Smelly shoes: how to get rid of shoe odour for good
Shoe smell comes from sweat and bacteria, so the fix is mostly drying time. The NHS says to wash your feet at least once a day, never wear the same socks or shoes two days in a row, and let shoes dry out before you wear them again. Rotate at least two pairs, air each one overnight, wash the ones whose material allows it, and see a GP if it hasn’t improved.
Your routine
Sole OddityROT · 2 PR · 14 D
Shoe rotation · 16 Nov 2026 to 29 Nov 2026
2 pairs, turn about
1 PAIR
2 PAIRS
3 PAIRS
4 PAIRS
Every day
Morning: clean, dry feet, foot powder or antiperspirant (NHS), and clean socks of cotton or wool.
Never the same socks two days running (NHS).
Evening: wash your feet with soap, including between the toes, and dry them thoroughly (APMA).
Evening: take the insoles out of the pair you wore, loosen the laces and leave both to air somewhere dry, not on a radiator.
Day by day
Mon 16 NovDay 1
Work shoes
Tue 17 NovDay 2
Trainers
Wed 18 NovDay 3
Work shoes
Thu 19 NovDay 4
Trainers
Fri 20 NovDay 5
Work shoes
Sat 21 NovDay 6
Trainers
Evening: wash the Trainers: hand-wash with mild soap and cool water, or a gentle cold machine cycle only if the label allows it; air dry, no tumble dryer.
Sun 22 NovDay 7
Work shoes
Swap in fresh or deodorising insoles, or wash the insoles if their maker allows it, and let them dry fully.
Mon 23 NovDay 8
Trainers
Wear the Trainers again only if they are fully dry; if not, give them another day.
Tue 24 NovDay 9
Work shoes
Wed 25 NovDay 10
Trainers
Thu 26 NovDay 11
Work shoes
Fri 27 NovDay 12
Trainers
Sat 28 NovDay 13
Work shoes
Sun 29 NovDay 14
Trainers
Check-in: smell better? Keep the rotation going. Not better after treating it yourself, or affecting your daily life? See a GP (NHS).
Pairs
Work shoes: worn 7 of 14 days
Trainers: worn 7 of 14 days
Why shoes smell
The NHS says the main causes of smelly feet are a build-up of sweat and bacteria, and fungal infections such as athlete’s foot. The Royal College of Podiatry explains the mechanism: feet have around 250,000 sweat glands, and bacteria on the skin break the sweat down, which is what you smell. A shoe is a warm, dark sponge for all of it, and a pair worn every day doesn’t get the chance to dry out.
Some people sweat more than others. The NHS lists hot weather, exercise, standing all day, being overweight, hormonal changes during puberty, menopause and pregnancy, some medicines such as antidepressants, and hyperhidrosis, a condition that causes excessive sweating.
How the routine works
With two pairs, each one gets a full day and two nights to dry between wears.
Enter the pairs you actually own, in the order you would wear them. The planner gives each day a pair, so no pair is worn two days running, which is the NHS’s rule and the Royal College of Podiatry’s advice to rotate shoes so they can dry out. It adds the daily foot routine, a wash for each pair whose material can take one, an insole swap at the end of week one and a check-in on day fourteen. With one pair it still plans, but warns you: one pair never gets a day off.
Worked example: the plan above starts on Monday 16 November 2026 with leather work shoes and knit trainers. The work shoes are worn on days 1, 3, 5 and so on; the trainers on days 2, 4 and 6. The trainers are washed on the evening of Saturday 21 November, their last outing of week one, and have until Monday 23 November to dry. The insoles are refreshed on Sunday 22 November, and Sunday 29 November is the check-in.
Which shoes can be washed
Material
Washing
Whose advice
Smooth leather, suede, nubuck, patent
No machine. Air inside, insoles out, paper changed daily.
LOWA, Hanwag
Canvas
By hand, mild soap, cool water, air dry
Nike says the machine causes unnecessary wear on canvas
Knit or mesh
By hand; machine only if the maker allows it, cold and gentle, no dryer
Nike (no machine), Allbirds (most can go in)
Rubber or EVA
Mild soap and cold water, or a gentle machine cycle for Crocs’ Croslite; air dry
Crocs
Socks, powder and the rest
Feet: wash them at least once a day, with antibacterial soap if you can (NHS), including between the toes, and dry them thoroughly (APMA).
Socks: clean every day, in breathable or natural fabrics. The Royal College of Podiatry suggests wool, cotton or a mix. With hyperhidrosis, the NHS says to change them at least twice a day.
Powder: the NHS suggests foot powder or an antiperspirant on the feet.
Insoles: the Royal College of Podiatry suggests detachable insoles, or medicated insoles with a deodorising effect.
Fit: the NHS says not to wear tight shoes.
A pharmacist can suggest antibacterial soaps, powders and creams, foot deodorant, medicated insoles and antibacterial socks, according to the NHS page.
When to see a GP or podiatrist
The NHS says to see a GP if your smelly feet have not got better after treating them yourself, or if they are affecting your daily life. A GP may prescribe a stronger antiperspirant or a treatment to reduce sweating, and may refer you to a podiatrist if the problem does not clear up quickly; in some areas you can refer yourself. The Royal College of Podiatry’s general rule is to get help for any foot problem that hasn’t cleared up within three weeks, and to check that a podiatrist is registered with the HCPC. In the US, APMA suggests seeing a podiatrist if your feet sweat excessively.
This is general information, not medical advice. If you think it may be an infection, or anything about your feet worries you, ask a pharmacist or GP rather than relying on a routine.
If you only have one pair
Then drying overnight has to do all the work. Take the insoles out as soon as you get home, loosen the laces right down, stuff the shoes loosely with newspaper and leave them somewhere airy, not on a radiator. Change the paper if it comes out damp. Use the weekend for the wash, if the material allows it, and wear something else while they dry. Travelling for Thanksgiving on Thursday 26 November 2026, or over Christmas, is a good time to pack a second pair rather than wearing one pair for a week of visits.
Common mistakes
One pair, every day. It never dries. Even a cheap second pair changes that.
Drying on a radiator. Red Wing says heat dries leather out, and Crocs says it can warp foam.
Leather in the washing machine. LOWA says never.
Masking the smell with sprays while the shoes stay damp. Drying comes first.
For one-off fixes by material, try the shoe problem fixer. Running shoes that smell and feel flat may simply be worn out: log them in the mileage tracker.
Sources
All checked on 3 November 2026.
NHS: Smelly feet (page last reviewed 16 July 2025, next review due 16 July 2028).
Give each pair a day off to dry between wears, take the insoles out overnight, wash the shoes if the material allows it, and treat your feet too: wash them daily, wear clean cotton or wool socks and use foot powder. That is the NHS and Royal College of Podiatry advice in short.
How long should shoes dry between wears?
The NHS doesn’t give a number of hours. It says to let shoes dry out before wearing them again and not to wear the same pair two days in a row, which in practice means at least a day off between wears.
Can I put smelly trainers in the washing machine?
Only if the maker allows it. Allbirds says most of its shoes can go in on a gentle, cold cycle; Nike doesn’t recommend the machine for its shoes; LOWA says never for leather or synthetic shoes. Never tumble dry them.
Can smelly feet be a fungal infection?
Yes. The NHS lists fungal infections like athlete’s foot among the main causes. A pharmacist can suggest treatments, and a GP can prescribe a stronger antifungal if needed.
When should I see a doctor about smelly feet?
The NHS says to see a GP if the smell hasn’t got better after treating it yourself, or if it is affecting your daily life. A GP may refer you to a podiatrist, and in some areas you can refer yourself.