Stinky Feet!

As odd as it may sound. A simple solution would be to but stick deodorant on his feet before he puts his shoes on. I have a stick that I use just for my feet and it works wonders.

Danielle,

Dirty, stinky summer kids are so much fun aren't they?! The socks will help, but here are my other words.

1. Buy sandals that you can wash - inside & out. Evaluate the ease of this before buying sandals.
2. If he's jumped in puddles or any kind of water, know you'll need to wash them for sure that day. Playground sand is another one that will make their feet stink right away. A quick rinse of the sand works pretty well.
3. When I bring my little one in, we usually have to go wash our hands for some reason (snack, dinner, potty, etc). I throw her feet in and wash them at the same time.

You can typically throw sneakers in the wash. Put a bit of baking soda in after dry and it will take out any other smells. Great between washes too.

Best of luck! I hear you loud and clear. My sweet baby girl used to smell like sugar and spice and everything nice. Now we have the stink foot. AND it's apparently funny to stick the stink foot in mom's face =)

My son who is 22 months has stinky feet too after wearing his sandles! We use vinegar and a brush with water on his sandles when they smell and it works great. We just wash our feet with soap & water. It doesn't always last long, as we end up scrubbing the the sandles a few times a week, but it is pretty easy.

I think you have already made the connection - No socks. Breathable cotton socks go a long way to keeping stinky feet at bay. We have a policy at our house - Tennis shoes MUST be worn with socks otherwise the tennies get stinky. But summer sandals (leather especially) can't be worn with socks (well...I guess you can but it would look dorky). So buy sandals that can be tossed in the wash.

spray the bottoms of feet with liquid crystal deodorant...it can be bought at a whole foods store...it is just mineral salt, nothing bad or toxic....i swear by this before putting sandals or shoes on....it really works...

My 14 yr old daughter has horribly stinky feet too. We found a homeopathic solution that so far, has worked great! Soak his feet in black tea about every other day for a couple of weeks, then once a week after that, then every other week. I think the soad only needs to be for about 5-10 min, but it does work.

The other suggestions have offered most of what I know to do. The only other thing I've noticed is that some kinds of sandals do seem to lend themselves more to odor causing than others. (Maybe they cause more sweating, hold more bacteria, or maybe it is the materials they are made of)? Don't know why but consider that aspect also when you are looking for new shoes.

Leather and bare feet can be part of the problem for some.

It is also supposed to help if you can put him in a different pair of shoes, so one pair gets a chance to throughly air out. Sunlight is a natural way to clear bacteria.

You might also try doing a foot soak for your son. The feet do release items the body no longer needs. My chiro recommends a foot bath using warm water, a tsp. of regular yellow mustard and a drop or two of white flower oil. You can get white flower at almost any health food store. It smells really refreshing and you might want to take a soak at the end of the day with your child. Makes for a nice relaxing ritual.

My 18 month old son's feet smell too! You can try socks, but what is causing the smell is bacteria, dirt and sweat. So if your son gets dirty [with open sandals it is inevitable] and he gets hot and sweats [or sweats just from the kind of material the sandals are made of] or even if it is just really humid out, his feet will still smell even with socks. The best thing is to get sandals you can wash, and keep washing his feet each time you notice that they are stinky. I use wipes on my son's feet and his sandals just because it is easier than washing and waiting for them to dry each time, and since the wipes I buy are scented it helps too. With tennis shoes and socks it is harder to get them so dirty like with sandals, plus in the winter the shoes have a chance to get cold and it's harder for bacteria to grow. If he still has smelly feet in the winter I would ask his doctor about it to see what else could be causing it

I was told to soak feet in regular listerene for 10 min or as long as you can get him to. my husband made his own concoction listerene,bleach,arm and hammar baking soda and vinegar, it cured his stinky feet but he also came out hairless where it soaked. I dont suggest that part. Just listerene and wash his sandals with a bit of bleach.

He probably wasn't as sweaty in the winter either and is most likley more active now too.