July 15th, 2011 9:07am - Posted By: Kara
It is hot outside – and of course – our feet get hot.Have you ever had your feet feel so hot that you couldn’t wait to get somewhere and slip off your shoes or sandals – only to pass out from the smell of stinky feet!
The two most common and prime reasons that contribute the most to smelly feet are sweating from the feet and the type of shoes worn. Sweating, as we know, is an essential body process that not only maintains our body temperature but also assists in removing waste products from the body.
And --each foot has more than 250,000 sweat glands - so no wonder our feet smell so bad.
The main reason behind this odor is the bacteria – or more precisely the waste products of the bacteria ingesting the sweat. The bacteria excrete waste in the form of odor that sometimes smells like rotten onions or rotten eggs (let’s face it – neither is a great smell)
If you or a special someone suffers from this, there is hope!
Here are a few suggestions:
*Keep good hygiene by washing your feet daily with lukewarm water and anti-bacterial soap for the removal of bacteria.
*Wearing clean and dry socks made of wool, wool cotton mix and special synthetic knits made for athletic wear will move the moisture away from the foot and help the feet to breathe better. We have a great selection of Smartwool, Fits, Goodhew, and Thorlo socks that can help. Avoid wearing nylon socks and stockings as they don't allow the feet to breathe. Socks made of 100% cotton do breathe, but they also retain moisture which can contribute to foot odor.
*Make sure you change your socks daily and wash them after wearing as this will minimize the chances of bacteria to breed.
*Don't wear the same pair of shoes everyday ( of course we are going to say this) and give at least a day for the previous pair of shoes to dry out so that the built up moisture and smell gets removed.
*Don't wear shoes that are tight on your feet, and also purchase removable insoles for your shoes so that you can wash them occasionally. This will not only help you get rid of the odor, but will also help with the wear and tear of the shoes as the insoles absorb the moisture, not the shoe.
Of all the solutions for smelly feet, most experts (yes, there are experts on stinky feet) say that soaking the feet in strong black tea for 30 minutes once in a week is a highly effective. The tannic acid present in the tea destroys the bacteria and closes the pores which keep the feet dry for a longer duration of time.
Another solution is soaking your feet in two quarts of warm water containing two tablespoons of Epsom salt. Similarly, soaking your feet in a bowl filled with warm water and oats for 10 - 15 minutes is another solution.
To save a shoe – there are some different solutions. If the shoe can’t be washed, some people have had success with adding baking soda and swishing it around – but this is messy. Others have put the shoe in the freezer but again – when you go to the ice cube tray you are kinda grossed out. At The Good Sole we have the 10 Seconds Brand of shoe disinfectant and deodorizer which is terrific. It is a staff favorite and has saved many of our shoes.
So So – let’s enjoy the warm weather and feel free to take off your shoes in front of company!
