed covered in plasticy stuff, and they’re smelling pretty bad after a while. Should I look for shoes made of foam or rubber or something else, or is there some other technique for getting the smell to go away? Febreze doesn’t work so well on plastic, I’ve found. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/2 "2006-09-23T15:36:14Z")
There’s some stuff they sell at dive shops for getting rid of Heinous Bootie funk, but I don’t remember what it’s called. Why not just get some cheap zoris? If they get funky, toss them and spend another $2 for a new pair. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/3 "2006-09-23T15:55:22Z")
I agree, just buy the cheapest things you can find and replace them regularly. You wear them on your feet, and they get wet. There’s no way that they’re not going to stink. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/4 "2006-09-23T16:27:16Z")
Why do people wear shoes in the shower? ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/5 "2006-09-23T16:29:13Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] Why do people wear shoes in the shower? [/QUOTE] In a dorm or communal shower, the fastest way to get athlete’s foot is to walk around with no shoes in the shower. I always just bought cheap plastic flip flops and never had a problem. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/6 "2006-09-23T16:43:48Z")
I wore these [adidas sandals](http://www.shoebuy.com/pi/adida/adida63252_24027_jb.jpg) as shower shoes in college and they never got stinky. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/7 "2006-09-24T13:08:31Z")
Croc’s or Anywears are awesome. I’ve had my anywears for a good 5 years of abuse and they look new. Throwing your shower shoes into the laundry every once in a while is a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/8 "2006-09-24T19:04:49Z")
[QUOTE=Rasa] In a dorm or communal shower, the fastest way to get athlete’s foot is to walk around with no shoes in the shower. I always just bought cheap plastic flip flops and never had a problem. [/QUOTE] That’s not the only reason why you wouldn’t want your feet to touch the shower floor. Since most dorm showers have individual stalls (as opposed to one big communal shower) they may provide more privacy than a shared dormroom for guys to masturbate in. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/9 "2006-09-24T21:18:34Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867] That’s not the only reason why you wouldn’t want your feet to touch the shower floor. [/QUOTE] Well… yeah. I was just trying to be circumspect. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/10 "2006-09-24T21:25:56Z")
Crocs, definitely. Though how do you wash your feet if you’re wearing shoes? (I’ve never worn shower shoes and used hundreds of communal showers with no ill effect.) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/11 "2006-09-24T21:29:12Z")
Maybe you need new feet. ---
**Author:** ![MaceMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@MaceMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaceMan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/12 "2006-09-25T04:08:13Z")
My family went to a public swimming pool, where we were required to stow away our flip-flops before going into the shower and pool areas. All of us contracted plantar warts soon after. It was very painful to get rid of them. ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/13 "2006-09-25T20:34:38Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Crocs, definitely. Though how do you wash your feet if you’re wearing shoes? (I’ve never worn shower shoes and used hundreds of communal showers with no ill effect.) [/QUOTE] Same way as usual: shower shoes of whatever sort slip off easily, so you just raise your foot, wash, rinse, and slide back into the shoe. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/14 "2006-09-25T20:39:10Z")
[QUOTE=iwakura43] Same way as usual: shower shoes of whatever sort slip off easily, so you just raise your foot, wash, rinse, and slide back into the shoe. [/QUOTE] To the OP - when you do this, do you wash your shoe, too? Because I’ve never had a problem with stinky shoes in the dorm. Wash them either as you wash, or right afterwards, and put them somewhere to dry. Don’t stash them under your bed or someting. ---
**Author:** ![badkittypriestess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@badkittypriestess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badkittypriestess)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/15 "2007-01-22T03:53:58Z")
I agree on the crocs, they make thong crocs or Payless has the knock off Airwalk ones. When you get out of the shower and your dry, wash the crocs in the sink and dry them. I love my crocs and haven’t had a problem with them being “smelly”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/16 "2007-01-22T04:02:33Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] There’s some stuff they sell at dive shops for getting rid of Heinous Bootie funk, but I don’t remember what it’s called. [/QUOTE] Sink the Stink [http://www.sinkthestink.com/](http://www.sinkthestink.com/) is non-stink creating bacteria that out competes the stink creating bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-shower-shoes-that-wont-get-stinky/373854/17 "2007-01-22T06:02:53Z")
I just wear plain solid plastic flips in the shower. Bought them for two bucks or so at Target.