Smell Feet: What You Can Do About It

Sweating feet in the hot summer months are not uncommon. If they sweat profusely, they can also smell unpleasant. We have summarized here what you can do to prevent the smell.

When your feet smell

"Stinky feet" or "cheese feet" are common in hot weather. It becomes especially uncomfortable when you take off your shoes.

• Feet sweat faster in closed shoes than in open ones. Therefore, always wear open shoes in summer if possible.
• Sweating removes heat from the skin. This is important for the thermo-regulation of the body. This means that excessive sweating in summer is not uncommon. Only when you sweat more than is necessary for heat regulation do you have to speak of excessive sweat production.
• When you sweat, mainly salt escapes from the body. The unpleasant smell of sweat only arises when there are bacteria on the skin. Because sweat is decomposed by bacteria and thereby forms butyric acid. With closed shoes you prevent sweat from escaping. A sweat chamber is created.

What to do if your feet smell

There are several ways to stop your feet from sweating excessively and the smell associated with them.

• If you prefer closed shoes, choose the most breathable material possible. Real leather is ideal. Under no circumstances should you wear plastic and imitation leather shoes, as the material cannot absorb sweat. It is best to wear open shoes so that sweat can evaporate immediately after it is created.
• Disinfect your shoes once a week by spraying disinfectant into the shoe. So the bacteria have no chance to survive in the shoes. However, be aware that disinfectants can be harmful on direct skin. Therefore always wear shoes with socks.
• Wear thin cotton socks. The same applies here: synthetic material cannot absorb sweat. For example, copper fiber socks have also proven their worth for welding feet.
• Place thin insoles in your shoes. These should also be made of real leather, as they are breathable and can absorb sweat. Replace the soles regularly.
• Wash your feet in the morning after getting up. You should always dry your feet very well with a cloth and blow-dry as necessary so that they are dry between your toes. You can add a few drops of sage oil or tea tree oil to the water. The scent inhibits the smell of the foot and ensures a fresh foot feeling.
• Rub your feet with a lotion with aluminum chloride. The aluminum pulls the welding channels together, so that sweat glands can no longer release the same amount of sweat. Ordinary creams and ointments, on the other hand, clog the pores so that your feet smell even more of sweat. However, you should note that too much aluminum is harmful to your body.
• An alternative to products with aluminum chloride are, for example, foot deodorants with alcohol. However, alcohol reduces the breakdown of sweat.
• In contrast, foot powder is more effective. Apply foot powder to the toes and the sole of the foot. This allows the powder to absorb the sweat directly.
• If none of the above methods help you, then you should contact a dermatologist, i.e. dermatologist. This can determine if you have hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). Excessive foot odor can then be treated with botox, for example.

Open shoes do not tolerate unkempt feet. Cornea in particular quickly makes feet look neglected. How to remove calluses on your feet with home remedies can be read in our next practical tip.