Stinky Feet? - Merced,CA

Updated on July 16, 2008
J.T. asks from Merced, CA
35 answers

My 2 year old son spends most of his summer days wearing closed toed sandals. (Closed toed because that is what is required by his day care). Because he's active and it's hot, his feet get very sweaty, causing both his shoes and his feet to really stink. Even if I wash his shoes with laundry detergent, they are back to their stinky state within a day or so. Any one have any good ideas about how to improve his stinky shoes and feet? Thanks!

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So What Happened?

Thank you everyone for your replies! I've got a lot of good ideas to try out. Right now, I'm trying the baby powder/socks method, which seems to be working so far. Next summer, I'll definitely look into getting some Crocs. :)

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N.K.

answers from San Francisco on

My son had stinky feet too. I would put baking soda in his shoes at night. By the morning, the smell was all gone. Put just enough to cover the inside of the shoe, then shake the excess out in the morning.

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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C.L.

answers from Fresno on

My daughters used to do this in cheap sandals/shoes. I now buy her Stride Rite sandals and the problem doesn't exist anymore.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.B.

answers from Yuba City on

HAHA! Can you believe what a BIG stink LITTLE feet can make?!
My son had the stinkiest lil feet at that age. I think the plasticy kid shoes (POWER RANGERS!) make it worse, also no socks.
My son liked sneakers with no socks. PEW!
ONCE the stink is in the shoe, it is there to stay!
Luckily they outgrow shoes quickly. Toss them out.
And guess what, this too shall pass. If it bothers you that much, have lotsa shoes. Otherwise, leave them outside, and wash his lil feet asap. Just laugh it off. My son no longer has the stinky feet, btw. He is 15 now, and the shoes cost WAY more.

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J.C.

answers from San Francisco on

this will sound funny, but I just went through this with my husband's summer sandals. I gave him 1 month to get a new pair before I threw his old ones out because his feet were unbearable. Here's the trick...put 'em in a baggie, pour baking soda (or powder, not sure which he used) on them and then let them sit overnight in the freezer. No joke. This discussion took place in May because we were going camping in June and I didn't want to smell his feet everynight. He never bought new shoes and he's still wearing those now. it worked. Good luck.
Jen Colson

1 mom found this helpful
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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

J.,

I have the same problem with my 2 year old. I put baby powder on his feet at night and then spray his feet in the morning with Body Mind Soul RX3 Foot Spray -its by Earth Therapeutics. It is a great soothing deodorizer-- he loves it and it cools his feet in the process. It has natural botanicals and it costs about 12 dollars for 4.5 oz. It is worth every penny! I got it at Kohls. Good luck!

Molly

1 mom found this helpful
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S.M.

answers from Sacramento on

Purchase him some "Crocs". My 2 year old daughter has to wear close toe shoe, however, the Crocs provide safety, as well as, support,good for water play activities. You can find these shoes almost any where...I purchased my daughters' Crocs from Nordstroms dept store!! Good luck.

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J.F.

answers from Stockton on

My pediatrician said " only put a child in shoes when he will be exposed to rocky or otherwise hasardous environments, until then the feet are designed to teach young bodies the perfect way of balance and eventually to (walk)". the answer --get him out of a daycare that cares more about their rules and less about the normal development of the child. As a parent you are there to protect your child not to apeace the person taking care of them. You are so about how to fix the problem of what nature says is not natural. I have 7 children ages 16-2. I've had them in day care (OMG my oldest still has resentment for the hours she spent waiting for her life as she knew it, to resume,)That is when Mommy picked her up! I finally quit my job to do my job, to be her mother, and told my husband that we would work to bring in the income to support the children we had created. I began working from home. Forget stincky -- feet e-mail me about how to put financially being able to stay home and tell the daycare providers to STOP raising your child. It took two years, but we did it.His words were , when I said I was quiting and staying home...I was pregnant with our second, I made 80% of the income..."We're gonna starve!" Well we didn't. It wasn't easy but -- It made my Husband a man.

The hardest job ever.

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J.E.

answers from Sacramento on

Make sure he has 2 pairs of shoes (even if they look exactly the same) and rotate them daily.
For health reasons they need to dry out in between uses. I wipe down the shoes on the inside (and outside) with clorox wipes. Perhaps wearing socks would help, they are easier to throw in the wash... you could wipe down his feet with regular wipes too when he gets home to freshen them up. Some kids just have stinky feet.
I like the crocs idea too. My 5 y.o. loves his and he has issues wearing other shoes (and socks)

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V.T.

answers from Redding on

Bergamot essential oil, which I use as a foundation base in many of the products I produce in my line of natural personal and pet products, kills the bacteria that live on the skin and cause body odor. It is also a natural antifungal, so is beneficial in treating athletes foot and some other skin fungi. I suffer from strong foot odor and use this regularly to control it.

I also produce a mint-based line of products called Rash Relief, which is an excellent solution for most skin irritations such as yeast infections (like many suffer from under the breast or underarm), eczema, psoriasis, etc.

Let me know if you have any further questions along these lines, or take a look at my products on www.mccluckfarms.com.

Good luck!

V.

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C.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Wal Mart carries in the pharmacy an item called Boric Acid. Soak his feet in some warm water and Boric Acid and put some in his new shoes like a light sprinkle. This stops stinky feet period.

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N.M.

answers from San Francisco on

What I've done before is get a can of athlete's foot spray and sprayed it in the shoes. It might work for you too. Good luck!

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R.J.

answers from San Francisco on

I think it could be the actual shoes that are making his feet stink. I have a pair of flip flops that I had liked to wear but don't anymore because they make my feet stink! You should try another brand of shoes.

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D.H.

answers from San Francisco on

Usually when I buy cheap shoes this happens with my 4 year old as well. Now I always make sure to put a little baby powder on his feet and inside his shoes. Do this with the new pairs (it wont work on the stinky ones). I also make sure that he always wears socks. Hope this helps.

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I.M.

answers from Salinas on

use thin white socks that come to the ankle so they won't slip off and or dust his feet with any of the following: cornstarch, baking soda or gold bond powder.

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K.J.

answers from Sacramento on

lotion, then Baby Powder

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S.M.

answers from Fresno on

Is your son allowed to wear Crocs to day care. My son had the stinky feet problem and he got him Crocs (pricey, about $25 but its the only shoe he will wear now), they breath well and they don't transfer odor, he hasn't had stinky feet since he started wearing them.

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S.M.

answers from Salinas on

Hi J. I have another suggestion if you don't mind because this happen to my daughter also especially when socks are worn so we just soak her feet in a tub of tea. Get a tub of lukewarm or cool water and put a lipton tea bag in the tub and the black tea will absorb the sweat from your feet. Or at night night spray some alcohol on his feet hope this helps. The tea worked great for my daughter...

SM

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S.M.

answers from San Francisco on

I saw Dr. Oz on Oprah about a month ago. Someone asked about having stinky feet. He said to soak the feet on tea. Something about the acid in it dries up whatever is making the feet stink. Try it out. They had a couple of people on that had done it saying how it works so well.

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M.B.

answers from Redding on

Hi J.,

I would think some baking soda (common cupboard staple) sprinkled in the shoe or dr.scholls sensitive foot powder would do the trick. coincidentally - my girlfriend has had the same problem. Her son's feet stink no matter what. Started at two years of age and he is now eight. She also told me that his father's (R.I.P.) feet stunk very bad also. She figured it was hereditary. Reading your question made me think of his little stinky feet :) She just makes sure he washes his feet every night before bed. Good Luck.

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E.E.

answers from San Francisco on

Some types of sandals are really stinky so that could be causing it. The best thing to do for stinky sweaty feet is keep them clean and dry. Maybe the closed toed sandals aren't allowing enough ventilation. Do you think it would help to wear tennis shoes with socks and just change his socks a couple times a day? Also, have him go barefoot at home or whenever possible.

Good luck!

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S.F.

answers from Sacramento on

I recommend 3 pairs of shoes. It takes 3 days for shoes to dry out, so you should rotate them. It's more expensive, obviously, but it really does help. You can also use cornstarch on his feet before he puts his shoes on to help with the moisture.
~S.

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K.G.

answers from San Francisco on

If you're willing and able to buy relatively expensive shoes for hi, Geox shoes (you can find them online at Zappos, and Zappos might have some on sale) have a specially patented technology that does two important things. First, the shoes are extremely breathable. Second, the breath-ability ensures that feet dry quickly if they sweat. They have lots of closed toe shoes, mostly sneakers. They are also very well-made -- supportive and long-lasting. My son wears them, and his feet and shoes have never smelled. He also wears socks with them (except sandals). Maybe he just doesn't have stinky feet, but he's a boy so I'm assuming the shoes are helping.

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I.S.

answers from San Francisco on

The Body Shop has a tea tree oil foot spray that does a good job on odor. For the shoe washing put vinegar in the rinse cycle (2 capfuls)... if it works to get smells out of cloth diapers it should help with the shoes. Make sure the detergent you're using on the shoes isn't leaving a bunch of buildup which actually traps the odors... fabric softener, dyes, scents, brighteners, etc.. AllFree&Clear or Arm&Hammer for Sensitive Skin are a good choice for this... the best are the 7th Generation and Planet brands but no need to spend big $$ on detergent if you're only using it on shoes :P

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J.K.

answers from Fresno on

You can try putting dryer sheets in his shoes to see iof that helps and wash his feet as soon as you take his shoes off. You can also put anti perspirant/deodorant on his feet every morning.

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C.A.

answers from San Francisco on

I read somewhere to put deodorant on the bottom of his feet.

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P.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi.....could you please forward any replies.....I have a 10yr old with very stinky feet and shoes.I would greatly appreciate it.My email is ____@____.com.
Thank you!
P.

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C.F.

answers from Modesto on

Hi,
I am a Body Shop Consultant, and we do Body Shop at Home Free Spa Parties to introduce people to the product. We have a peppermint foot care line that is awesome! I could send you a sample if you like.
Here is my website: www.thebodyshopathome.com/web/cflesher.
Thanks,
Cynthia
###-###-####

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C.B.

answers from San Francisco on

Put baby powder on his feet, in his socks and in his shoes.

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K.G.

answers from San Francisco on

Feet can sweat really bad in cheap or plastic shoes. Does he have real leather shoes? Feet don't sweat as bad in real leather.

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K.P.

answers from San Francisco on

I have been told, although I haven't tried it myself, that putting baby powder inside the shoe prior to wearing it can reduce the amount of sweating thus less stinkiness as a result. I hate wearing closed toed shoes in the summer for precisely this reason but I just found out that we are not allowed to wear open toed sandals anymore at the preschool where I work. So I will be giving this one a try. I guess wearing socks with sandals (a lot of the kids in my class do) could help. Good Luck!

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N.L.

answers from Fresno on

Hi J.,

Last year I purchased an expensive pair of sandals for my son (2 yrs old) from a name brand store. He wore them constantly for about a month and boy did his feet stink!! My mom then bought him a pair of Crocs because they were cute. I didn't think he'd like them, but he wore them just about every minute of every day and his feet were NEVER stinky. He liked them so much that this year I bought him another pair and that's all he's wearing. I tried to buy him a different pair of shoes too, but he told the sales lady that "he liked his Crocs and wants to wear his Crocs". He said it so cute that I didn't have the heart to buy another pair of shoes for him. Crocs are even good in the winter time...all you have to do is put socks on with them. Plus, he is able to put on his shoes all by himself.

Good luck and I hope this helps some.

N.

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S.S.

answers from San Francisco on

My 2 year old son had the same thing last summer in his leather/rubber sandles. This summer he is wearing Crocks. His feet don't get sweaty and never smell. He can even put them on him self. They are easy to keep clean, and perfect for potty training (or so I hear). They are $25, but last a long time! Our day care loves Crocks!

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N.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Put socks on him, then the sandals (if not too hot). No stink!

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T.B.

answers from Sacramento on

There is a product called naturally fresh deoderant crystal foot spray. I am not sure if it is something that is safe to use on kids, I have only used it on myself, but it works great. Not sure where to buy it in stores around here, but we ordered ours online at www.tccd.com. (I know some healthfood stores in NY carried it and that is where we originally purchased it). You may want to check out the site and see if it is ok to use on kids. You just spray it on your feet before putting on your shoes, and if your shoes already have an odor problem, you spray your shoes before going to bed. It says on the bottle that it is made from natural mineral salts, so it may be safe for kids too. Good luck. From experience, if shoes are really smelly, it is sometimes easier to just start fresh than try to get rid of an odor after the fact.

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K.R.

answers from Sacramento on

Socks and some baby powder may help! Investing in crocs are a good idea as well if your day care allows it. :O)

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