When you mix sweaty feet and shoes, you create the perfect environment for the odor to take over.  But don’t worry, with these tips and tricks you’ll be able to prevent and eliminate your shoe odor for good.

Whether you just got back from a run or a long day at work, you take off your shoes and get hit with a serious case of cheese foot.

There’s no need to be embarrassed, or think that you have a problem.  Shoe odor happens to everyone even if you practice great hygiene. 

Step 1 - The Easy Stuff

Following these first practices will make every other method a lot more effective.

Rotating Shoes

It's nice to get a new pair of running shoes, but if you wear them every day the stink is going to compound.  Give your stinky shoes a break and use another pair. 

By giving your shoes a break, it will give them time to air out and dry out between uses.  This can really help to prevent your shoes from getting funky before it's too late!

Wearing good socks

For some people just changing socks can also make a big difference.  Wool socks can be a life changer because they don't trap moisture the same way that cotton socks do.  Some people also find that polyester just doesn't mix with their skin and can be extra smelly.

Wash your shoes

If your shoes are machine washable, throwing them in the wash machine with a towel can sometimes do the trick.  Just make sure to let them air dry and do not put them in the dryer.

Most running shoes are machine washable; throw a towel or two in with them just so they don't bang around too much.

Step 2 - Odor Warfare

If your shoes aren't too bad and you don't want to spend any money, some rubbing alcohol should do the trick.

Rubbing alcohol

Fill a small container with a bit of rubbing alcohol.  Then use some cotton balls to soak up all the rubbing alcohol that was poured.  Then place the alcohol-soaked cotton balls into your shoes.  Try to cover as much area as possible and leave your shoes overnight.  Remove the cotton balls in the morning and then give your shoes another hour or two to fully dry out.

Extra Strength Shoe Deodorizer Spray

If your shoes really stink, or the rubbing alcohol didn't quite do the trick, we recommend trying our natural extra strength shoe scent remover.  

Spray your shoes at night, 1-3 sprays each should do the trick, then leave them to dry and air out overnight.  If you can leave them outside, that works even better.  This will leave your shoes smelling fresh and clean in the morning.

You can buy it directly from our store, or it's even a little cheaper on Amazon.

Step 3 - Keep them Fresh and Dry

The final step is to prevent odor from forming in the future.  This works especially well if you're starting with new shoes, or if you've already effectively deodorized your shoes.

The best way to prevent odor is by keeping your shoes dry while you're wearing them throughout the day.  

Wear good socks!

We already talked about this in the easy stuff section, but wearing some good wool socks will really help keep your feet dry and prevent odor from forming.

Use a good shoe powder

Shoe powders are great at eliminating moisture and can be used in your shoes or directly on your skin.

For a powder that's touching your skin we recommend using a talc free natural powder.

You can buy one directly from our store, or cheaper on Amazon.

Newspaper and Kitty Litter

The final way to help dry out your shoes is to either stuff them with some newspaper or kitty litter.  You'll want to do this after you've worn them.

The downside to both of these is that you're not really preventing moisture, you're just absorbing it after.  That's why we think the powder is a better solution, but these tricks can definitely help as well. 

The newspaper is straight forward, just bunch up some news paper and stuff your shoes until they're full. 

This will absorb a lot of the moisture in your shoes and help dry them out more thoroughly.

Kitty litter might seem a little weird, but it's designed to absorb odor and moisture.  Grab an old sock or some pantyhose and pour in some kitty litter.  You'll want to pour in just enough to fill your shoe.  Once you have your kitty litter bag, stuff one inside each shoe, and leave for a few hours.

This kitty litter will help absorb any moisture in your shoes and absorb some of the odors as well.