My shoes smell!!

andy83

How is the best way to stop my cycling shoes from smelling, they have started to smell not so fresh and little unsure of the best way to de oderise them apart from buy more lol

robmanic1

Have you tried keeping your rancid feet out of them?

andy83

Robmanic1 wrote:

Have you tried keeping your rancid feet out of them?

my feet smell of roses lol

to be honest that is not an option, i only have one rest day and that is hard, plus im skint and cant get anymore so need solution for current ones

Kieran_Burns

I bought some anti-bacterial shoe spray from Boots. That and taking the insole out and giving it a soak once a week

I keep the shoes in the same cupboard as my bike kit in the office and it was getting a little 'swampy' in their. I've bought an air-freshner and the shoe spray, and it's much better

andy83

might get myself some spray and hopefully should do the trick

thanks

cjcp

Had my BGs five years. Never washed them. Helps keep other people's cats out of the garden.

alfablue

The source of "trainer odour" (or cycle shoe smell) is often athletes foot - you may appear to be symptom free, but if you hit it hard with antifungal cream between your toes and antifungal spray in the shoes you may well find things resolve. (I have had to give several students this sort of advice as they stink out my office during tutorials! :twisted: ).

ince

I have had this issue too, all the damp weather has not helped. Today I opted for an old pair of shoes to give the ones I used all the time a day off to air.

SimonLyons

When my shoes get soaked and really smelly.

Dry them out. Then stick baking soda in them - leave overnight or however long you can, tip out excess - not perfect but does work a bit.

andy83

thanks for tips

really dont think its feet and more of they got too wet the other day as i forgot my overshoes

its more of a damp smell than bad feet!

alfablue

The athletes foot fungus loves damp warm conditions provided by cycling shoes. No amount of antibacterial treatment will get rid of it. It will live on your shoes and feet. However, most people I make this suggestion to seem to be in denial - honestly, its nothing to be ashamed of

vorsprung

It depends on the exact type of shoe but basically wash them in soapy water and then let them dry out completely

The smells are caused by bacteria. Bacteria grows in damp shoes. if you are using them EVERY day then they are never going to dry out properly

Lidl have a cycling special this week, word is their shoes are quite nice and they are certainly cheap

Rich158

I always use bicarb in my trainers, it works a treat as my colleagues will testify.

There are normally a minimum of one pair of running shoes, cycling shoes, and two pairs of formal shoes and a pair of trainers under my desk at any one time, so if there's an odour problem I'll know about it :shock:

Headhuunter

Yeah my shoes really start to honk after I've got them soaked in the rain. I keep them in the shed with the bike when they get too smelly. Someone here suggested stuffing them with old newspaper to dry them out. I haven't tried that yet though.

lost_in_thought

Yep, even my sandals can get a bit whiffy after they've been doused in the rain, or taken a trip into the Thames after I've forgotten my rowing shoes.

A few days to air usually sorts it. I look at it this way: I wear cycling shoes pretty much every day. I can't say that for any other variety of shoe I own, so therefore having several pairs of cycling shoes = good plan.

DonDaddyD

When I had athletes foot, it, nor my socks or trainers stunk. The skin on my feet just flaked. It happens. I was a teenager, its gone.

I stick my cycling shoes in the washing machine putting ariel liqutabs inside the actual shoe and soap powder around the shoe....

I've also put baby powder inside the shoe before a cycle, works and makes your pedals/crank look like it's smoking every down stroke.

Weirdly my cycling shoes stink but not as bad as my gloves :shock:

More than one pair helps in that I would (but don't) have a pair for commuting and a pair for weekends. Oversocks/shoes help, I think.

Deadeye Duck

The worst culpret(sp?) for bad smells has to be the padding in my helmet. My gloves and shoes smell like roses compared to my helmet padding after a few days. My head must sweat like a beast! :?

DonDaddyD

Deadeye Duck wrote:

My head must sweat like a beast! :?

This made me LoL!

Deadeye Duck

DonDaddyD wrote:

Deadeye Duck wrote:

My head must sweat like a beast! :?

This made me LoL!

Glad to have done my part in making society smile... :oops:

lastant

Put any offending trainers into a zip-lock plastic bag (or a well tied-up one!) and then into the freezer overnight*. Sounds barmy, but works!

I cycle in 'karate style' trainers so tend to just bung them in the washing machine once every month or so - cleans all the crap that they seem to pick up at the same time.

* - those trainers that hum a bit more may need a bit longer!

DonDaddyD

Bacteria stinks when hot. Think about it, you only stink when hot, food smells more when hot.

So after exercise - if you're a soap dodger - getting your body back down to a cool tempreture should help aid the not stinking.

So sticking stinky things in a freezer should work....

Are there any fizzycists who can confirm this? Greg66 I know you had a theory.

iainment

Try this - it seems to work , found on amerikan site when I suffered similar

1Examine the shoes. Are the insoles damp and causing the odor? Remove them and dry them. Or replace them with insoles formulated to kill bacterial growth, available at drugstores.

Step 2If the shoes are slightly damp, place them in the sun or near a heater and allow to dry thoroughly. Remove laces and lift the shoes' tongues to fully air out the shoes.

Step 3Put the shoes in a zipper-lock plastic bag and place them in the freezer overnight. The freezing temperatures will kill most odor-causing bacteria.

Step 4If odor remains after the freezing, pour baking soda into the shoes and leave it in overnight to absorb the odors. Or use products designed to remove shoe odor, which are available at supermarkets and drugstores.

Step 5If all else fails, go to a pet store and purchase an odor remover such as Nature's Miracle that contains enzymes or bacteria. The enzymes and bacteria in these products literally eat away the source of the bad odors. Follow the instructions carefully as you apply the product to your shoes.

tjwood

Bacteria are not killed by freezing, only temporarily frozen...

Over the years I've found Dettol Disinfectant Spray (comes in an aerosol can, in most supermarkets, in various scents) to be a very effective shoe deodoriser. It kills athletes foot fungus amongst other things. And smells nice.