How To Get a Bad Smell Out Of Shoes

Everybody has a favorite repair of shoes. A pair of shoes that you will reach for every time you leave the house.

Shoes that are perfectly sculpted to the shape of your feet and incredibly comfortable. Shoes that you may have even had re-soled from time to time. Simply put – your favorite shoes. 

But when you wear shoes that often, it is incredibly common for these shoes to become smelly.

Unfortunately, getting that used smell out of shoes isn’t as easy as cleaning clothes, and often throwing them in the washer-dryer isn’t enough to get rid of the stench of feet. 

Thankfully, there are a couple of different methods that you can use to get the smell of feet out of your shoes.

In this guide, I’ll be telling you all about 3 of the best methods for doing this. So if you want to find out more, keep on reading!

Can You Fix Smelly Shoes?

So, can you fix smelly shoes? Well, you will be happy to hear that you can! While some shoes may be beyond the point of repair, this is very rare, and most of the time you will be able to remove the smell from your shoes.

Even if the shoes are particularly smelly, a couple of cleaning attempts should be able to remove the smell. 

Depending on what is causing the shoes to smell, the cleaning method will be different.

If the stench is coming from the outside of the shoes, then typically a quick cycle in the washer-dryer will be able to remove the smell from your shoes. These smells are typically surface-level stains, so they will be easy to resolve. 

Most of the time, the smell that is causing your shoes to be smelly is coming from inside the shoes.

If you wear your shoes regularly, it is common for your shoes to begin smelling like feet, and it is this smell that I am focusing on in this guide.

So with no further ado, let’s take a look at some of the methods that you can use for removing smell from your shoes. 

How To Get Smell Out Of Shoes

There are a couple of different methods that you can use for getting the smell out of your shoes.

I’ll go through these one by one, so that you can follow the method that works best for you! 

Method 1 – Kitty Litter

The first method is a little unorthodox, but it actually works surprisingly well. This method not only works if your shoes are smelly, but if they are wet inside too. 

If you have a pet cat, then you will probably have lots of kitty litter at home. This litter is where your cats do their business, so if you are following this method, it is best to keep your shoes out of your cat’s reach. Just to be safe. 

To use this method, simply scoop some clean kitty litter into your shoes. This method works as kitty litter is designed to absorb moisture, and the thing that makes your shoes smell is moisture in the form of sweat.

The kitty litter will draw the sweat (and the bacteria associated with it) out of your shoes and into the litter. After a few hours, simply pour the litter from your shoes into the bin.

As the moisture is removed from your shoes, the smell will come with it, leaving your shoes smelling a lot fresher. This method won’t leave your shoes smelling good, but it will remove the bad smell.

So we would recommend throwing your shoes in the washer-dryer for a quick cycle after this method, just to give them that fresh smell. 

Method 2 – Freeze Your Shoes

If you thought the last method was a little unorthodox, just wait until you hear this one. We know this seems like a strange method, but it really does work, so if you have room in your freezer why not give it a try?

If your shoes are particularly smelly, then this is probably one of the best methods for you! Freezing your shoes works to remove smells because the reason that your shoes are smelly is because they are riddled with bacteria.

Bacteria thrives in warm and dark environments, which is exactly what your shoes provide. But extreme temperatures kill bacteria, and this is why freezing your shoes works. 

To freeze the bacteria in your shoes, simply throw your shoes into a plastic bag and seal the bag tightly.

Then place the bag on an empty shelf in your freezer, and leave them for a little while. I would generally recommend that you do this overnight. 

In the morning, simply pull your shoes out of the freezer and leave them to thaw. As the ice melts, you will likely notice that your shoes don’t smell anymore as the bacteria that were once living in your shoes has died! 

Method 3 – Deodorize Your Shoes 

Finally, you should try deodorizing your shoes. This is the perfect method to use if your shoes are not suitable for machine washing. 

To do this, you will need to mix a deodorizing spray. You can easily do this by mixing half a cup of vinegar with half a cup of water and putting it in a spray bottle.

Spray the mixture on the inside of your shoes and give the inside a wipe out with a soft towel. This will make your shoes wet, so leave them to dry in a place that gets good airflow. 

Once your shoes have dried, you will notice that the smell has gone. Give them a quick spray of Febreze fabric to give them a fresh scent, and then your shoes are good to go! 

Summary

In short, there are lots of ways to get the smell out of shoes. In this guide, I have told you all about 3 of the best methods for doing this.

All of which can be done using items you already have at home. So if you want to find out more, check out the guide above. 

Thanks for reading!