About
About Sole Oddity
A small set of free tools for the everyday shoe problems that send people searching: salt lines, squeaks, smells, tight fits, slipping heels and worn-out running shoes.
What it does
The shoe problem fixer answers seventy combinations of material and problem. The other pages go deeper on salt stains, squeaks, smells, measuring your feet, running shoe mileage and lacing for fit.
Where the advice comes from
Care steps come from shoe and boot makers’ own care guides, such as Red Wing, Dr. Martens, LOWA, Blundstone, Nike, Allbirds and Crocs, and each step says whose advice it is. Foot health comes from the NHS, the Royal College of Podiatry, the Australian Podiatry Association and APMA; sizing from ISO 9407; running shoe wear from peer-reviewed studies. Every page lists its sources and the date we checked them. Where we couldn’t find a reliable source, such as why vinegar lifts salt or what yellows rubber soles, we say so instead of guessing.
How it works
Everything runs in your browser. What you type into the tools is worked out on your device and is not sent anywhere. The running shoe tracker keeps its log in your browser’s local storage. The site uses Cloudflare Web Analytics, which counts page views without cookies or cross-site tracking and never receives what you type into the tools; see the privacy page.
The small print
This is general information, not medical or podiatry advice. Test any cleaner on a hidden spot first, and follow the care label or maker’s advice for your own shoes where it differs. For foot pain or a problem that won’t clear up, see a GP or a registered podiatrist. Sole Oddity has no shop, sells nothing and isn’t connected with any of the makers it quotes.