# Odor Eating Socks
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [July 31, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168 "2003-07-31T17:06:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@maykay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maykay)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/1 "2003-07-31T17:06:59Z")
I am absolutely convinced there is nothing in this world that will prevent stinky feet. My husband has bad feet and we have tried everything from socks to powders to shoe inserts. There isn’t anything that will prevent the nasty odor of foot rank, it may cover it up a little but then it just smells worse. ☹
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### Author:  [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/2 "2003-07-31T19:52:05Z")
[Link to column](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_244.html)
Here are some more [suggestions](http://inlineskating.about.com/library/weekly/aa-foot-odor.htm) for dealing with foot odor, if you haven’t completely given up hope.
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### Author:  [@maykay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maykay)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/3 "2003-07-31T20:00:38Z")
Thank you for the suggestions but we have tried most of those too and like before they hid some odor but not for long. It seemed like only hours before they started to smell again. And he doesn’t even have to do any thing. He can just be sitting around the house all day and his feet start to smell… I know it sounds disgusting… hello… I have to live with it. I guess you learn how to. I just wish we could find a way to get rid of it, I think the only thing we haven’t tried is soaking them in lemon juice, real lemon juice, not the stuff in the bottle. I will have to try that and get back to the board. Thanks again.
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### Author:  [@blahedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blahedo)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/4 "2003-07-31T20:41:15Z")
As someone who has bought socks in packages all my life, I was surprised to find how dry my feet remain when I wear wool socks. The problem that the synthetic odour-eating socks is solving is caused in the first place by the predominance of synthetic socks! While it probably doesn’t solve the problem for extreme cases, generally, wearing wool socks will keep your feet drier and hence reduce or eliminate foot odour.
Also an excellent reason to pick up a knitting habit. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/5 "2003-07-31T23:02:48Z")
Was that column a paid advertisement or what?
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### Author:  [@li\_l\_Dickie\_Dirtz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/li_l_Dickie_Dirtz)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/6 "2003-08-01T12:34:13Z")
> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by maykay_
> **I just wish we could find a way to get rid of it, I think the only thing we haven’t tried is soaking them in lemon juice. . .**
Have you tried [Botox](http://www.botox.com/site/)?
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### Author:  [@maykay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maykay)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/7 "2003-08-01T12:44:06Z")
which one are you talking about, Because I don’t know if the one about wool socks is but the one below you sure is… hahahaha!!! And it is actually free advertising… if you click on the link any way…:wally hahaha
> [@](#):
>
> The only thing worse than a bigamist is a feminist. \*\*\* Dennis Leary
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### Author:  [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/8 "2003-08-01T21:19:48Z")
I had some mint scented oder eaters once.
They gave me tic-tac-toe.
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### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2003, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/9 "2003-08-04T02:39:40Z")
I have a related question/comment. I recently read about “silver clothing” Apparently, silver thread is incooperated into the fabric. The silver is somehow antibacterial. It didn’t say how this was accomplished. There is a whole line of sport clothing. The writer claimed to have used the clothing for several workouts, and swore they were odor free. What do the Dopers know?
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### Author:  [@maykay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maykay)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/10 "2003-08-04T12:51:10Z")
I don’t think there would be any difference unless we are talking like real silver like jewelry.
I think that any one will try any thing to make a buck and that appears to be what they are doing here. Like I said when I first started this post… we have tried everything and I guarantee you that if you don’t soak your foot in liquid silver you aren’t gonna get a result. Thread is thread no matter what color it is.
> [@](#):
>
> A rose by any other name is still a rose
Thanks for the post.
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### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/11 "2003-08-04T13:29:12Z")
Maykay,
It was, silver as in jewelry I recall an allusion to using stainless steel to remove onion odor from one’s hands. 😕
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### Author:  [@maykay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maykay)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/12 "2003-08-04T13:36:33Z")
Maybe, I just have never heard it before, but then again i am not an expert in the field of odors.
😛
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### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/13 "2003-08-04T15:03:06Z")
Nor am I. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/14 "2003-08-04T18:26:41Z")
Apparently, [stainless steel](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990618b.html) does work on garlic smells, though Cecil isn’t too sure why. With silver, I can at least come up with a possible explanation: Silver is a catalyst for many chemical reactions, so it might catalyze the breakdown of the stink-compounds into non-stinky compounds. More likely, though, it just doesn’t work, and someone’s out to make a quick buck.
**maykay** , has your husband tried going completely sockless? This might not be an option with some shoes, but if he’s just around the house, go barefoot. Feet won’t sweat as much, then, and what sweat they do produce won’t accumulate.
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### Author:  [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/15 "2003-08-08T05:09:05Z")
Silver is antibacterial in that it dissolves in water (very minutely) and the ions serve like chlorine or iodine. The Russians used silver in their water supply for MIR, rather than the iodine favored by the U.S. I do not know if this means that wearing silver on your feet will have some of the silver dissolve into your sweat and work the same way.
Regarding the claim that the cause of stinky feet is synthetic socks, I have to disagree. I wear cotton socks mostly, and have worn wool socks with boots. They get damp. Camping stores sell synthetic socks to wear under your wool socks specifically because of this.
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odor-eating-socks/192168/16 "2003-08-10T23:36:01Z")
In the USA, a weak solution of silver nitrate is sometimes used in the eyes of newborns as a disinfectant to counteract chlamydia or gonorrhea that might be picked up from the mother. Here’s a [study](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8233733) which compared various treatments.
> [@](#):
>
> CONCLUSION. Silver nitrate eye prophylaxis caused no sustained deleterious effects and even provided some benefit to infants born to women without Neisseria gonorrhoeae. However, the effect was modest and against microorganisms of low virulence. The results suggest that parental choice of a prophylaxis agent including no prophylaxis is reasonable for women receiving prenatal care and who are screened for sexually transmitted diseases during pregnancy.