Comments on: Vinyl Lining of Sandals + Sweat = Awful, Awful Smell

Question: Vinyl Lining of Sandals + Sweat = Awful, Awful Smell

DrJohnEvans — Sun, 12 Sep 2004 20:01:37 -0800

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.

By: milovoo

milovoo — Sun, 12 Sep 2004 20:24:06 -0800

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?

By: lazy-ville

lazy-ville — Sun, 12 Sep 2004 21:21:47 -0800

Your shoes are stinky. Get new shoes.

By: taz

taz — Sun, 12 Sep 2004 23:57:51 -0800

I have some "slides" that had a similar problem - baking soda worked like a charm.

By: planetkyoto

planetkyoto — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 00:35:19 -0800

I second milovoo's recommendation.

By: Blue Stone

Blue Stone — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 01:54:43 -0800

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.

By: srboisvert

srboisvert — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 03:58:10 -0800

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.

By: anastasiav

anastasiav — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 06:44:17 -0800

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.

By: Juicylicious

Juicylicious — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 07:13:30 -0800

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.

By: psmealey

psmealey — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 07:29:03 -0800

Any of the above, plus baking soda works as well.

By: rocketman

rocketman — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 07:53:37 -0800

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.

By: Caviar

Caviar — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 08:00:33 -0800

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.

By: norm

norm — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 08:50:33 -0800

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.

By: emelenjr

emelenjr — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 09:11:26 -0800

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.