# What's the best way to keep shoes from stinking? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 30, 2005, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213 "2005-08-30T05:01:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/1 "2005-08-30T05:01:46Z")
I bought a new pair of Dr. Martens a couple of weeks ago, and I’m getting around to putting some Odor Eaters in them. (Or maybe Dr. Scholls – I can never remember which I prefer.) They work fine, cutting-smell-wise, but they also slightly change the fit of the shoe, which will take a bit of getting used to. Which started me wondering: are insole inserts the best way to keep shoes from developing a funky footy smell? What do you use? Or do you put up with smelly shoes? ---
**Author:** ![robinc308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@robinc308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinc308)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/2 "2005-08-30T05:55:52Z")
I rotate my shoes - never wear the same pair two days in a row. It works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/3 "2005-08-30T13:36:12Z")
I wear sandals 10 months out of the year, but when I do wear shoes, they’re often stinky. Can’t help it, I sweat a lot, and my feet are always hot (why I wear sandals). I went to the inserts and ever since then - not a problem at all. No stinkiness. I loves me some Dr. Scholls! ---
**Author:** ![citybadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@citybadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citybadger)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/4 "2005-08-30T13:38:45Z")
The power stuff works, but only for one or two days before it has to be refreshed. And it’s a mess. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/5 "2005-08-30T15:24:15Z")
Bounce is advertising themselves as something to put in shoes to absorb the smells. Anyone try this? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/6 "2005-08-30T15:27:45Z")
Spray some Lysol Disinfectant into them. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/7 "2005-08-30T15:29:13Z")
I also rotate my shoes and I also put cedar shoe trees in them when I’m not wearing them, both to keep the shape and also to reduce the odor. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/8 "2005-08-30T16:21:54Z")
Gold Bond’s footy-powder on my feet every morning before I slip my socks on. Keeps feet dry and scares away the foot cooties. I find my sandals stink more than ordinary shoes, maybe because they’re made from plastic and rubber? Not really sure why that matters… ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/9 "2005-08-30T17:00:17Z")
Baking soda is cheap, environmental friendly, and it works. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/10 "2005-08-30T18:47:15Z")
Wear natural-fiber socks. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/11 "2005-08-30T19:02:09Z")
Never wear them. Seriously, the best solution is “rotating them”, as suggested above. When that hasn’t been possible (Boots in winter in long-lasting snow) , air them as much as possible and use Lysol shoe spray or something similar. P.S. – you didn’t ask but I find that you shouldn’t leave your freshly-waxed winter boots where your wax-eating cat can get at them. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/12 "2005-08-30T23:48:56Z")
You can freeze the odor-causing bastages out, too. Leave the stinky shoes on the back porch while you’re rotating, or wrap in a grocery bag and pop in the freezer for a few hours, no more live cooties! ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/13 "2005-08-31T01:06:58Z")
Rotating shoes is what I hear works best. It gives the shoes time to air-dry naturally during the day when they aren’t worn. This dissipates the moisture that would otherwise support odor-causing bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/14 "2005-08-31T01:08:56Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Spray some Lysol Disinfectant into them. Terrifyingly enough, when I tried this, it didn’t even work! My foot fungus plays for keeps. ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/15 "2005-08-31T05:57:29Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > Rotating shoes is what I hear works best. Now I’m wondering if I’ve been wasting all that money I spend on deodorizing inserts – I almost never wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/16 "2005-09-01T02:45:38Z")
Rotate shoes and put them out in the sun for at least a few hours when you’re not wearing them. Open them up so that the footbed is exposed to as much light as possible. With sandals, this should be no problem. I have to wash my Tevas and leave them in the sun to dry on a regular basis or they get pretty stinky too. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-keep-shoes-from-stinking/319213/17 "2005-09-01T03:25:51Z")
At the risk of stating the obvious, let me say that you should wear clean socks every day, and don’t ever, EVER wear the shoes without socks. Dead skin cells flake off your feet (and the rest of your body) constantly, and if you go sockless, they’ll get into your shoes. Combine this with sweat from your feet as well, and the cells will rot and stink. Wear socks.