Bought a great pair of suede-type Ecco sandals and wore them thru Tuscany...so comfortable I didn't want to take them off. But now they smell! I can cover up the smell with anti-persperant sprays etc. but does anyone know how to get rid of stinky shoe smell permanently? I hate to throw them out but will have to if I don't get them deodorized!

A cobbler can replace the inner sole.

They weren't the Cosmos model, were they? Need to know since that's what I'm packing for next month in Italy.

They weren't cosmos - they were the ones that have three velcro straps across the top. I don't believe they have a sole you can take out..it's all one piece.

Hi,

Have you tried Lysol or Chlorox room deodorizer?

The odor is due to molds.

Stuff with newspaper and see if that will help.

I heard someone say to stuff shoes with the softener sheets you put into your dryer...I haven't tried this, but it might be an interesting experiment. Also, what about Febreze or maybe Dr. Scholl's has something?

That's unusual that sandals would smell so much. All closed shoes should have a separate insole, but maybe not sandals so much -- at least nothing easily replaced. I would imagine it's due to the smell of dried sweat, rather than mold, but who knows. I know mold can grow on some surfaces that are persistently damp (such as bathroom ceilings). Some smells cling a lot more to synthetic materials than to natural ones, also; that could be a problem if these are not a natural material. Some synthetic materials are almost impossible to get some stains or smells out of.

I'd try a couple things -- bleach does kill mold, but I don't know how you can apply bleach very well to shoes without ruining the color. I don't think any room spray will have enough to make a difference, but you could try those room or bathroom sprays with bleach. I would also try those sprays that are meant to remove smells, such as Febreeze. I think it works pretty good on lots of smells. Spray them a lot and put them outside and in the sun for hours. Maybe repeat several times.

If that doesn't work, you may have to toss them. You might ask the opinion of a good shoe repair shop as they have probably seen/smelled this problem before.

Divorce the wife. That's my plan.

A) wash your feet
B) Throw them away

Try Febreeze spray and seal into a plastic bag for 2 days.

Get drycleaning sheets in a pharmacy and put them in a dryer.

As a last resort just try to wash them in a washing machine using that new detergent with oxygen - if you think you'll toss them anyway. I washed my son's sneackers once, no damage was done, he wore them after washing.

I'd try sprinkling thickly with baking soda and then leaving them for a few days
or replace the inner sole

I just hope whatever you do you don't end up paying more for the "cure" than you paid for the footwear in the first place. Why don't you simply treat yourself to a new pair..after spending all this time trying to find the answer you probably deserve them.

You can still get those sandals in a number of places, so you may want to get another pair anyway. They ARE great sandals! (no, don't put 'em in the washer, they won't survive -- all leather and glue).

I hate to be indelicate, but what do they stink "of"? Feet? Mold? etc. The cure might be different depending on the cause. Similarly, "where" do they stink? Where your feet were in contact with the sole or around the edges where the sole is glued to the base?

Hints from a sister: drops of vanilla or lemon or orange or mint (or clove, if you can stand it, I can't) extract in the offending areas.

Not sure how this will work with suede but I have done this with many pairs of leather sandals that have become, shall we say "aromatic"?!
I use warm water mixed with vinegar and take a nail brush to the soles thoroughly soaking and scrubbing them. I then rinse them with cold water. This has taken the "smell" away and allowed me to keep sandals for many seasons.

Pour a generous amount of left over grease from a fish fry in each shoe and seal in a plastic bag until your house cats start ripping the bag apart.

Drain and then set on fire for
a few seconds before dousing the towering flames with a can of miller light beer.

As if by magic, the stinky shoe smell will be gone.

I always put sneakers in the washing machine, and never had a problem. If it's a question of tossing them, you can always try this as a last resort.

I'm scratching my head over a stinky pair of footjoy golf sandals myself. Febreeze is no good. It just adds a perfume smell, so then you smell like perfumed funky feet. Newspaper is supposed to work, but what i will try is washing soda (arm and hammer.com for availability in your area.) then, if that doesn't work, I'm going to try those charcoal bits used for aquariums.I will sprinkle it in the bottom of a large plastic bag and put in the sandals and close it up for a while. If your kid has ever played hockey, you know the smell!

The key is to get some shoe trees made out of sandalwood. If you can't afford them for every set of shoes you own you can buy one pair. When you take your shoes off at the end of the day put in the shoe trees. Then the next day replace with plastic trees and use the sandalwood trees on the shoes you werar the folowing day.

The wooden shoe trees absorb the sweat that your foot produces during the day. The sandal wood makes them smell nice. Obviously, to ensure your shoes last a long time, you should avoid wearing the same pair of shoes two days in a row.

I am not sure about shoes, but soccer shin guards have no cure. One bonfire coming up.