how do you keep your shoes from smelling bad?

smell

Oh yes... and rotate between at least 3 or more pairs of shoes. You must give time for the cedar trees to absorb moisture and odors, and you must allow the leather to dry out and reshape.

 

I use bowling shoe spray, ceder shoe trees, and soak my prescription orthotics in soap-and-water with baking soda added.

 

I have never noticed an odor, even in boat shoes which I wear sockless. Maybe it’s the daily shower? Since using cedar shoe trees, my shoes look better, but there was no smell to begin with. Must be lucky not to have stinky feet.

In my job I have naked feet a few inches from my nose every day, all day long. Very rarely is there an odor. When there is, it’s usually the rare, rude patient who hasn’t bathed before coming to see me. Considering my job, I do not comprehend how anyone could do that.

 

Touch of fresh baby powder has always worked for me.

 

Others have mention cedar tress--worthy advice. It's bit of a chore, but I remove the laces and let them air out for at least an hour before inserting the trees.

 

I've never removed laces from shoes just for purposes of using shoe trees. Quite the contrary in fact: I remove the shoes and insert trees without fuss within seconds.

 

I'm glad it works for you. Even if I do not remove the places, due to laziness etc., I do let them air our first. It's how I was taught and somethings stick with you. Like terminal prepositions; in English they're "acceptable", but their evil was simply drummed into me!

 

I would suggest that "perfectly acceptable" describes their status better. It is, after all, a rule which originates with Latin and was entirely artificially applied to English.

To quote the example commonly used to illustrate the pointlessness of that particular archaic rule, attributed to Winston Churchill when mocked by someone or other for ending a sentence with a preposition: "That is the sort of thing up with which I will not put!".

 

FWIW...baby powder is either cornstarch (with some fragrance) or talcum (aka French chalk). Neither are good for your shoes--anything that will dry your skin will dry the leather...taking th elife right out of it over time. And cornstarch can, in the presence of too much moisture form a kind of glue.

Also FWIW, sometime perspiring feet are not the culprit...or at least not the main culprit. Sometimes the leather has been poorly tanned or tanned with chemicals and additives that make it smell bad nearly all by itself.

Combined with heat and moisture (a jungle environment) and bacteria, it can be a toxic stew.

Bottom line is that healthy shoes and healthy feet will not, in the absence of other factors, smell bad.

 

fabric deodorizer
air freshener spray
baby powder