Vinyl Lining of Sandals + Sweat = Awful, Awful Smell

September 12, 2004 8:01 PM

How can I get rid of the odour that my sandals leave on my feet? They have a vinyl lining which creates an awful smell when contacted by sweat. This isn't a problem with any other footwear, and I've had a number of other people complain about this happening to them, so "wash your feet" would not be an appreciated response.
posted by DrJohnEvans to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (13 answers total)

Just a possibilty have you ever tried one of the salt stone kind of deodorants,
they're good for feet, or is it a vinyl chemical smell and not a bacteria smell?
posted by milovoo at 8:24 PM on September 12, 2004

Your shoes are stinky. Get new shoes.
posted by lazy-ville at 9:21 PM on September 12, 2004

I have some "slides" that had a similar problem - baking soda worked like a charm.
posted by taz at 11:57 PM on September 12, 2004

I second milovoo's recommendation.
posted by planetkyoto at 12:35 AM on September 13, 2004

Your sandals are not designed for real-world use. Buy a working pair, and hang your faulty ones on the wall as a conversation piece.
posted by Blue Stone at 1:54 AM on September 13, 2004

I deal with sandal stink by using a good scrub brush and soap then drying them in the Sun. The brush cleans off the bacteria housing gunk that accumulates and the UV from the sun kills of the remaining stinkers. I usually have to do this about 10 times a summer.
posted by srboisvert at 3:58 AM on September 13, 2004

I have this as an ongoing problem with my Tevas. My solution is currently to wash the sandals in very, very hot water using anti-bacterial Dawn dish soap and a stiff brush, then leaving them in the sun to dry. Note, however, that Tevas are designed to be totally submurged in water, so this may not be the solution for you.
posted by anastasiav at 6:44 AM on September 13, 2004

I scrub the shoes with Lysol or similar cleaning product. I also spray anti-bacterial stuff inside after they've dried. I don't dry them in the sun, but it seems to work fine anyway.
posted by Juicylicious at 7:13 AM on September 13, 2004

Any of the above, plus baking soda works as well.
posted by psmealey at 7:29 AM on September 13, 2004

What about leather sandals? I have a very weak nose, yet I can smell the foot-stink from my leather sandals. It's been hot here, so I'm loathe to wear shoes and socks, but I'm afraid of stinking up my place of work (especially if I can smell it, it must be driving my co-workers nuts).

I have cork soles, so submerging them in water isn't a great idea.
posted by rocketman at 7:53 AM on September 13, 2004

I didn't have this problem with 12 years of Tevas, but I've recently (past few months) switched to Keens (the toe protection is great addition), and they are indeed starting to reek. Haven't figured out a solution yet.
posted by Caviar at 8:00 AM on September 13, 2004

Chacos are better than Tevas and other sandals that have spongy strap materials, and have the added bonus of being fully washable. Toss them in the washing machine once a week and hey presto, no stink.
posted by norm at 8:50 AM on September 13, 2004

The smell is a condition known to me as swamp foot. I used to get it all the time when I wore Tevas, and the solution was to scrub them and scrub my feet. When even that wasn't enough, it was time to get a new pair. Leaving Maryland for the last time in 1999, I tossed my last pair out the window and presumably over the guardrail on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge as I crossed it. Those hundreds of fish that suddenly went belly up, that was all me.
posted by emelenjr at 9:11 AM on September 13, 2004