stinky boot remedies

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bennyjenkins

Joined
Dec 18, 2006
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anyone have a home remedy for stinky boots i.e. foot odor? I have a pair of hiking shoes I LOVE but they have become infected with that nasty swamp foot taint. Drying them out doesnt' work, nither does coffee grounds. Odor eaters is an obvious choice but I'd like to try field expedient/ home remedies first. Thanks.
 
I ran into a similar problem...it made my family gag. They insisted I had the beginning stages of jungle rot (lit red itchy bumps that started to peel, and kinda hurt), but I just pushed it aside. When I took my shoes off inside though, it seriously stank. I too, tried letting them dry in the sun, but luckily for me they were just cheap tennis shoes so I burnt them. From now on though, I put Gold Bond foot powder in my shoes :thumbup:
 
you can try cedar inserts, lysol spray, and baking soda. Remember to remove your insoles first.

If non of these work, a last ditch tip from Backpacker Magazine is this:
http://www.rei.com/product/694530

I find the lysol to be very helpful(another tip from Backpacker) The most important step is letting them dry, as soon as youare done with a hike or trip, take out the insoles and stuff with newspaper to dry. It's best to not dry your boots in the dryer
 
Wash the insides with hot water and soap, then let dry slowly(boot dryers work good). I was told this by a shoe repairman. The salt in your sweat tends to rust out the nails holding the soles on. Then use lots of foot powder. A change of socks halfway through the day will help also.
 
I am blessed with non-stinky feet. Don't even gather toe jam! However, baking soda as mentioned above does wonders. Buy a new box of baking soda and pour half a box in each boot. Let it sit like that for a couple of days and then remove it. Repeat if necessary. Try to keep you feet dry when using in the future.
 
The simplest/easiest way I got rid of my bad smelling shoes was to put scented dryer sheets in each one after I take them off for the day. One dryer sheet usually lasts a month so your wives won't even notice. There's no mess and no fuss (from other people complaining about your stinky feet).
 
i just stopped wearing shoes...

but seriously, when i have to wear shoes i just take them off as soon as possible, and try to wear appropriate socks to prevent excessive sweating. (just as thin as i can get away with without causing blisters or cold)

before i did that, and wore shoes all the time, i would frequently store them with gold bond foot powder in them at night. just a couple of dashes in each boot seemed to help alot.
 
+1 on the baking soda remedy. I've done it several times before.

Also, dry out those insoles and when you're not on the trail, don't wear them every day. Let them completely dry out and get rid of the nasty bacteria and fungus that causes the stank. A little Lysol should zap that stuff good.
 
Something I like to do when hiking is bring along a pair of flip-flops or water shoes. I wear them around the campsite after the heavy stuff is done. This gives your feet a chance to breathe, and gives the boots a couple more hours to dry out.
 
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