Smelly feet!

[offendednostrils]

Shamelessly namechanged as I don’t want rancid feet to be linked to my other innocuous posts

Posting here for traffic mainly as I thought I’d consult the infinite wisdom of AIBU to tackle this issue.

My DP’s feet stink. He showers twice a day, wears clean socks every day. He leaves his work boots at work and changes into a pair of trainers to come home in. He has a very physical job and is on his feet all day. But when he comes home, the whole place is stunk out by his feet and these horrific shoes! We’ve tried tea bags, bicarb and the most offensive smelling trainers are currently going round in the washing machine.

He gets very upset if I mention that I can smell his feet, as I think he’s actually quite embarrassed about the problem.

How can the poor man stop his feet and shoes stinking to high heaven?! They actually smell like a dead animal, and the laundry bin smells even worse when it’s got a few days’ worth of socks in there.

TIA

(I feel like a sock troll)

I’m not sure there’s much you can do tbh. He works on his feet all day so his feet are bound to smell, especially when they’re trapped in stuffy work boots all day. I am a teacher so also on my feet for many hours and I don’t naturally have smelly feet but they do pong a bit when I get home, especially on a summers day.

I have smelly feet. I’m a teacher too so on my feet all day. I find prevention is better than cure. I wash and dry my feet then spray them with Mitcham deodorant in the morning (and sometimes at lunch in summer). I also change my socks/tights at lunch on hot days. I try not to wear the same shoes two days in a row and air them outside whenever possible.

Get a GP to check there's nothing fungal going on!

You can buy foot deodorants which I would recommend, along with drying feet very thoroughly and using talc. Buy pure cotton socks and breathable shoes and make sure he has a couple of pairs of shoes for every day use so that they get an airing every other day.

He could use deodorant on his feet or use special sweat absorbing socks. Is he basically wearing two pairs of shoes? How about having more work shoes so that he can wear one pair whilst the other is airing same goes for trainers. Surgical spirit , odour eaters?

Natural materials in the shoes? My son had some wool/cotton trainers once, they were much better than usual.

Just check he is actually washing his feet and not just letting soapy shower water run over them. Soap suds in between toes, the sole, top, heel etc.

If he's at home all day in clean socks with clean feet, do they eventually smell too?

And if shoes smell, just bin the.

Can he wear something other than trainers Home? Something less absorbent? Are his socks decent?

He does wash his feet properly

The work boots are the same pair (the company grumble about issuing new pairs until they’re no longer fit for purpose!) and there are several pairs of trainers on rotation.

I’ve had a look at his feet (I’m a nurse) and they’re actually not in bad nick so I think it’s the shoes (big, padded skater-type trainers), maybe he’ll just have to resort to Jesus sandals for the drive home

The shoes still smell funky even after a hot wash with Unstoppables!

He may have a fungal thing going on. Also synthetic fibres don’t help. Trainers will be making it worse

Sounds fungal, don't bother with gp, go straight to a foot health professional or podiatrist they will sort out problems straight away, gp will just prescribe ineffective creams, they are not foot specialists.

When you wash his trainers, try Zoflora or Dettol laundry cleanser, and ensure they are 100% dry before he wears them.

I assume he has tried all the various products out there for foot odour.

I find M&S freshfeet socks very helpful.

Use Hibiscrub, only about 6 quid on amazon. It washes off the bacteria that causes the smell, it really works. Then maybe use once a week to maintain. Honestly, smells disappear immediately. And one bottle lasts months.

Antibacterial socks?

Skate shoes seem way less breathable than sports trainers if that helps.

Odour eaters and cat litter in his shoes!

do his socks go a pinky strange colour (like they've been bleached) underneath, by any chance? More sweaty than other people?
I only ask as my dh has this exact same problem despite changing his socks multiple times a day.
The answer was salt tablets as he sweats too much.
x

Are the soles of his feet pitted at all (more obvious with when the feet are wet)? My brother had terrible smelly feet. He had a condition called pitted keratolysis, which is a bacterial infection- he needed a topical antibiotic and antiseptic cream and an oral antibiotic too.

My OP has this problem due to an accident years ago. Odaban foot powder has been life changing. You can order on Amazon but make sure it's the powder not the spray

Daily showers obviously, soak feet in tea with a few drops tea tree oil.

Put those little silica sachets you get in new things which soak up moisture in his shoes.

Rotate shoes so shoes have a chance to completely dry out from previous days wear.

Also have a DP who had terrible smelling feet.

Buy some T for Toes from Lush. Exdp had horrible smelling feet and this does the trick.

He should wash his feet as soon as he gets home, with antibacterial soap. Then put deodorant and foot powder on before socks.

What colour are the trainers?
I discovered by trial and error over the years that if I purchase black trainers, they always stink. I've had the same problem with some black t-shirts.
I wondered if it was something in the dye but never really found out. Anyway, I avoid buying black trainers now and haven't had the problem since.

Just had a look under his feet again, the pads of his toes are quite pitted I suppose? The smell is horrific tonight! His socks are wringing wet with sweat

The trainers have just been tumble dried with a liberal dowsing of Zoflora and they seem to be less offensive now!

I think he needs more than one pair of work boots in addition to all the other steps.

This might be a medical issue due to excessive sweating? See a doc.