I recently purchased myself a pair of Merrell Pace Gloves. I love how lightweight and flexible they are, and even though I haven’t really been putting much effort into training myself to barefoot run, I still wear them all the time. And it’s starting to show… in the nose. After six weeks of barefoot wear, my new shoes smelled like bad, bad cheese.
Before. Ick.
This isn’t the first time this has happened to me—I had a pair of barefoot shoes from Rockport a few years ago, and they turned into the stinky stuff of legend. I couldn’t take my shoes off anywhere, lest I kill some poor old lady with the rank cloud that emerged from them whenever they were released from my feet. Yelch. We tried throwing them in the wash (as they were washable, as are the Merrell ones), using a mild bleach solution, and using borax. Nothing killed the stench for more than two wears. So, eventually the shoes ended up getting thrown out. Sad.
Soak it!
The Merrell shoes have built in antimicrobial action from Aegis®. Unfortunately, this is not the be-all-and-end-all of keeping your shoes from smelling like the backside of a cow with digestive problems. I think it helped delay the onset of the stench, but once the stink had set up camp, the antimicrobial didn’t stop the stink’s relatives from moving in.
After!
So I fixed it. The stench, that is. And it was incredibly easy, and has lasted more than two washes. It’s just baking soda (USA / Canada) and hydrogen peroxide. Baking soda is a deodorizer, and hydrogen peroxide is a great antibacterial. Simply make a slurry of the two ingredients and pour half of the mixture into each shoe. Leave the shoes in the sink to soak, and after an hour or so, rinse. You can reach in there with an old toothbrush and scrub a bit if you’re feeling so inclined.
Et voila. Your barefoot shoes are bare of the foot smell once again.
I recently found your site and have to say I’m thouroughly impressed! I was looking for a natural deep conditioner, as I currently use the ol’ baking soda/ACV combination on my hair (which is great but a bit drying on my length in the winter), and up pops a shea butter hair soap recipe. Interesting but I’m a bit nervous to try it-I’ve never made soap before and it seem pretty challenging. But I digress. Thank you for posting this article! I have some barefoot shoes and have been trying to get rid of the smell for ages! You’re amazing and a life saver 🙂
Thanks for visiting, Heather! If you’re still looking for something for your dry ends, I’d recommend checking out my hair balm and my hair serum. They’re both total lifesavers during the dry winter! And don’t be afraid to make your own soap—just make sure to treat the lye with respect and do it without any kiddos or curious pets around 🙂
You ROCK, Marie! But then you know that…this works very well. I have been dusting my Barefoot sneakers with after-shower type powder but now I’m dusting them with a little baking soda right before I put my shoes on each time, as well!
Thanks!
I’m so glad you’ve got your barefoot shoes back to brand new 🙂 Enjoy!
I’ve been using this recipe periodically on my dog’s stinky collar for many years. (I leave it to soak overnight.) It’s the only thing that gets out the stink! Never thought to use it on shoes…..
Ha! I guess it’s good for all things rank—as it should be 😛