Ever get that...not so fresh feeling?

In your boots, you pervs.

I have a tendency to wear one pair of boots pretty much constantly until they finally give up. My current pair (Chinese cowboy/work boots, they were too cheap to pass up and I needed boots like NOW) have been on my feet at least 14 hours a day for over a year now, and they smell like something has crawled in them and died. Seriously, I've pulled dead hamsters out of household interior walls that smell better than these boots.

And it's getting dire: I can smell them when they're on my feet, like, 6 feet away. Bad times.

So, what do you stinky bastids use to fight the funk? I've never had this problem in the past, so I'm in the dark - where my sense of smell is heightened; rather unfortunate in this case. Odor eaters? Homebrew methods? Or am I stuck with the comic book stink lines emanating from these boots until I can't stand it anymore and toss them on the fire (outside)?

Are you wearing good quality socks? They are an important part of the war on foot odour. I only wear wool socks -- good, merino wool socks. Icebreaker, Smartwool, and others come to mind.

I'd suspect you need to let the boots "dry" out -- maybe add some cedar chips, or dry rice to absorb moisture.

I knew a guy who put deodorant on his feet to fight odor...didnt work cuz his boots stank bad enough for us to smell them when they were on his feet too

I would imagine the wool sock bit would work well. Most BO smells are a product of bacteria growing quickly due to sweat, heat, moisture, cramped quarters etc. Maybe a healthy shot of Lysol or some other anti-bacterial treatment followed with a good dose of baking baking soda (traps odors) shaken around inside there and maybe fresh insoles every so often? Also, get some DampRid and keep it in a big rubbermaid tote with your boots inside it overnight to make sure they are completely dried between uses. That stuff works. I used to do that for my BMX helmet when it would get funky after days of sweaty track fun. it also keeps my basement from smelling like a basement!

Socks! Good call.

As a matter of fact, I've been wearing some cheapo over-the-calf Hanes(?) tube(!) socks, since they're the only ones I could find on short notice that work with these pull-on boots. And I have otherwise worn good quality socks. We may have a winner here.

I've been meaning to invest in better socks, too, because these are pretty uncomfortable. I have a feeling I'll be paying out the nose, though, for reasonably thin (tight boots), over-the-calf wool socks. Sounds like a specialty item to me. Ski shop maybe?

Those shoe deodorizer balls work pretty well--even helped us through some Nikes that, as it turned out, were made with some glue that smelled exactly like cat pee after a little wear (no joke; that was a baaaaddd run of shoes).

Best thing you can do is buy TWO pairs of shoes next time you spy a deal, and rotate between them. Your shoes will not only smell better, they'll last much longer if you don't wear them every day, because the constant moisture breaks 'em down, and your feet will appreciate the break. Wearing the same shoes every day is not ideal.

Margie

alex wrote: I have a feeling I'll be paying out the nose, though, for reasonably thin (tight boots), over-the-calf wool socks. Sounds like a specialty item to me. Ski shop maybe?

Any outdoor type store will sell good quality socks -- Icebreaker has different weights for different purposes. They are spendy, but so, so worth it. I usually buy multiple quantities of the same black; it never hurts to have extras.

Marjorie Suddard wrote: Best thing you can do is buy TWO pairs of shoes next time you spy a deal, and rotate between them. Your shoes will not only smell better, they'll last much longer if you don't wear them every day, because the constant moisture breaks 'em down, and your feet will appreciate the break. Wearing the same shoes every day is not ideal. Margie

That is a great idea.

I wear the same boots everyday, but have a brand new backup pair in the closet.

FWIW, I had one pair of boots that for some reason stank to high heaven. Lots of boots before and since that have just had normal levels of stink, but that one pair was wretched. I think that the leather must have been harboring some mold or bacteria or something.

Fabreeze has a product marketed specifically for stinky shoes. It works. Not 100% but pretty durn well. It'll take a gag-a-maggot stinky boot down to a pale sour smell.

I used to try things like deodorant and lysol, but they didn't work nearly as well.

Buy some new boots you cheap and nasty bastard.

At my weight and working my schedule, I go through premium shoes/boot in about six months. Pretty much buy multiple pairs and rotate them daily.

+1 on the multiple pairs and rotate.

+1 on the good quality socks.

If your feet sweat a lot, you might invest in a boot dryer. Getting them dry will kill off the funk.

In my shop environment, I kill high quality work boots in about 4 months. They don't get a chance to stink.

I tried the two pair thing, but I didn't see any increase in lifespan of the boots- 2 pair in 8 months. They were certainly dry every day, which was nice.

I have Sorels that I wear to the stable, believe me there are some funky smells there. I put insulated liners in them, throw 'em out when they get nasty.

having had my share of Payless shoes for work, the one thing I really trust is spraying them with Lysol every nite - I guess it kills the bacteria or sumthin' like that, made a big change.

You may need to burn the existing pair to kill the stink.

The only stuff I've found that worked to prevent the shoes from stinking is the Oder-Eater's Foot Powder. Before that I had shoes that would have to be left outside at night.

Something to try: Put the boots in the freezer. That funky smell you're getting is caused by all the bacteria that came from your nasty-ass feet over the last year that you've worn the boots. Freeze the boots, freeze the bacteria. Bacteria die, and you get a clean smelling pair of boots.

I know I read this somewhere...can't quite remember the source though.

Rob_Mopar wrote: The only stuff I've found that worked to prevent the shoes from stinking is the Oder-Eater's Foot Powder. Before that I had shoes that would have to be left outside at night.

This. If it will work on my soccer cleats, it will work on anything.

Some times my feet get pretty bad, and I'm talking about make other people uncomfortable bad.

Lately I've been Fabrezing them every day or every other. And its weird, if I wear "high quality" socks, its worse. They actually hold heat in my feet and make them sweat more. Now I just wear anything that keeps my feet cool and I de orderize every day or two.

~Alex

He really just needs to toss the boots. The smell is probably due to bacteria growing in them. High quality socks and such are preventative measures; it's too late now. Febreeze will just mask the odor. You walk on your feet every day (to the tune of 14 hours;) take care of them.

My work boots are Gortex, breathes much better than leather and doesn't get that funky dried white line on them after they're soaked and dried.

Dan

SWMBO had a pair of sneakers that smelled like Satan ate at a Mexican/Indian buffet then died. They were a slip on/mesh and she didn't wear them every day. Boots that she wears more often don't have the evil smell that these things did.
We finally decided that it must have been some reaction between one of the chemicals in the shoe and her feet. No sprays or deodorants had any effect. The only way to fix them was to toss them.

merino wool socks..

purchase from Wigwam, because they are Made in the USA http://www.wigwam.com/

get some of that stuff the bowling alleys use on the rental shoes.. or some Lysol..

Crumpled newspaper stuffed in shoes overnight will dry them well