Almost 7 year old's feet smell AWFUL

[Anonymous]

We were dealing with this recently. I've found that the easiest way to prevent this is to air the shoes out as much as possible between wears but we also made a super easy DIY shoe spray. A relative significant amount (10-15 drops) of tea tree essential oil into a spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol got rid of odors baked into the show that a washing machine couldn't.

Our 5 and 8 year old are now required to spray the inside of their shoes as part of their weekly chores.

[Anonymous]

Buy “on your toes” powder (it is just powdered zinc) from Amazon and use exactly as directed in shoes and on feet. Will solve the problem entirely in a few days. Only thing that actually works.

[Anonymous]

I have sweaty hands and feet and have always had stinky feet. Washable shoes are a game changer. Throw away her socks and shoes and get new washable ones. Seriously, don't try to salvage them, just start fresh. Wash shoes in vinegar or enzyme cleaner as soon as they start to smell, rotate shoes, and get shoe liners like these: https://www.amazon.com/FLAT-SOCKS-Moisture-wicking-Breathable-Explosion/dp/B0BVGKND5Y/ref=pd_day0fbt_softlines_d_sccl_1/136-1932835-5739445?pd_rd_w=h3hXU&content-id=amzn1.sym.2279ea12-5619-4202-8979-7016a550b5be&pf_rd_p=2279ea12-5619-4202-8979-7016a550b5be&pf_rd_r=HW02Y60BW8ZZEFYP10X6&pd_rd_wg=nl9vd&pd_rd_r=db200db2-0902-4392-98ff-145193dda8e0&pd_rd_i=B0BVGKND5Y&psc=1. I use these exact liners in winter boots (leather only, no plastic shoes) and dress shoes that can't be washed.

For her stinky feet, scrub them thoroughly with antibacterial soap, and soak in a (diluted) vinegar bath until they don't smell at all. If they smell, there's still bacterial that will get into her new shoes and you'll be back to square one. Powders and deodorants won't fix the problem because you just need to kill the bacteria and keep it from recolonizing. I sometimes use regular spray deodorant on my feet when I can't wear socks, but that's not something you want to do every day. Use antibacterial soap in the bath and teach her to clean her feet thoroughly, including between her toes. And if she's mature enough, get her real pedicures to keep the outer layers of dead skin from building up. And don't put stinky feet in shoes. Wash, or have her wash, her feet BEFORE she puts her shoes on.

[Anonymous]

I won't comment on the bacterial issue with the feet themselves but a shoe dryer is something you won't regret. You can buy one on Amazon, it has little wands that blow warm air into the shoes and it dries them within a few hours. So you can wash them and have them completely dry for the next day if you need to.

I usually just scrub them in a bucket with some dish soap but you could soak in whatever depending on the shoe or use the washing machine if you want.

[Anonymous]

Buy only socks that are wool or cotton with a little bit of spandex for stretch if you need to.

And buy shoes that are fabric and can be washed or leather. Stay away from all the plastic and fake leather unless it's just for a special occasion. Those make feet sweat so much more.

[Anonymous]

Dial soap make sure she's cleaning between the toes and long enough. Make sure her socks are 100% cotton and breathe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dial soap make sure she's cleaning between the toes and long enough. Make sure her socks are 100% cotton and breathe.

Not the OP but dealing with the same issue with a 9 year old. Where do you even buy 100% cotton socks for kids? I am unable to find anything thats more than 75% cotton. What brand socks are 100% cotton?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Buy “on your toes” powder (it is just powdered zinc) from Amazon and use exactly as directed in shoes and on feet. Will solve the problem entirely in a few days. Only thing that actually works.

This! It was the only thing that helped my child's stinky feet.

[Anonymous]

Put her shoes on boot dryer every night. It isn’t hot at all but totally works to dry.

We got this:

https://www.amazon.com/your-orders/pop/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b_pop?_encoding=UTF8&gen=canonical&lineItemId=nhnlmvoqpnqsuny&orderId=114-4522882-0404212&packageId=1&returnSummaryId=&returnUnitIndices=&returnUnitMappingId=&shipmentId=TkQxj1gbk

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are not allowed to wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. Airing them out overnight is not sufficient! Throw out the shoes and get at least two pairs of new ones and never allow them to repeat a wear. Then the kid wash their feet with antibacterial stuff and dry between their toes.

This.

They don’t dry enough overnight. And once they smell, they are trash.

[Anonymous]

DP. This thread is so helpful—thanks everyone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dial soap make sure she's cleaning between the toes and long enough. Make sure her socks are 100% cotton and breathe.

The key thing is that Dial soap is anti-bacterial, so it is targeting the source of the odor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were dealing with this recently. I've found that the easiest way to prevent this is to air the shoes out as much as possible between wears but we also made a super easy DIY shoe spray. A relative significant amount (10-15 drops) of tea tree essential oil into a spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol got rid of odors baked into the show that a washing machine couldn't.

Our 5 and 8 year old are now required to spray the inside of their shoes as part of their weekly chores.

Please say more about the diy shoe spray! Do you spray it right after you take your shoes off for the day, or do you apply to dry shoes that haven’t been worn in a day? Just one or two sprays in the inside of each a shoe to get the spray on but not make the shoe damp?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dial soap make sure she's cleaning between the toes and long enough. Make sure her socks are 100% cotton and breathe.

The key thing is that Dial soap is anti-bacterial, so it is targeting the source of the odor.

Anti-bacterial is no more effective at killing germs than regular soap when washing correctly (active rubbing for 20-30 seconds). Even Dial says that it has to be used for 30 seconds, which is what the FDA and other authorities say for regular soap as well. Regular bath bar soap works just as well, but the key is to clean thoroughly and for long enough.

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/antibacterial-soap-you-can-skip-it-use-plain-soap-and-water

[Anonymous]

Do you do baths or showers? My stinky 7 year old soaks in the bath and that helps a lot. Also consider smelling your daughter’s feet in the morning. If they smell from overnight sweating, do a quick foot scrubbing in the tub before putting socks and shoes on. Be sure to dry feet thoroughly.