Smelly shoe dilemma - HELP

[Footballmum2]

Both DS’ are wearing new football boots for the first time later - their old ones stunk of sweat and damp.

Any tips from other football mums to keep them smelling fresh after they’ve worn them?!

I bought some shoe bananas for DSs climbing shoes which get very smelly, they are quite effective.

The shoe bananas mentioned above. Never ever put boots on a radiator to dry them out, the heat makes it much worse. We bought an electric shoe dryer from Amazon, worked fairly well. Spray them with shoe deodoriser every so often. Always dry them out, never leave them festering damp in a kit bag.

Someone recommended bicarb to me but that didn't work and really annoyed ds he got it all over his socks 🤣

Once the smell is ingrained it's really tricky to remove so prevention is your best bet.

It wasn't this exact one, but it was similar to this https://amzn.eu/d/052sLBCF

https://amzn.eu/d/0aFU4wOp Bananas.

Start at the source - make sure they wash their feel every day and clean cotton socks every day. If they’re typical polyester school sports socks, can they wear cotton trainer socks underneath? If they’re doing active sport with dirty feet and dirty socks then they’ll just stink again, doesn’t matter how you treat the actual shoes. And make sure other shoes are clean - dirty feet and socks will make normal shoes smell too. No point cleaning one without the other.

Yeah tough one - I have been battling this for years and years and both now have soft ground and firm ground boots so lots of smelling!

Both my boys have to wear their club socks (no exceptions and can't wear their own or equivalent), but my older one double socks with good cotton socks so it isn't about clean feet or socks (he showers before a game and is made to shower afterward). It is the getting damp or wet and or sweating that is the issue. So after 90+ minutes of play and then showering, eating and analysis if it is an away game it can be three hours before we get home. Plurgh.

The only thing that works slightly is putting them on one of those boot ventilator things (boot dryer with deodoriser) and then in the airing cupboard.

Ive always put them in the washing machine, never damaged any of the pairs over 10 years. Then I dry on the radiator in the winter with an old towel under them. Never smelt and I wash the boot bags in the washing machine to.

The bags you can get off amazon for trainers etc are good in the washing machine.