Ok, I need to know, are my stinky feet without hope? Will summer shoes never be for me?

[NorkilyChallenged]

I know, it's not pleasant and it's hardly S&B but I need to know...

I don't normally have stinky feet.

However, when I wear shoes without socks, I really do. I really really do. And it ruins the shoes. Forever.

I got these about a month ago and they already HONK. I can't even slip them on to go and hang washing out without my feet then smelling so bad that I have to go and wash them immediately

Apparently a bit of corn starch or baking soda over your feet before you put your shoes on dries up the excessive sweatiness that causes the smell.

I'd be inclined to go for something a bit more airy/sandally to combat this in future

leather shoes/sandals not fabric/manmade

more than one pair to allow drying between wears

spenny I know

[hug]

I feel your pain - I am exactly the same and long to slip off shoes and skip through meadows but am concerned that any living animal, vegetable or mineral within 300 yards will vom at the smell.
Leather shoes are a must, also you can sprinkle the inside of your shoes with Borax powder (Boots sell it). This reduces the amount of sweat your feet produce.
Hope this helps.

I get leather shoes and tend to go for slingbacks with lots of holes over the front. Or ballet pumps cut very low over the front.

Make a spray with a whole bottle of tea tree oil and the rest water, shake it and spray your feet with it every day before putting on shoes, make sure it is dry. Nothing can be done about old stinky shoes - but you could try putting the fabric ones in the washing machine, cold, hand-wash setting with some biological washing powder.

It's bacteria that feed on the excessive sweat that causes the smell. So you have 2 lines of attack:-

1. reduce the sweat as others have suggested
2. reduce the bacteria. If the tea tree spray doesn't work go to your GP and ask about a topical antibiotic for between the toes etc.

Check between toes (you can use neat tea tree oil here applied w cotton pad), check nails for stuff that gets trapped under them , get rid of dry build up of skin.

Avoid fabric shoes- just gathers bacteria. Avoid synthetics and closed in shoes (ballet style)- not enough air circulation and the bacteria thrive on damp airless spaces.
Best shoes for you are prob gladiator/ strappy and leather only.

HTH

dont buy closed in shoes

carry a sweet smelling spray so if you are in ashoes of situation you can have a discreet squirt in tat general direction

but i think wearing those ballet type shoes is recipe for ponk I'm afraid

a shoes off situation

Are you sure you don't have a mild case of athlete's foot?

Once I'd treated mine with Lamisil once I had normal feet again.

Thank you!

Had no replies when I checked yesterday and thought I had sent myself to Coventry with my smelly admission.

Will read through suggestions again and make some purchases. Am wondering about my nails (not been the same since I had dd1 and they went a bit of a strange colour) so maybe that's part of the problem.

No closed shoes. Sigh. Okay.

Thank you all for the support. And for daring to remain in my smelly feet thread long enough to reply

Scholl do a shoe spray that works on really stinky shoes - even my kids trainers and fitflop boots.I think it also helps to change shoes everyday so they have a chance to air.I think smelly feet are inherited and there's not much you can do apart from having botox in your feet![which would be horrible].

Agree about tea tree oil, it's bacteria that produces the smell.

If you look at your feet, is the skin smooth or have you got little tiny holes? There is a name for it which I can't remember, but anyway it makes your feet STINK to high heaven. Very treatable but you would need to go to your GP.

You can also try using Dermol (I think you can buy it over the counter). It's an anti-microbial and we use it for washing all our eczema-y bits, I used it on my c-section scar as both a wash and a moisturiser, and I use it on my feet in the summer to prevent smelliness occuring.

Spend lots of time with your shoes off if you can. I never wear shoes in the house for example.

I never wear shoes in the house either.

Thanks for the advice - we have Dermol actually, for my dd so I could try that. I do have a tendency to eczema but haven't seen it (or any tiny holes) on my feet.

Is def inherited, teta, my mum has the same problem.

Feet only smell in shoes worn without socks, not otherwise stinky (might just be an issue of sweat)

you can also get anti-smell inner soles from John Lewis which have a terry cloth upper - absorbs sweat and makes them less smelly/sticky (says me looking at my sweaty feet in ballet pumps). If you changed the inner soles in all your shoes you will get at least a temporary respite.

those shoes are fabric and they are always worse. Get leather and make sure they have breathy bits

My DD suffers with this and having tried bicarb of soda , the Scholl spray , the only thing that has helped is good old OdorEaters in soles. Seriously , its the only thing that means we can get near her school shoes!

cure for smelly shoes,is sprinkle inside them with bicarbonate of soda,(enough to cover insole and underneath it if possible )put half a lemon inside each shoe, put in a plastic bag,give a good shake and put in freezer for 24 hours, (bicarb& lemon gets rid of smell and freezer kills bacteria) let shoes come back to room temp naturally, put in new odor eaters,if u rotate shoes u wear an repeat monthly u will get lots more use outta expensive shoes very cheaply,hope this helps

Try Peditech Actifresh spray. I have the same problem and this is the only thing I've found that enables me to go without socks. If you Google it you will see lots of positive reviews - it works.