Choker necklaces are coming back in again. But unlike the ribbons, embroidery, and peace signs I remember from my youth, the newer ones are delicate and interesting. (Less velcro is always a good thing, right?) It can be challenging to find one for work, but this triangle-shaped one from ASOS looks great, either by itself … Read More about Coffee Break: Triangle Choker
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Updated: Sep 29, 2021 19 Comments · by Kat
Sniff Sniff: How to Prevent Stinky Shoes
What are the best practices to avoiding stinky shoes? How do you destink your shoes once they’re already funky? Reader K has a delicate question regarding smelly shoes:
I need advice on how to keep my shoes from developing a bad odor. I wear hose 90% of the time with my dress work shoes, and they develop a foul odor within just a few weeks of wear. I have tried odor eaters without success, old pantyhose filled with baking soda, rotating my shoes to never wear them two days in a row – nothing works. I haven’t normally had smelly shoes or feet, but now that I am in a professional environment and wear dress shoes instead of socks/sneakers, I can’t get a handle on this. I don’t notice the smell when my shoes are on, but when I take them off at home, look out. I am afraid that it will keep getting worse and my feet will smell all the time!
Interesting. We’ve talked about delicate issues such as body odor, sweaty feet in pumps, what to do when drycleaning doesn’t remove smells, and general shoe care for women, but I don’t believe we’ve talked about stinky shoes. Reader K herself mentioned some of the other oft-cited advice, but I might stress a few things:
- Give your shoes at least a day off — it lets the leather dry out.
- Products like Silver Linings have insoles “infused with antimicrobial silver ions for women who wear shoes without socks.” (They’re available at Amazon, but here’s the product page for more behind the technology.)
- Look into ventilated shoes, like Geox — they’re designed to let air circulate better. They’re sold at the usual spots (Zappos, 6pm, Amazon, Nordstrom), but here’s a link to their product page about the technology behind the shoes.
- Avoid plastic shoes that don’t breathe at all.
- Try the freezer — put your shoes in a ziplock bag, then stick them in the freezer for 24-48 hours. (This is also supposedly a great way to defunk your expensive denim.)
- Wear socks. Trouser socks, knee-high pantyhose, even shoe liners all exist for exactly this purpose. I tend to prefer toe liners when they don’t interrupt the line of the shoe. Here’s a link to our older discussion on what hose to wear with pumps (if any).
Here’s an extensive thread on Reddit with more tips for battling smelly feet; Mashable also has some advice.
Ladies, have you had to deal with stinky shoes? What are your best practices for avoiding funk, and then your best suggestions for destinking your shoes?
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N.B. These substantive posts are intended to be a source of community comment on a particular topic, which readers can browse through without having to sift out a lot of unrelated comments. And so, although of course we highly value all comments by our readers, we’re going to ask you to please keep your comments on topic; threadjacks will be deleted at our sole discretion and convenience. Thank you for your understanding!
Updated: Oct 31, 2018 79 Comments · by Kat
Tuesday’s TPS Report: ‘Lolo’ Stretch Sheath Dress
Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. (Gaaaah, I thought this posted hours ago, my apologies!) This sheath dress has been around for years (we included it in our 2014 sheath dress roundup), but I don’t think we’ve ever featured it as a separate TPS report. I like … Read More about Tuesday’s TPS Report: ‘Lolo’ Stretch Sheath Dress
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Privacy PolicyUpdated: Oct 31, 2018 51 Comments · by Kat
Coffee Break: Mobile Foodie Survival Kit
My mother was just extolling the virtues of something I got her at Uncommon Goods (these beer sommelier glasses, if you’re interested), so I was perusing the site again recently, and found this fun spice kit. If you’re traveling for business (or working crazy hours), you’re often at the mercy of the hotel kitchen (or Seamless), and eating … Read More about Coffee Break: Mobile Foodie Survival Kit
Updated: Aug 8, 2023 60 Comments · by Kat
What Your Tote Bag Says About You
Accessories· Briefcases/Totes· Career· Fashion· Lifestyle· Wear to Work | work tote bags· work totes
What does your tote bag say about you?
Updated: Apr 11, 2023 31 Comments · by Kat
What Are Your Favorite Podcasts for Working Women?
After-Work Activities· Commuting· Information Overload· Lifestyle· Recommended Reading· Tech | open threads· podcasts· posts
2020 Update: We still think this is a great roundup of podcasts for working women — but if you’re looking for something a little more recent, here’s our latest discussion of the best podcasts for smart women. In the past we’ve talked about our favorite magazines as well as summer brain candy books, but we haven’t talked about … Read More about What Are Your Favorite Podcasts for Working Women?