We recently got this question from a reader who’s running for judge (woot, you go!), and it raises an interesting issue of what is casual but professional footwear for women — for weekends and other outings outside the office. Can you be professional in sneakers? What are some other options besides work sneakers? In a bigger sense,…
Update: We still stand by this advice on how to wear flats in winter — you may want to check our more recent discussion on cute flats for the office for more updated brand and style options. In cold weather, what are the best ways to wear flats to work? With socks? Tights? Reader E…
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!
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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How can you wear jeans to work — and particularly, what shoes should you wear ? Which business casual outfits look the most professional? Reader B wonders which shoes to wear with jeans to work… I work in public accounting and we have “Jean Fridays,” but HR says no sneakers, tennis shoes, etc., so I…