Jolie Kerr is a cleaning expert and advice columnist. She'll be here every week helping to answer your filthiest questions. Are you dirty? Email her.
I've been scouring the internet trying to find ways to clean my shoes. More specifically, my faux leather shoes that I wear to work nearly every day. I have tried baking soda, drier sheets, and more recently, a half-and-half mixture of rubbing alcohol and water. Nothing seems to be able to remove the smell. I wear clean socks and wash my feet nearly every day as I regularly exercise. What do you suggest in terms of a cleaning solution for these types of shoes?
This is actually a pretty easy one! But since warm weather is upon (most of) us, this question—what with its straightforward answer—gives me an excuse to talk generally about keeping your feet and shoes from stinking to high heaven. (This is especially relevant if you plan on doing the whole "sockless" thing at any point this summer.)
In terms of the specific pair of shoes at hand, an odor neutralizing shoe spray will do the trick. Baking soda and dryer sheets can help in terms of day-to-day odor control, but they're really not going to do much for a pair of shoes that have taken on a foul smell. Rubbing alcohol isn't a bad idea, though I suspect it may have been diluted too much to be effective. Note that rubbing alcohol can be drying on real leather, which isn't an issue in this case, but is a thing you'd want to avoid if you're trying to deodorize shoes made of leather.
There are loads of deodorizing shoe sprays on the market. One that's gotten high marks from people I've recommended it to in the past is Kiwi Fresh Force but really, any similar product will do you right. It's probably also not a bad idea to invest in a set of sneaker balls which, despite their name, can be used in non-athletic shoes. Sneaker balls should be popped into your shoes every night after you take them off—this is especially crucial because the Letter Writer mentioned that he wears his shoes almost every single day. That's…a lot of wear. And actually, that's a lot of what's causing this issue.
Here's the thing: Your feet sweat, and that moisture gets trapped in your sneakers or loafers or oxfords or whatever you wear. So shoes should be given a day off to rest in between wearings, which allows them to air out and dry completely. (This is why wearing no-show socks instead of actually going sockless is generally recommended.) If you can make room in your home and budget for a second pair of work shoes, do that. Rotating shoes is going to make a HUGE dent in managing smell issues.
Now that we've got your shoes under control, let's take a detour and talk about your feet themselves. From the sound of it, our Letter Writer has a pretty good handle on things—but it's worth going over the basics of foot hygiene because it's a thing most of us sort of figure out on our own and sometimes we don't always get it right. So, if persistent foot odor is plaguing you, here are a few things to add to your grooming routine.
In the shower, give your feet a good scrubbing using a washcloth and soap to get in between your toes and to slough off dead skin. Post-shower, dry your feet off well and use a foot powder like Gold Bond to help keep moisture at bay throughout the day. If you've got a particularly ripe pair of hooves, a foot antiperspirant like Odaban may be called for. If you're unsure about the idea of foot antiperspirant, you can always pick up a spray antiperspirant at any old drug store and spritz your feet with it to see how that works for you. There's a new-ish line of dry spray antiperspirant-and-deodorant by Dove that would be quite good to use on your tootsies. Plus, if anyone sees it lingering in your bathroom or Dopp kit, they'll just think it's your regular deodorant and your stinky footed shame can remain a secret.
