Edit ArticleHow to Freshen Smelly Shoes Two Parts:Freshen Shoes NaturallyFreshen Shoes ChemicallyCommunity Q&A Funky feet and smelly shoes can lead to annoyance, embarrassment, and can prove to be a huge social hurdle that can alienate you whether you like it or not. So form a plan of attack to freshen smelly shoes so that you can save yourself the constant expense of replacing your footwear and replacing friends. Here are three different ways to approach the issue of smelly feet. Look for the cause. Dry out your shoes by putting them near a heater or in a sunny spot. Take out the laces and lift the tongue up and out to dry the shoes out faster. By keeping them dry, you help prevent bacterial growth that causes odor. Purchase cedar wood insoles.Put your smelly shoes in a plastic bag, and then put them in the freezer over the course of a night. Thaw them naturally the next day in the sunlight for the best results. There is inconclusive evidence that this strategy works.
The idea is that freezing the shoes kills the odor-producing bacteria, but some suggest that this method will only temporarily relieve the odor. Try it out for yourself and see what you think. Use fabric softener/conditioner sheets. Use a steam machine or try the steam feature of your washer or dryer. Steam may help to eradicate bacteria and fungus, thus getting rid of odor. If you're not worried about getting your shoes a little damp, give it a try. Place fresh orange, grapefruit, lemon, or lime peel into the shoes. Fresh citrus peel has a great smell because of its essential oils. Leave fresh citrus peel in your shoes overnight and remove them before using. They should smell a lot better. Add a few drops of lavender oil to your shoes. Use antifungal foot powder, or try an antibacterial spray. Both of these can be purchased at convenience, grocery, or drug stores. Antifungal foot powder is commonly associated with athlete's foot. While athletes foot is a cause of foot odor and smelly shoes, it is possible to have smelly shoes without also having athlete's foot.
If you do have athlete's foot, consider using a cream, lotion, or other mixture of tea tree oil on the feet to fight the fungus. Tea tree oil is a natural, great-smelling anti-fungal oil. Rub it onto the feet in order to combat athlete's foot. Take out your soles and laces and place your shoes in a pillow cushion. Wash them in a water cycle that is around 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Repeat this a second time as soon as the first cycle is over, and then let the shoes air dry. Put baking soda in the offending shoes. If the freezer trick does not work, put in a healthy dose of baking soda and let the powder absorb the odor overnight. Baking soda can be used in a wide variety of ways, including as an anti-fungal powder. Alternately, mix baking soda with zinc oxide powder to create an odor-crunching, fungal-fighting powder. Mix equal parts baking soda and zinc oxide and apply to shoes overnight. Zinc oxide has deodorizing and antibacterial properties. Dump out the powder the next day prior to putting the shoes back on so that you don't give yourself a white, powdery mess or trail all day.
Try store-bought odor removers.Swab shoes that you cannot wash with a cotton ball or cotton square with rubbing alcohol on it. This will help dry out offending odor causes and hopefully allow you full use of the shoes again. Rubbing alcohol evaporates quickly in addition to being an antiseptic. When it mixes with other liquids, it helps them evaporate, too. Use fresh cat litter. Cat litter might seem a bit off-putting, but it works for a reason: it has great deodorizing properties. Stuff a sock with fresh, unused kitty litter, seal it off with a knot on top, and stuff into shoes overnight. Use water and vinegar. Show more unanswered questions Keep a sock or pair of tights full of kitty litter and baking soda that has been knotted at the top in the shoes for a daily trick. Keep this mixture in your shoes overnight each evening to help combat odor. Clean feet before putting into shoes and remember put Clean socks. Sof Sole Sneaker Balls Shoe, Gym Bag and Locker Deodorizer
Give your shoes a fresh, clean scent with these sneaker ballsPerfect for gym bags, lockers and sport shoesTX-3™ odor-blocking formula targets perspiration odor6 twist-activated balls per package View shipping rates and policies This item is not eligible for international shipping. Amazon Best Sellers Rank: in Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry > Shoe, Jewelry & Watch Accessories > Shoe Care & Accessories If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support? See questions and answers 5 star67%4 star17%3 star7%2 star5%1 star4%See all verified purchase reviewsTop Customer ReviewsDoes the job: eliminates odors + masks odors|After using this exact product many years ago, I decided to give them a try since I couldn't remember if they worked well or not. The reviews here on Amazon, seemed mixed; stating that it either worked well at eliminating odors, or masked the odor instead of eliminating it. In an attempt to perform some semblance of a scientific venture, I performed a "pseduo-experiment" to evaluate the efficacy of this deodorizer.
I purchased this pack, since it was the cheapest option: Sof Sole Sport Sneaker Balls (3 Pack)I have a fairly smelly pair of shoes that I wear when biking through the city. I received the deodorizers and decided to test them on this pair of shoes, since I could see how well they eliminate already-formed odors. I measured the distance from the shoe opening to my nose over the course of 7 days to see if the distance would decrease; indicating that the funky feet odor was decreasing. Also, I noted the distance at which I could smell the distinct scent of the deodorizers; indicating if the deodorizers were turning my shoes into a pungently masked mess. In both measurements, I removed the deodorizer from the shoe. I always used the deodorizers with the hole open to the largest setting. Here's the results:Day 0 (I haven't used the deodorizers yet, so this is my control/standard):Distance nose to shoe (funky feet scent) - 2' 11"Distance nose to shoe (deodorizer scent) - null, I haven't used the deodorizer yet!
Day 1:Distance nose to shoe (funky feet scent) - 1' 9"Distance nose to shoe (deodorizer scent) - 0' 4"Day 2:Distance nose to shoe (funky feet scent) - 1' 3"Distance nose to shoe (deodorizer scent) - 0' 5"Day 3:Distance nose to shoe (funky feet scent) - 1' 0"Distance nose to shoe (deodorizer scent) - 0' 5"Day 4:Distance nose to shoe (funky feet scent) - 0' 6"Distance nose to shoe (deodorizer scent) - 0' 6"Day 5:Distance nose to shoe (funky feet scent) - 0' 5"Distance nose to shoe (deodorizer scent) - 0' 5"Day 6:Distance nose to shoe (funky feet scent) - 0' 3"Distance nose to shoe (deodorizer scent) - 0' 6"Day 7:Distance nose to shoe (funky feet scent) - 0' 2"Distance nose to shoe (deodorizer scent) - 0' 5"Overall, they appear to have done the job! The funky feet scent has drastically decreased, and while the scent of the deodorizer has certainly increased, it appears to have leveled off at 5-6" from the shoe opening. Furthermore, the distance of the deodorizer scent drops to 0" when I'm actually wearing the shoe, since the scent is unable to escape the confines of the shoe interior!
I'm pretty pleased with the product, but I can't speak on long term durability of the deodorizers (how long they'll last) or their performance in other types of shoes (my shoes are 90% all-leather, with only the sole of the inside of the shoe being cloth/fabric).So all-in-all, the deodorizers seem to both eliminate odors (decrease funky scent distance) as well as mask odors (overpower funky scent with deodorizer scent). However, the former is drastically more noticeable, so 5/5 stars!neutralizes odor, does good job with my smelly gym shoes||Amazing for stinky sports gear!!!||My minimalist style shoes and sandsocks really need ...||Exactly as we remember doing the job of keeping my closet from smelling like a locker room.||My son keeps these in all his ...||smells great to me|| See all customer images What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item? Tie Dye Sneaker Balls, 3 Pair x 1 Pack Mini Moso Natural Air Purifying Bags, Shoe Deodorizer and Odor Eliminator, (Two Bags Per Package)