There are several reasons why someone may experience foot odor. Sometimes the issue can be one of hygiene, while for others it can be a medical condition. Finally, some people just have stronger body odors than others. Regardless of the reason, to avoid embarrassment it is important to address the issue.
The first step toward keeping your feet smelling fresh is to rotate between several pairs of shoes. This allows each pair of shoes to dry out completely between each wearing. Wearing the same pair of shoes on a daily basis is a sure way to have stinky feet and even have shoes that develop such a strong odor that it is impossible to remove.
Next, step up the hygiene on your feet. Wash and dry your feet thoroughly twice each day. Before you put on shoes or socks, apply a deodorizing foot powder to your feet, paying particular attention to the areas between your toes.
Keep your toenails clipped and apply lotion to any areas where the skin is rough. This reduces the areas where sweat and odor causing bacteria can settle. Reducing sweat and bacteria reduces the odor that your feet generate.
If you have a problem with foot odor, it is helpful to choose shoes made from natural materials, such as leather. Manmade materials, like plastic and vinyl, don’t breathe. This keeps moisture trapped against the foot and can lead to foot odor in people with even the best hygiene. If you have a pair of shoes that you love and they are made of manmade materials, wear them sparingly, and sprinkle extra foot powder inside the shoes before putting them on. After wearing them, allow them to air out before tossing them into your closet.
The best hygiene in the world will not help if you continually wear shoes that already have a foot odor. You don’t have to throw away all of your shoes, but proper cleaning is important. Any shoes that can be machine washed will benefit from doing that.
For shoes that cannot be machine washed, wipe the inside of them out with a cloth dampened with antibacterial cleaning liquid. Once you have wiped the inside of the shoes out, set them outside in the sun to dry. The sunlight does a great job of killing the odor causing bacteria in the shoes. Finally, store you shoes with a ball of loosely crumpled newspaper inside. The newspaper helps to absorb foot odors.