To wonder if people regularly clean the foot jam out of their shoes in warm weather?

[Chumhum]

My ballet flats have a lovely patina of black foot jam inside them after I wear them without socks. I've noticed that other people don't have this (I regularly have to take my shoes off at work). So is it that I have yuk key sweaty dirty feet (leather shoes, daily showers) or do people go to the bother of cleaning the insides of their shoes?

My shoes are the same, it's horrible. They are starting to hum too!

Foot jam? Never heard of this or seen them in my shoes. Just checked too!

I used to wash the inside of my shoes years ago - I don't have to commute any more so have less of a problem. A sprinkle of bicarb and rotate your shoes helps too as even with a wipe/wash they can still smell. Pain in the backside it is.

I have it in some shoes, my ballet flats are minging. Putting them in the washing machine doesn't help!

Could you use insoles and change them regularly?

Insoles and bare feet don't work. The insole gets all bunched up and it's uncomfortable, I find anyway. The only realistic option is to chuck the shoes and get new ones!

Foot jam?!

You don't have that problem with flats that have Insolia, daahling. Get ye to Marks and Spencers!

My ballet pumps are disgusting. About a week's worth I get out of any pair and then they're beyond repair.

Most expensive habit I have they are.

I clean mine regularly with some soapy water and an old toothbrush. So glad it now has a name.

Are you in a city or an urban area? It's general dirt from the air around you, as grim as that sounds, and much worse in built-up areas. Or, the country, but then it's likely to be good old fashioned mud.

I didn't know what it was called when I cleaned my super lovely wedge sandals this morning.

Now I do! Thanks Chumhum! :)

I shall inform dp that it's not just me who has foot jam. Thank you.

Definitely rotate your shoes, try not to wear them twice in a row. If you're buying cheap work shoes that you like, you'll get longer use out of them by wearing two pairs in rotation than buying one pair after the other has worn out.
I often buy clothes I like in duplicate too, makes life easy to not add the extra stress of deciding what to wear to work when I can just have my own 'uniform'.

I have some shoes that I love but by gum do they stink .

I do have to clean them regularly and have resorted to bleach as an additive to help with the smell. It works too which is a blessing as otherise ,when its bad, I can smell the shoes while Im still wearing them. Gross.

I don't have foot jam afaik. I'm a skank in many respects, but I'm sure I don't have this problem. I'm not in a major urban area though.

I have this. It's disgusting. Any truth in the rumour that putting shoes in a plastic bag in the freezer kills the smell?

I don't notice this problem, but I wear sandals as soon as it starts getting warm in May. I have ballet flats, but I only wear them when it's cold out.

Why wear ballet flats in warm weather? Wear sandles.

I shove a baby wipe in them when they get bad.

My feet sweat a lot. Thus, I never go without stockings except on the beach. That's one alternative to foit jam.

I put dryer sheets in my worst offenders - it really helps!

I clean the insides with hand sanitiser

Don't get this problem if I wear pop socks or tights, only if I'm barefoot in ballet pumps. Would love to wear to wear sandals all summer unfortunately they aren't allowed at work.

Baby wipes and Febreze here.