How to Get Rid of Shoe Odors Right Away

There are few things as funny to kids as stinky shoes, and few things as embarrassing to us as adults. Depending upon your personal body chemistry and a few other factors, your shoes could start to smell horrible after just a few wearings. While those smells might be powerful, it’s actually not that difficult to banish them if you know how to go about it. Keep reading to learn our Pros’ best methods, which you can use as a DIYer, pass on to your cleaner, or use in your own cleaning business.

What Causes Shoe Odors?

If you’re wondering how to remove the unpleasant stink from shoes, it all starts with understanding where that rank odor comes from in the first place.

The first thing you should know — and it may come as a surprise — is that the human foot is equipped with 125,000 sweat glands. In total, our bodies have somewhere between two and four million sweat glands, but when you think about how small our feet are relative to the rest of our bodies, that’s still an impressive count!

Plantar hyperhidrosis is the condition of having overly sweaty feet. The condition itself is medically treatable, but the smelly footwear is something you’ll need to deal with on your own. 

When sweat gets trapped in your shoes, the insides stay moist and create a perfect habitat for the bacteria that cause foot odor. If you’re not giving your Yeezys an opportunity to dry out between wearings, that foot odor will take up residence inside your shoes.

Cleaning Products and Supplies to Get Rid of Bad Smells from Shoes

You won’t need much beyond basic household products to make your shoes smell better. You probably have most of these in your home already, Here are our recommendations.

The key here is using basic products that are effective at neutralizing odors. There are tons of expensive cleaning products out there that claim to remove foot odor. Many only mask the odor and don’t actually do a good job of banishing the cause of the odor, meaning that the stink may rear its ugly head after you use the product.

How to Get Rid of Shoe Smell

Here are some of the easiest methods to get rid of foot smell and have your favorite pumps or Pumas smelling as good as new.

How to Remove Shoe Smell with Vinegar or Rubbing Alcohol

Both white vinegar and ordinary rubbing alcohol do a great job of neutralizing bad smells. You’ll use the same basic method to get rid of shoe smells with either.

Step 1: Get a clean microfiber cloth or piece of newspaper.

Step 2: Dip or spray the cloth or newspaper with either vinegar or rubbing alcohol

Step 3: Dab the insides of your shoes with the dampened cloth or newspaper, making sure to dip again as you treat your shoes.

Step 4: Allow your shoes to dry completely before wearing them.

Watch this video to see how to use alcohol to get your shoes smelling fresh again.

How to Remove Shoe Smell with Baking Soda

You’re probably aware that baking soda is a cheap way to eliminate odors in your fridge, and it can work on shoes, too.

Step 1: Cover the footbeds of your shoes with a sprinkling of baking soda and leave it there overnight.

Step 2: In the morning, shake out your shoes over a trash can to get the baking soda out.

Step 3: Wipe any baking soda that’s left out of your shoes with a clean cloth or tissue.

How to Remove Shoe Smell with a Shoe Heater

Heat is super effective at killing bacteria, so using a shoe heater may help you eradicate the smell from your footwear.

Step 1: For washable shoes, laundering them first can kick-start odor removal. Use a mesh bag to protect the shoes.

Step 2: Turn the shoe heater on and place shoes according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 3: Run until your shoes are totally dry. 

Step 4: Remove the shoes from the heater. If they’re still smelly, try one of the other methods we’ve recommended.

Unique Ways to Reduce Stink in Shoes

We’ve covered the most well-known and simple methods of reducing stink in your favorite shoes, but there are a lot of other options. Here are some of our favorites that you may want to try out.

• Use teabags to dry out the interior of your shoes. The tea in the bags will absorb moisture. Using cheap supermarket tea makes this an affordable choice.
• Buy mesh bags of activated charcoal or charcoal-filled shoe liners. Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions for whatever product you choose.
• Try putting your shoes in direct sunlight. Some people say they’ve had luck using UV rays to eliminate bad smells.
• Make homemade sachets using a coffee filter. If you’ve already got activated charcoal, just put some into the coffee filter and use a twist tie or elastic to keep it contained.
• Substitute Lysol spray for vinegar or rubbing alcohol and follow the same process we outlined above. 
• Listerine kills gross bacteria in your mouth and can do the same in your sneakers. We suggest the same process as for vinegar or rubbing alcohol: use a cloth to dab Listerine on the insides of your shoes.
• Squeeze just a few drops of tea tree oil or lavender oil and mix with baking soda to replace nasty smells with nice ones.

How Do I Prevent My Feet from Stinking Up My Shoes?

Deodorizing your shoes may only be a temporary fix if there’s a problem with your feet. Here’s what we suggest.

• Treat underlying issues that contribute to foot odor. Plantar hyperhidrosis may need treatment by a doctor. Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection and you can usually get rid of it with an over-the-counter cream..
• Wash your feet at least once per day. 
• Avoid shoes made of synthetic materials and stick with natural fibers or shoes that are breathable.
• Wear socks with your shoes. Choosing natural fiber, absorbent socks can make a big difference.
• Rotate the shoes you wear. If you wear the same shoes every day, especially if you work out, they may not have a chance to dry out between wearings.

These simple measures may be enough to prevent odors from building up (or returning) to your shoes.

How Do You Deodorize Shoes Quickly?

There are a few quick fixes for smelly shoes.

• Wash your shoes in the washing machine once per week and use a shoe heater to dry them.
• When you get home, shake baking soda into your shoes, making sure to cover the entire shoe bed. They’ll be ready for you in the morning.
• Spray your shoes with Lysol and allow them to dry.

These methods all require minimal effort. The Lysol method is probably the quickest of all, and you can accelerate by letting the Lysol sit for about 10 minutes, then using a shoe dryer.

FAQ About How to Eliminate Shoe Odor

Conclusion

Having foul-smelling shoes might get you down in the dumps, but you don’t have to stay blue forever. And there’s no reason to throw out your favorite Nikes or Vans. The processes and ideas our Pros have included here can help you banish foot odor for good!