Stinky Shoe Solutions?
 

Does anyone have a suggestion for getting rid of funky shoe odors? I've tried using special powders but they don't work at all. Are there any brands of powder/spray/whatever that you'd recommend? I'd really hate to throw out these shoes just because of their smell. Thanks!

shoe odor is usually caused by bacteria... I've heard -- though never tested this -- that if you put the shoes in the freezer for a while - they will destinkify...

otherwise - copious amounts of baking soda...

Baking soda is the best method - it'll react with the chemicals making odors and neutralize them..

1) dr scholls foot spray
2) cold water wash and sun dry during warm part of the day
3) pour boiling water into the shoe, machine wash warm, then dry in drier
4) pour boiling water into the shoe, then bleech, then macine wash warm, then drier
5) go to foot locker, they're just shoes

My two boys' shoes have stunk up the house since I let them go without socks too often. So all the foot persperation etc gets into the shoe instead of being absorbed by the sock. It had been so bad that when I got home I immediately got on them to put their shoes outside. I tried all sorts of solutions, some I read about right on this forum. I tried the freezing the shoe method and then thoroughly drying it out and that seemed to work pretty good but not perfectly for me. I also sprayed the shoes with one of those enzyme solutions used to destinkify cat spray/urine/liter box and that worked pretty good too.

One of the other things I tried was using anti-perspirant spray on their feet and that seems to prevent the problem at the source, but I don't know if it has bad effects on foot health.

Now I insist that they always wear socks and that works pretty good and if odor still develops, I use all the above.

Try changing the insoles. I do that with my work boots and hiking sport shoes when the feet start to get funky coming out of them. Not sure about replacement insoles for "dress shoes". I get "dressed-up" about once or twice a month so I don't have a problem with those shoes...LOL.

HTH

One way to avoid the problem in the future is to never wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. It means more shoes but they'll all last a lot loner. I even have two pairs of tennis shoes for working out adn two pairs of spin shoes for cycling.

Shoes last longer and stay fresh if they have a day to "rest."

I'll second the Dr Scholls.

I also have a spray on anti-fungal that I use occasionally.
Talc powder can help also

I would hesitate to put shoes in my fridge - I do occasionally put them in the washing machine (obviously they'll need to dry outside, or on a heater).

During the winter - I often find that my boots get damp and stay damp (a side issue). I hate having damp feet from moist footware.... My quickie solution is to use two cheap no-name brand hair dryers, one in each boot.

1-4 minutes and they boots are toasty dry. Nice. If you do this though, use the lowest setting and take care not to melt the rubber. You have been warned : >

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! The shoes are suede so washing or anything water-related won't work, but I'll definitely try the other non-liquid ideas :-)

Put some cat litter in an old sock, and tie off the top of the sock. Put this sock/cat litter sachet into your shoes and let the natural odor absorbing properties of the cat litter do it's thing for a while. A couple of days should be more then plenty.

Always worked for me.

-bear

Sunshine kills and neutralizes it. Wrong time of year I know, but it works.