Alright, so is it just me, or the moment it was October 1st, did it suddenly feel like autumn was here? I mean, usually, I feel like there are a few days where fall teases us all with some breaths of cooler weather, but then BOOM it’s 80 degrees on some random days.
Do we wear hoodies or flip-flops? Is it time for us to grab the sunscreen or pumpkin spiced lattes (here's my appeal for those to be available year-round, please and thank you very much)? This year, however, I totally feel like the beginning of October was just very *autumnesque* somehow.
For real, who knew that the seasons had suddenly gotten their calendars right? I woke up October 1st, felt the fall chill, and knew that it was time to break out the cooler weather wardrobe.
The t-shirts and shorts had to go, and be replaced with long sleeves, hoodies, leggings, and the cutest of boots (our very beloved crocs simply won’t cut it anymore, believe it or not). If there were a ceremony to induct the season of fall into the world, it could totally be the shift in the general population’s wardrobe– particularly their choice in footwear.
Fall is absolutely and most totally the time for cute boots, and I don’t know about you all, but my over-the-knee boots are one of the things I’m most looking forward to when it comes to this much-vaunted return to fashions more suited to the colder weather.
I mean, talk about making a statement! There’s simply nothing quite like walking confidently into a room-- nay, strutting into a room-- with over-the-knee boots, and feeling just a teensy little bit like Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and a conquering fashionista goddess all combined into one.
The only problem with these way-cool shoes? The smell! How the heck are we supposed to keep such tall boots from getting rank!?
It’s not as though they could survive a trip through the washing machine or anything like that. Or maybe, well… I mean reaching down into the depths of our extraordinarily tall boots is… ok um so yeah, that is for sure and most definitely out of the question-- way out of the question.
Sadly enough, any kind of over-the-knee boots are typically longer than the usable length of one’s arms, and honestly, getting the soles of such lengthy boots smelling awesome is literally a pain in the butt.
But don’t you worry, because we're going to share plenty of ways for you to deodorize your over-the-knee boots with ease and success.
Table of Contents
1. Rock the stank with Rotation
2. Clean Socks for a Clean Smell
3. Coffee Foot Soak for the Win
4. Cedar Wood Chips Shake things Up
5. Cloves Fight the Funk
6. Essential Oils Save the Day (and your Smelly Shoes)
7. LUMI’s Lavender Tea Tree Natural Shoe Deodorizer
1. Rotation
I’m sure you read the title of this first option, seeing that it was literal rotation, and thought “Um, dude, ya’ think I have more than one set of over-the-knee boots!?”
Yeah, um, well I don’t know about you all, but in my own humble opinion, A) Crazy fabulous boots are kind of crazy bad for my wallet and B) HOW BIG IS YOUR CLOSET!?? One set of over-the-knee boots is already kind of pushing the seams of mine (and by “kind of” I really mean that ma’ tall boots really don’t fit in the closet, and I’m just patiently waiting for the day that I have a closet big enough to house an absolute gluttony of stunningly gorgeous shoes).
Ok, so you don’t necessarily need another pair of over-the-knee boots in order to save your first set from smelly destruction. To be honest, any other kind of shoe can substitute to fill in on your over-the-knee boot’s day(s) off.
Why does any of this work? Ah, well my dear, yet probably quite smelly reader, you see it all has to do with why your feet seem to stink in the first place.
It turns out that it’s not your actual feet, per se. I know– a rank and revolutionary idea. It’s actually this reeking bacteria that likes to eat the moisture and dead skin cells that naturally hang out on your feet, and then that bacteria produces the funk.
It kind of sucks, yes, I know. BUT plenty of these options we're going to chat about are going to go directly after this bad-smelling bacteria, so buckle up buttercup, because they’ll help to deodorize your over-the-knee boots with 10 kinds of ease!
Rotation is especially good for deodorizing taller kinds of funky footwear because normally all of the moisture (from feet that, *newsflash* naturally tend to sweat whenever we wear shoes) in our over-the-knee boots takes an absolute AGE to dry out.
I mean, think it all through– over-the-knee boots, which just kind of shelter the sole of the shoe– it takes a little longer just to naturally dry out, which would then deprive the smelly bacteria of its chance to chow down on all of that tasty sweat.
So just rotate between your shoes, and give your over-the-knee boots a few days off in between every time you wear ‘em. That’s literally it!
2. Clean Socks
Saying that clean socks will help ya’ to deodorize your over-the-knee boots probs seems a little obvious, but every little bit helps, and honestly, we both know your poor shoes can use all of the help they can get!
I mean, when wearing over-the-knee boots you’ve got to have the socks that match, and honestly, well sometimes you push those poor, cute socks further than they really ought to go, am I right? For real, look me in the proverbial eye, and tell me that I'm wrong about that.
Now, I’m not saying to go out and purchase an absolute gazillion tall socks to pair with your over-the-knee boots, although if that’s what you want and can afford, don’t let me stand in the way, boo, but honestly you don’t have to go out and do that, m’kay?
It’s not like anybody would stop you if you want to literally buy out the entire freakin' clothing store and get yourself enough fuzzy cute socks to pair with your over-the-knee boots– truly, if you’re planning on doing that, double it up, and please get me some of those cute-yet-pricey socks as well, por favor. You don’t have to, though;)
Just make sure that each set of socks only gets used once, and even then, be aware of how long you’ve been wearing said socks.
I mean it! If your socks have been in use all day, they’re bound to be a bit moist from all of the sweat, and that’s what feeds the bacteria! We don’t want that!
Make sure that you either switch out your socks if they’ve become sweaty, or honestly just give your entire set of shoes a wee break to dry out, because remember, warm sweat is exactly what the bacteria need to make your over-the-knee boots rank.
3. Coffee Foot Soak
Another easily accessible way to go after the smelly bacteria taking over your over-the-knee boots is a simple foot soak with coffee!
Ok yes– jaw, meet floor.
Glad that you’ve now made the formal introductions.
I hear you-- I mean, coffee?! Yes, I said what I said, and I totally meant it! Coffee is good for way more than just getting your mind on track in the morning.
Beyond dragging you out from sleep, coffee is also rather grand for taking care of our smelly feet problem. Think of it as a simple bonus!! Get your pumpkin spice latte AND clean feet just in time to wear those over-the-knee boots that are simply perfect for autumn.
So caffeine has nitrogen, which results in what we like to call “adsorption.” Nah, it isn’t “absorption,” like a sponge or something. Instead, “adsorption” is literally just where a gas or a liquid– omgoodness (*cue sarcastic Pikachu face*) just like your sweat and that stank– adheres to the surface of the coffee like glue.
The funk and sweat are now simply a thin film of gross on the coffee that we’ll be using, and that’s that! Say goodbye funk thanks to the coffee grounds.
For our foot soak, you’ll just have to add 2 cups of coffee to about 1 gallon of water, and then soak your feet in the mixture for around 10-20 minutes. Rinse your feet off afterward, dry and moisturize, and then treat yourself to some kind of drink that won’t be going into deodorizing your feet.
4. Cedar Wood Chips
But I get it, I mean I’m personally not a coffee-drinker, and don’t exactly have the stuff just lying around in the pantry. RIP to Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts, because I’m always there just for the crumbly cake pops and perfectly average donuts– I'm well aware, overpriced and basic, just as the corporate bakery chain gods divined:)
Thank goodness that we’ve got cedar wood chips to take coffee’s place– not as a foot soak. I mean, I’ve never tried that, and frankly it sounds like a great way to get a splinter, but you can do you and try a cedar foot soak out– no judgment here.
There’s totally a simpler way to use cedar wood chips to deodorize your smelly shoes– no foot soak needed (you can thank me for your splinter-free and great-smelling feet later).
Cedar wood chips (or honestly, hickory or any other kind of wood chip that smells equally amazing) when placed in your shoes will help to take care of the funky foot odor before it even has a chance to become a real problem for you.
Simply get your cedar wood chips (plenty of grocery stores carry them for the folk that like to cook with them), place them in a sock, tie off that sock (for fear of dreaded splinters, of course), and then stick that sock into your over-the-knee boots.
You can leave the fresh-smelling socks in overnight, although for the best possible results I’d stick them into your shoes promptly after you’re done wearing them (it’s best not to leave the bacteria up to their smelly shenanigans, or else it’ll take even longer for ya’ to deodorize your shoes, which would totally and most completely suck).
5. Cloves
Over-the-knee boots are technically an autumn/winter favorite, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how wonderful some stereotypical fall spices are for getting rid of the smell in your shoes.
I mean, you thought that pumpkin spice was solidly reserved for wildly overpriced lattes, donuts (also typically a pain to the budget), and those freakishly amazing yankee candles? Oh my dear, yet horrifically smelly reader, let me tell you about how pumpkin spice is going to change your life (even more than it probably already has).
We’ll specifically be talking about cloves– now that’s not to say your ginger, nutmeg, or cinnamon won’t be taking you far in life, but my darling dearest, this here is but a simple list on how deodorize your over-the-knee boots, and I bet that you want to keep things simple, so I'm going to give you simple.
So cloves, ma’ dude. Cloves! They’re that one weird spice that plenty of recipes will call for literally just like ¼ teaspoon of (essentially if you sneeze, then poof it’s gone), and now you’re stuck with a really (but not necessarily) useless and very nearly full container of the fine-smelling stuff.
You can either go for the powdered or whole version of cloves– to be frank, the bacteria won’t mind a smidgen which does them in for good, so take your pick.
I mean, like the whole version of cloves tends to be a whole lot more expensive, but if that’s what you’ve got stuffed in the back of your pantry then simply go for that (don’t mind me over here, being insanely jealous of your bougie spice supply, and how amazing your baking must be).
Stuff the cloves into a sock, tie it off, stuff it into your over-the-knee boot for as long as you’d like, but at least overnight– and then smell like a walking Starbs advertisement in the morning;)
6. Essential Oils
You get to pick exactly how you’d like to smell if you go for essential oils, though. If you weren’t already aware of this fan-favorite panacea, essential oils are literally just small bits of plant floating around in a sort of carrier oil.
Think pickle juice– bits of plant, and then we use the liquid that’s got the essence of said plant so there’s no mess to clean up after the fact.
Essential oils are coveted and lauded for their deodorizing properties. The carrier oil stretches those tiny bits of plants a whole lot longer than if you’d just used the original plants themselves to fix the funk.
It’s way more efficient, and honestly, a wee little jar of essential oils will last you literally forever and then probably like a week or two (give or take, of course).
Plenty of people like to use essential oils for more than just deodorizing their shoes– I know plenty of people who just keep a bottle on hand for whatever may need to smell better, so don’t feel like this stuff is just a sort of one-trick-pony. You’ll get plenty of uses from one little container, no worries.
So get your favorite essential oil (if you’re unsure of what scent you’d like for you and your shoes, plenty of people enjoy lavender, citrus, peppermint, and the like), and then some cotton rounds. Simply put a few drops of that essential oil on each round, and then stuff the sole of your funky footwear with them.
Leave the scented rounds in for as long as possible, but at least overnight if you haven’t got the time.
7. LUMI’s Lavender Tea Tree Natural Shoe Deodorizer
But sometimes, we just want something simple, am I right? I mean, I get that you’re wearing over-the-knee-boots, and so maybe you’re on the more extravagant side (hello kettle, my name is pot, it’s lovely to meet you:) ), and so lengthy processes to get something you want, like great-smelling shoes, ain’t exactly a deal breaker for ya’ but hey, if it is, here is THE most simple option for how to easily deodorize smelly shoes on this entire list.
LUMI’s Lavender Tea Tree Natural Shoe Deodorizer is about as basic as it gets; excepting of course pumpkin spice lattes, the reigning monarch of such wonderful and simple (basic) things– but can those drinks deodorize your gorg shoes? No, they absolutely can’t, so there’s that, and here’s some information about LUMI:)
With a fabulous 4.4 star rating from 1300 satisfied customers on Amazon, LUMI’s Lavender Tea Tree Natural Shoe Deodorizer also has over 800 perfect 5 star reviews, one of which was from a certain Lorena Garcia, who said that LUMI’s Lavender Tea Tree Natural Shoe Deodorizer was absolutely amazing for her winter boots:
LUMI is a small, family-owned company that sources only the highest quality ingredients for their odor-eliminating products, never tests on animals, and also has literally 700+ sprays per every bottle, so it’ll last you LONG into the next season, whether you’re using it on your over-the-knee boots or not.
You literally just have to spray LUMI’s Lavender Tea Tree Natural Shoe Deodorizer right into the sole of any shoe that’s funky, and you’re done! Call it a day! Look fabulous, and smell the same.
Ok, let’s just run through all of this again because I know that as for me, myself, and I, that my attention span is half that of a gerbil. It’s time for a summary, my dear, yet smelly reader!
So first up to chat about we’ve got a wee little thing called rotation. I know that you love your over-the-knee boots, but ok sweat gets stuck oh-so-easily in your oh-so-tall boots, so maybe just give them a break every once in a while? Just use different pairs of shoes throughout the week, give your fav set a day or two off, and you’re set! No need to have several sets of the over-the-knee variety of boots to switch things up, just so long as you’re not wearing the one pair of (likely increasingly stinky) boots every single day.
Clean socks also will totally make a difference in keeping your shoes smelling great for good. Seriously, keep the moisture out of your tall boots– it’s a tall order, I get it, but we’ve got to try, for the sake of our noses and sanity.
A coffee foot soak is exactly what we need to show those smelly bacteria who’s boss (it’s you, my smelly friend, in case you were wondering). Get yourself two cups of coffee and a gallon of water to soak your funky feet in, and spend about 20 minutes with it, thinking about how fabulous you’re going to appear in boots that not only look freakin’ fantastic, but also SMELL freakin’ fantastic!
Cedar wood chips can also help you and your poor over-the-knee boots to escape bacteria-induced insanity. Simply stuff some socks with your cedar wood chips and then stuff those socks into each of your offending shoes, and leave it all in overnight, or even longer if you can bear to be apart from your beloved boots for that long.
Cloves can help you to accomplish the same great-smelling effect, and you basically will accomplish it in the exact same manner. Stuff some socks, stuff those shoes, and oh btw, you’ll want to dispose of both the cedar wood chips and cloves after a while (it’s not not a reusable sock, but like also, I mean it was in your smelly shoe for ages, so be reasonable about when you replaces what fills the socks).
Essential oils will get rid of that footwear funk easy-peasy. Simply get yourself a vial of your favorite scented oil (maybe you could go for the autumn-scented ones to keep your over-the-knee boots on theme), and then put a few drops of it on some cotton rounds. Stuff the cotton rounds into your shoes (no need to stuff the shoes all the way to the top-- that'd be dumb-- but like enough that the soles of your smelly shoes are covered), and then leave the rounds in there for as long as conceivably possible, but for sure at least overnight.
LUMI’s Lavender Tea Tree Natural Shoe Deodorizer will help you to deodorize boots easily, because with just a few spritzes into your tall boots you’ll be saying adios to all awful smells forever! Support a small, family-owned business and naturally deodorize your stinky shoes for good!