---
title: "Smelly Shoes: How to Get Rid of Shoe Odour | Sole Oddity"
description: "Get rid of shoe odour (odor) with a two-week routine for your own pairs: rotation, drying, socks and safe washing, from NHS advice, plus when to see a GP."
url: https://soleoddity.me/smelly-shoes/
---

Two-week routine

# 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.

## 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](https://soleoddity.me/). Running shoes that smell and feel flat may simply be worn out: log them in the [mileage tracker](https://soleoddity.me/running-shoe-mileage-tracker/).

## Sources

All checked on 3 November 2026.

- NHS: [Smelly feet](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/smelly-feet/) (page last reviewed 16 July 2025, next review due 16 July 2028).
- Royal College of Podiatry: [Sweaty feet](https://rcpod.org.uk/common-foot-problems/sweaty-feet).
- American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA): [Sweaty feet](https://www.apma.org/patients-and-the-public/conditions-affecting-the-foot-and-ankle/sweaty-feet/).
- LOWA: [Shoes and the washing machine](https://lowa.com/en/tips/care-tips/washing-machine). Hanwag: [How to clean hiking boots](https://stories.hanwag.com/en/how-to-clean-hiking-boots/) (13 December 2023).
- Nike: [How to clean white shoes](https://www.nike.com/a/how-to-clean-white-shoes) (18 December 2024) and [How to clean mesh shoes](https://www.nike.com/a/how-to-clean-flyknit-mesh) (4 October 2023). Allbirds: [Shoe care](https://www.allbirds.com/pages/shoe-care). Crocs: [Customer service FAQs](https://www.crocs.com/customer-service/faqs).
- Red Wing Shoes: [Proper care](https://www.redwingshoes.com/articles/proper-care.html).

## Questions

**How do I get rid of the smell in my shoes?**

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.