Oh Stinky Feet!!!

[Olioli]

Hello everyone! First of all you guys are awesome! This is a great forum on getting advice too! So in that case I need your help...My friend has terrible ehm...foot odor. :oops: Literally after our class when we change our shoes I either have to move or hold my breath, it's pretty bad.
Now she is my friend and I love her to death. But how do you tell someone nicely that there feet smell? Dr. Oz (yes...the one from Oprah lol) mentioned that soaking your feet in tea for about a week or two gets rid of the odor. But how can I mention this idea to her? How can I get her to at least try it? This is nuts I know. But if it wouldnt be that bad I would not come here and ask for advice on this. I'm thinking about giving her a really nice gift basket with foot cream and slippers, nail polish etc.. but do I just put the tea in there???? LOL
Any advice would be great!
Thanks guys!

[nucat78]

Depends on how close you are to her. Could you just out and out tell her kindly and gently or would she get upset? Maybe say in casual conversation that *you* have a problem with your feet and you're trying to find a solution? Maybe she'll feel comfortable enough to share then that she has a problem and then you can make suggestions.

Never heard the tea thing but soaking in vinegar is supposed to help also. And no, you don't smell like pickles forever. Some people use antiperspirant / deodorant on their feet. Haven't tried that one.

As far as the tea goes, just stick it in the basket with a note saying "this is supposed to be really good for tired feet and smooth skin" or something innocuous like that.

[waltzgirl]

Odor Eaters Foot & Sneaker spray powder works really well if you use it regularly on your feet and/or in your shoes.

[latingal]

Welcome to DF Olioli!

[fascination]

it is likely no longer her feet which can be washed but rather her shose which have absorbed the smell and need to be treated or replaced......you could try the old..."ya know my dance shoes are really smelly...do yours get that way?...I think I am going to have to treat them today with (fill in the blank) or buy a new pair...do you ever have that problem?"...if she says yes, add "I think I'll buy a bottle of desenex that we can both use after dancing b/c I read that you pretty much have to stay on top of this"

[Joe]

Socks!

[etp777]

Pretty sure Mythbusters said vodka was effective on stinky feet, plus of course you can always drink rest of the bottle (preferably out of the bottle, not out of bowl you had feet in ;) )

[tanya_the_dancer]

I have same problem, and it is not the feet, it is the shoes which absorb sweat. I heard soaking cottonballs in vinegar and keeping them in your shoes for a day or 2 helps, but I tried it and I don't think it worked that great.

[nucat78]

Has anybody tried Fabreeze or Oust on shoes? I've seen people recommend pet odor removers for carpets or sealing the shoes in a plastic bad and putting them in the freezer overnight. The low temp supposedly kills the bacteria that cause the odor.

I have a jack-nasty pair of running shoes I might try the freezer trick on.

[etp777]

I've tried Febreze on walkign shoes (pair of New balance I used as commuter shoes to and from train station every day) with no success. I know of people who've calimed success with it before though. I haven't tried it on my dance shoes yet, haven't had a need.

[fascination]

see past stinky shoe threads for more helpful hints...I like to make a paste out of comet for the insides of my shoes when they are raunchy...then I let that dry in a hot dry space and brush it out...but read the old threads....

[waltzgirl]

I don't think it has to be treated as a touchy personal issue. Stinky shoes are kind of an "occupational hazard" for dancers (whether it's their occupation or not). Try taking a can of Odor Eaters spray to dance class and when you are changing your shoes, spray some in them, make some innocuous comment like "dance shoes sure get stinky after a while, don't they?" and offer her the can like it's no big deal.

[White Chacha]

Oh gosh. There was a loooong thread on smelly shoes that was running as recently as this past summer (remember when it was warm?).

(oops, missed Fasc's post above...)

[elisedance]

Olioli - welcome to DF!! We've had several threads on the shoe problem before that would be worth looking up but I think your question relates more to asking her to take some action than telling her how (though also doing the latter would be the constructive route of course). I have shoes that stink and ones that don't - that I have worn for equal period of time. Thus, in some cases it may not be the wearer but the shoe (I should work in a shoe shop eh?). I wonder if certain types of insole glue are prone to breakdown and smell. It might really help to have a new insole inserted into the shoe. This may suggest a way to distretely bring it up. Be honest - say that her shoes have acquired a bit of an odor (not too honest now!) and that you had that problem and replacing the insole seemed to help but sometimes one just has to change the shoe ... yada yada. Make it into a common problem and you may solve the issue without insult

Good luck!

[bastet]

The only shoes I've ever had turn smelly are the latin shoes I've had that are made from man-made materials. The man-made materials seem to absorb the sweat and turn your shoes in to a cess-pit evenutally (I guess that's the bacteria). None of the dance shoes I have that are all leather seem to have any problems (including my oldest Supadance shoes).

I eventually just gave up and tossed the problem shoes...nothing seemed to really help and the shoes themselves wore down right about the time the shoe smell got bad and so I needed a new pair anyway. I guess that was the trade off with the $55 dance shoes. More frequent replacement!

[Tenehill]

One more way to get rid of odors is to heat up the shoes.

This is a somewhat risky procedure, but worth a try on old shoes, since it works always. The risk is that the glues of the shoe will loosen up, and that the shoe will become smaller. Actually, some shrinkage is inevitable.

First the convection-type kitchen oven needs to be evaluated. Put a thermometer into the oven, on a middle or high shelf where shoes will go, and see whether you can achieve constant temperature 140 degrees at a low setting of the oven. Watch the temperature for 30 minutes after it comes close to 140. If the temperature jumps from 140 to more than 160 from time to time, special precautions must be taken. Otherwise, proceed as follows.

Use a large glass (preferred) or metal pan. Put one layer of thick paper and one layer of aluminum foil onto the pan. Put the shoes on the foil, in standing position. Very loosely cover the shoes with another layer of foil, in a way that will allow air circulation (build an open tent). Insert into the oven, into the same position where the thermometer was. Bake for 1-2 hours.

Extract, see whether a glue layer has gone loose. Is yes, press the leather layers firmly and let stand at room temperature. Often the glue will restore itself successfully when the shoe is cooled down.

Odors will be eliminated. To estimate the degree of shrinkage, maybe first try on an old pair. Once a shoe pair survived the procedure successfully, next time consider an increase in temperature by about ten degrees.

The temperatures above are in degrees Fahrenheit. Here's the conversion:

140 F = 60 C;
160 F = 71 C;
170 F = 77 C;
176 F = 80 C;
194 F = 90 C;

C = (5/9) * (F - 32).

With shoes made of natural materials, you can go up to 80-90 C, but there will be shrinkage.

There may be a weak uncommon smell in the kitchen, but it will quickly go away. The oven suffers no consequences.

[elisedance]

AFirst the convection-type kitchen oven needs to be verified. Put a thermometer into the oven, on a middle or high shelf where shoes will go, and see whether you can achieve constant temperature 140 degrees at a low setting of the oven. Watch the temperature for 30 minutes after it comes close to 140. If it jumps from 140 to more than 160, special precautions must be taken.

Just for anyone reading that is not from the US - you do mean oF and not oC right? I just had the uncomfortable thought of someone baking their shoes like a beef joint!

Also, does this totally stink out your whole house :)

[elisedance]

Maybe better to do it after the Turkey? :)

[Tenehill]

Maybe better to do it after the Turkey? :)

I added the temperature conversion table in the post.

Yes, how do you know?: after a large turkey (and after some wine that went to the same place where the best parts of the bird go), the shoes come out even better, with nice natural aroma :). But don't leave them overnight.

[elisedance]

And do resist the temptation to use them to cook and serve the oyster stuffing...

[DennisBeach]

Normally the problem is the shoes. products like SCOE 10x and others, can fix that. Perspiration gets into the shoes and creates bacteria, than when the shoes get the least bit damp, it release oder. Some products kill the bacteria and resolve the problem..