# Deodorizing boat shoes



## vwguy (Jul 23, 2004)

What can you do to deodorize boats shoes you've had for awhile? Is it a lost cause?

Brian


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## chadn2000 (Aug 4, 2006)

*LL Bean boat shoes*

I too have the same problem as you with virtually every other shoe/sneaker I own. My feet are like a sweat factory, and most of my shoes that are worn sockless stink.

For some reason though, my Bean boat shoes are unbelievable, they've never stopped smelling like leather, no matter how many straight days I wear them without socks. They must be very well ventilated or just flat out impervious to stink, because every other shoe I own is disgusting.

Give them a try, they look better than Sperry's in my view and they never smell!


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## clemsontiger (Jun 9, 2007)

As a note in the future, shoe trees will help prevent your shoes from stinking and may help alleviate some of the smell in the shoes you have now.


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## egadfly (Nov 10, 2006)

Salt water. I just dunk mine in the drink and let 'em dry out in the sun for a day or so.

No doubt this is terrible for the leather, but I've never believed in babying my boat shoes, and it makes odor a non-issue.

EGF


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## vwguy (Jul 23, 2004)

OK, so what about loafers? My Quoddy Canoe Mocs could use some freshening up as well.

Brian


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## GMC (Nov 8, 2006)

*Listen to the man*



egadfly said:


> Salt water. I just dunk mine in the drink and let 'em dry out in the sun for a day or so.
> 
> No doubt this is terrible for the leather, but I've never believed in babying my boat shoes, and it makes odor a non-issue.
> 
> EGF


And if you're not near the drink a long, up-close session with the garden hose followed by a couple of days on the porch will get you most of the way there. A "mistreated" pair of boat shoes will still last a long time.


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## egadfly (Nov 10, 2006)

vwguy said:


> OK, so what about loafers? My Quoddy Canoe Mocs could use some freshening up as well.


Cedar trees, as CT suggests. Also, I keep a pair of these in the loafers I wear sockless. Great product.

EGF


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## vwguy (Jul 23, 2004)

Shoe trees for boat shoes or mocs seem overkill, isn't there some sort of "odor eater" powder, ball, etc you can put in there?

Brian


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## wereed (Aug 1, 2006)

vwguy said:


> Shoe trees for boat shoes or mocs seem overkill, isn't there some sort of "odor eater" powder, ball, etc you can put in there?
> 
> Brian


I tried the odor eater balls in a pair of moccasins I own, and they didn't work very well. Maybe they were beyond repair. While the concept of a shoe tree inside a pair of boat shoes does seem overkill, I think shoe trees do the best job against fighting odors.

Walt


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## knickerbacker (Jun 27, 2005)

vwguy said:


> OK, so what about loafers? My Quoddy Canoe Mocs could use some freshening up as well.
> 
> Brian


The cedar shoe tree works so well that I now use them in running shoes just for odor control. It works wonders and at $15-20 a pair is way cheaper than using insoles and powders which generally don't work. I have found this alone to be very effective so it doesn't seem like overkill to me. The other thing you can do is a very thorough saddle soap wash inside and out without going ape on getting them wet on the inside.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

I live in Florida and grew up wearing boat shoes without socks in the heat and humidity.
Rule #1 is never go sockless without a little GB. Besides the odor, you can also give yourself 'athlete's foot'.
It's more about prevention than cure. Once the shoes are stinky there's not a whole lot you can do. Even washing them will only work for a day or two then the smell will come back. The odor is in the shoe like mildew. It continues to transfer to your feet. Even if you clean all except one microscopic cell, as soon as they get warm with your feet in them, it grows again.


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## Submariner (May 6, 2006)

I have heard tell that dipping the shoes into a pool, in lieu of a salty body of water as the gentleman above suggested, will do the trick as well. The smell is caused by bacteria, the chlorine will kill the bacteria. Allow them to dry in the sun afterwards. I haven't tried this method on my topsiders (which always stink to high heaven) but I've heard it works. I would imagine that you would have a slight chlorine smell to them afterward, but it has to be better than the status quo.


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## Andy S. (Mar 27, 2007)

This may sound a little extreme, but from the auto detailing experience I have, I would probably use an ozone generator to deodorize shoes. Those who own them (they're not cheap) swear by them, they truly eliminate the odor. There is a cheaper alternative, though. , and I wouldn't hesitate to try what they offer in their odor removal section. I would go with any organic stain remover. Just a thought...


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## Tom Buchanan (Nov 7, 2005)

There is an easier and cheaper solution.

Buy a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and pour lots in the boat shoes. Then watch the bacteria bubble away. Rinse with water, allow to dry, and go on with life.

If you do not know, hydrogen peroxide is hydrogen heavy water and is generally harmless. They even put it in toothpaste now.


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

Tom Buchanan said:


> There is an easier and cheaper solution.
> 
> Buy a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and pour lots in the boat shoes. Then watch the bacteria bubble away. Rinse with water, allow to dry, and go on with life.
> 
> If you do not know, hydrogen peroxide is hydrogen heavy water and is generally harmless. They even put it in toothpaste now.


Have you actually tried this? I was under the impression that hydrogen peroxide was a pretty potent bleaching agent. I'd think at the very least it would do an unfortunate number on the leather dye, and worst-case might do some serious damage to the shoe materials. Are you saying you've poured this stuff in your own boat shoes and it didn't ruin them?

Peter


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## A.Squire (Apr 5, 2006)

Gents, please remember that two olives per each martini will produce enough brine at the end of each drink to treat one shoe. A dab will do, but must be repeated each night of the week.

Alternatively, you might try the following:
one medium lime
Tanqueray Rangpur Gin
tonic
ice.
Squeeze contents of one lime in your boat shoes and leave overnight.

Mix four clugs of gin, tonic and ice into a glass and enjoy.


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## qwerty (Jun 24, 2005)

*Similar to Gold Bond*

I wear Desenex on my feet when I am going barefoot. I even sprinkle some on my feet when I am wearing socks. It keeps one's feet and shoes odor-free.

The best way to fix odor problems is to preclude their occurrence.


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## GMC (Nov 8, 2006)

*Damnit, Squire*

I just ended up drinking from my boat shoe.


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## Tom Buchanan (Nov 7, 2005)

The Continental Fop said:


> Have you actually tried this? I was under the impression that hydrogen peroxide was a pretty potent bleaching agent. I'd think at the very least it would do an unfortunate number on the leather dye, and worst-case might do some serious damage to the shoe materials. Are you saying you've poured this stuff in your own boat shoes and it didn't ruin them?
> 
> Peter


I have used hyrdogen peroxide many times on old shoes with no ill effects. Although I realize that it is used as a hair bleach, I do not think that it normally bleaches normal dyes or pigments. It is certainly not potent. Maybe if you soaked them and then put them directly in the sun without rinsing, it could bleach, but I have not had it happen.

Try it and watch your troubles bubble away. Just give a good rinse afterwards.


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## vwguy (Jul 23, 2004)

With the soft leather of boat shoes & Quoddy Mocs, I'd be afraid a cedar shoe tree would stretch them out, do you use a smaller size?

Brian


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

Tom Buchanan said:


> I have used hyrdogen peroxide many times on old shoes with no ill effects. Although I realize that it is used as a hair bleach, I do not think that it normally bleaches normal dyes or pigments. It is certainly not potent. Maybe if you soaked them and then put them directly in the sun without rinsing, it could bleach, but I have not had it happen.
> 
> Try it and watch your troubles bubble away. Just give a good rinse afterwards.


Okay, that sounds reasonable, thank you for the tip. I'm going to test this method on a pair of bespoke Lobbs first, though, before risking my Quoddy boat shoes.

Peter


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

ksinc said:


> I live in Florida and grew up wearing boat shoes without socks in the heat and humidity.
> Rule #1 is never go sockless without a little GB. Besides the odor, you can also give yourself 'athlete's foot'.
> It's more about prevention than cure. Once the shoes are stinky there's not a whole lot you can do. Even washing them will only work for a day or two then the smell will come back. The odor is in the shoe like mildew. It continues to transfer to your feet. Even if you clean all except one microscopic cell, as soon as they get warm with your feet in them, it grows again.


I'll second the Goldbond suggestion. I've never had an odor problem with my boats or pennies but, my running shoes...now that's another story! Perhaps I'll give the shoetrees a shot with those?


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## wnh (Nov 4, 2006)

If you don't want to go the (relatively expensive) cedar shoe tree route for your boat shoes, may I recommend some homemade cedar shoe bags? My wife had some mesh fabric lying around (cheap at Wal-Mart, though I've heard they're phasing out their crafts department by the end of the year). So I bought some cedar pet bed chips (from the pet department -- a large bag cost only a couple bucks) and put a good amount in some large squares of the mesh that I cut. Then I rolled the mesh a few times and secured the ends with some thread (you can just tie it off) and some rubber bands. 

You'll want to take them outside and probably drop then on the ground a few times to get the smaller pieces of cedar out. They're not pretty, but the cedar absorbs odors. And you can't beat the price.


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## egadfly (Nov 10, 2006)

vwguy said:


> Shoe trees for boat shoes or mocs seem overkill, isn't there some sort of "odor eater" powder, ball, etc you can put in there?


I have tried some of those products, and have not noticed that they do a bit of good. As for shoe trees, I keep them in my loafers; boat shoes I treat with the salt-water method outlined above.



eagle2250 said:


> I'll second the Goldbond suggestion. I've never had an odor problem with my boats or pennies but, my running shoes...now that's another story! Perhaps I'll give the shoetrees a shot with those?


For what it's worth, when I get home from a run, I immediately pull the removable insoles out of my shoes, and place them (and the shoes) next to the dehumidifier in the basement -- doing so, in connection with rotating two pairs of running shoes, seems to keep the odor problem at bay. Also, a few times a year, I toss my trainers in the washing machine.

EGF


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## mcarthur (Jul 18, 2005)

According to the professionals running shoe experts the running shoes provide the maximum support for up no more than six months. The running shoes should then be donated.


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## EastVillageTrad (May 12, 2006)

I tried this Hyrdo-Peroxide last night on some Topsiders that were pretty bad off, I bought a large bottle of peroxide and dumped the whole thing into the shoes, let them sit for 1/2 hour and boy did they clean out - rinsed and they are drying now - hopefully will kill some of the grime, they were starting to smell like a wet dog.


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## gar1013 (Sep 24, 2007)

You could try freezing the shoes - a good hard freeze should kill off the bacteria.

Also, start using Goldbond. It's REALLY great stuff.


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## gtguyzach (Nov 18, 2006)

I've been using the wnh approach of cedar bags and I find this as well as good foot washing in the shower and alternating my boat shoes works quite well.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

I put odor eaters in all my shoes. They even have an "industrial strength" odor eater for sneakers. Works like a charm.

Cruiser


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

wnh said:


> If you don't want to go the (relatively expensive) cedar shoe tree route for your boat shoes, may I recommend some homemade cedar shoe bags? My wife had some mesh fabric lying around (cheap at Wal-Mart, though I've heard they're phasing out their crafts department by the end of the year). So I bought some cedar pet bed chips (from the pet department -- a large bag cost only a couple bucks) and put a good amount in some large squares of the mesh that I cut. Then I rolled the mesh a few times and secured the ends with some thread (you can just tie it off) and some rubber bands.
> 
> You'll want to take them outside and probably drop then on the ground a few times to get the smaller pieces of cedar out. They're not pretty, but the cedar absorbs odors. And you can't beat the price.


I like the cedar shoe bag idea. How about filling some old socks with the cedar chips?


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## Quay (Mar 29, 2008)

I've yet to have a pair of shoes that cedar shoe trees couldn't conquer, even boat shoes. 

The two keys I've found for preventing problems in the first place:

--never wear the same shoes two days in a row. Give them at least a day, preferably two or three, between wearings. And keep the shoe trees in them the whole time if possible.
--use some natural lavender oil (not something that simply smells of lavender but essential oil of lavender) between all toes. It's a powerful antibacterial and keeps shoes and feet smelling fresh. Since I found out about this from a friend I've not had a problem in many years with athlete's foot or any other bacterial invaders. One of nature's little wonders.

Although after reading this thread I do think the gin solution is most worthy of repeated experimentation and also sound like a lot more fun.

Cordially,
Adrian Quay


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## B R A N D X® (Mar 15, 2008)

I have several pairs of the invisible/hideaway socks (or whatever they're called) that AE sells. This, alone, helps. They give you the sockless look, but with sock material covering the parts of your feet that are behind leather.

You can also use underarm deodorant on the soles of your feet. My preference is for Sharp's Barber and Shop "Happy Me Pit Guard" which is scent and dye free.

That trick combined with alternating shoes and using cedar trees has worked for me.

In reference to the question about shoe trees stretching out shoes like Quoddy Boats.....for my Quoddi I use a tree that slips right in with no fore/aft pressure.


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## babycatcher (Apr 6, 2008)

The cedar shoe trees , IMHO, are are the best preventive maintenance. Peroxide or salt water will indeed kill bacteria, but these are still technically dilute solutions, with much more water than active agents---so if the shoes get really wet, this will buy you time, but the smell will come back.

I would suggest donating or tossing the stinkers out. Weathered and worn may be Trad, and though I am new to the forum, I am certain that smelly is NOT Trad.:crazy:


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## Intrepid (Feb 20, 2005)

*From Andy ???*

A couple of years ago, this came up, and someone posting under the name "Andy" recommended that panty hose filled with kitty litter was the route to go.

This generated so many yuks, that there was a strong view that this was posted by a troll.

At any rate, it was removed from the encyclopedia of sartorial excellence, or whatever it is called.


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## BPH (Mar 19, 2007)

Intrepid said:


> A couple of years ago, his came up, and someone posting under the name "Andy" recommended that panty hose filled with kitty litter was the route to go.
> 
> This generated so many yuks, that there was a strong view that this was posted by a troll.
> 
> At any rate, it was removed from the encyclopedia of sartorial excellence, or whatever it is called.


I can see why that might work and as long as he wasn't suggesting used kitty litter don't know why anyone would think it such a bad idea.

The hydrogen peroxide idea is one I will definately try. What you normally buy from a pharmacy is a very diluted solution to be used as an antiseptic for cleaning wounds etc. I suspect the bleaching type is more concentrated.


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## reedcs1 (Jul 9, 2008)

*EVT*

EVT... Did the hydrogenperoxide trick work?


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## EastVillageTrad (May 12, 2006)

Yes, it seems to have done the trick. They've gotten back a little funk over this summer so far, but nothing like before. 

I'd recommend this trick in the future.


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## S. Kelly (Jan 19, 2008)

My wife told me to try a dryer sheet, rolled up into the shoe and to leave it there for a few days. It worked, but I don't know what good it will do long term.


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