Anyone have tips on keeping a toddler's feet stink-free? Neither my husband nor I have ever had a problem with foot odor, but no matter how thoroughly I scrub my baby's toes and wash his shoes and sandals, the very next time we take them off a wave of incredibly pungent stinky-foot smell fills the entire room. I let him go barefoot as much as possible and then it's not a problem, but unfortunately where we live it is not safe for him to be barefoot outside. I always know when he's taken his shoes off in the car because I can smell it... please help! It's a silly little problem but one I would be very grateful to have solved nevertheless =P
Where do you buy his shoes? My son had that problem too and I had to buy him good shoes. I couldnt buy him any shoes at Target,Playless shoes ect. I found good shoes at Stride Rite. He needed shoes mae out of materials that "could breath".
If the shoes are not natural materials (leather, breathable cottons) they will stink and will make feet stink. Unfortunately, most inexpensive kids' shoes are made of forms of plastic and start to stink very quickly. This applies to sandals too! I'd throw out his current shoes and sandals, and get him some made of natural materials; put baking soda inside the shoes each night and shake it out each morning. Don't use talcum powder in the shoes -- that only covers smells and doesn't absorb sweat and odors like good old plain baking soda. Be sure he is alternating shoes and not wearing the same pair repeatedly -- switch shoes around a lot and keep refreshing that baking soda. You cannot throw leather shoes into a washer (mostly) but alternating shoes and using baking soda will help. Yes, his feet will get baking soda on them but it actually will help his skin not smell, as well. Hope it works!
Oh, and be sure his socks are 100 percent cotton and don't contain spandex etc. If you can't do 100 percent cotton (they don't hold shape very well), then look for socks that have as high a cotton content as possible.
No plastic shoes! My son had this problem last year because he wouldn't wear sandals (the previous year he did from Children's Place and they were stinky as well) and he got food fungus. This year I got him canvas shoes and also Keen water shoes. Stinky Foot problem solved!
Bet you a Coke it's the shoes. Throw them away.
Only all leather materials.
My daughters both have major stinky-feet problems (and so do I) so we've dealt with this a lot. Main thing is, they can't go without socks when wearing shoes (sandals are ok), and all shoes (even sandals) have to be quality materials, and not cheap wal-mart or payless shoes.
