A customer once told me she'd tried everything short of throwing her trainers in the bin. Newspaper stuffed inside, a night in the freezer, three different sprays from the chemist. Nothing stuck. A week later the smell was back, usually worse than before.
That story isn't unusual. Most people fighting smelly shoes are fighting the wrong thing. They're trying to cover a smell, when what actually needs sorting out is what's causing it. Once you get that, the fix is a lot simpler than it looks.
Why do my shoes smell?
Here's the bit that throws most people: fresh sweat doesn't smell of anything much. It's mostly water and salt.
The odour turns up later. Your foot can release around 100ml of moisture a day, and that moisture soaks into the insole, the foam and the lining. Warm, dark and damp is exactly what bacteria want, and a shoe you've just taken off ticks every box. They feed on that moisture, on dead skin and on whatever else is left behind, and it's what they give off that you're actually smelling.
Three things keep that cycle going:
- Moisture. No damp, no bacteria. This is the fuel.
- Warmth. A shoe fresh off your foot sits around 30°C, which is close to ideal for growth.
- Time. A shoe that's still damp the next morning hands the bacteria a head start.
Wear the same pair every day and it never fully dries out between wears. That's why the smell is back within 24 hours no matter how hard you scrub the inside.
Why do my shoes still smell after cleaning them?
Because cleaning the outside doesn't touch what's happening in the foam and the seams. If you've tried the usual fixes and the smell keeps coming back, here's why each one falls short.
| What people try | What's actually going on |
|---|---|
| Leaving shoes on the radiator | Dries the outside while the insole stays damp, and the heat can soften glue and crack leather |
| A night in the freezer | Slows bacteria down, but most survive and get going again once the shoe warms up |
| Stuffing in newspaper | Pulls out some moisture, but only if you swap it every couple of hours. Left in place, it just holds the damp in |
| Deodorant or spray | Sits a scent on top of the problem. Smells fine for a day, then it's back |
| A spin in the washing machine | Gets rid of dirt, but the shoe comes out soaked and can take days to dry, often smelling worse in the meantime |
| Bicarb of soda | Absorbs some moisture and takes the edge off acidic smells, but you're left with powder in your shoe and the source is still there |
Notice the pattern. Every one of these deals with today's smell. None of them gets the moisture out for good, so tomorrow you're back where you started.
How to stop shoes smelling: the steps that actually work
This is the order I'd work through, starting with what's free and ending with what actually finishes the job.
1. Rotate your shoes
The easiest step, and the most skipped. A shoe needs 24 to 48 hours to dry out properly on its own. Own two pairs and wear them on alternate days, and each pair gets that time. This one change alone makes a big difference.
2. Pull the insoles out
Every time you take your shoes off. The insole is the spongiest part of the shoe and barely dries while it's sitting inside. Take it out and both pieces get air.
3. Give them air, not heat
Not shoved in a gym bag, not in a closed cupboard, not on the radiator. A well-aired spot at room temperature beats a hot spot with no airflow every time.
4. Push the moisture out actively
This is where free options run out. Getting a pair of trainers properly dry in a few hours, right down into the toe and heel, needs air moving through the shoe. That's what a shoe dryer does: it pushes air in, warms it slightly and carries the damp air back out.
5. Deal with what's already living in there
Drying takes away the fuel, but it doesn't remove the bacteria and fungi already sitting in the foam and the seams. Active oxygen reaches everywhere air can get to, including the stitching and padding a cloth or spray can't touch. Our shoe deodorizer guide goes through how that works and what to check before you buy one.
6. Keep it up
After every training session, and once or twice a week for everyday shoes. It's maintenance, not a one-off repair, the same as brushing your teeth isn't a single job you finish and forget.
What if it's your feet, not your shoes?
Sometimes the shoe isn't really the problem. If you're prone to sweaty feet, you're producing more of that fuel than most people, so you're fighting an uphill battle from the start. Cotton socks that trap moisture make it worse, while socks designed to wick it away help.
Merino wool and synthetic sports socks both do a better job than cotton here, and changing your socks partway through a long day is a cheap habit that pays off.
Smelly shoes: special cases
Trainers. Usually textile with a lot of foam, so plenty of capacity to soak up moisture. Pull the insoles, dry without heat as the glued seams don't like it.
Football boots. The toughest case: tight synthetic uppers that barely breathe, straight into the kit bag after training. Knock the mud off, pull the insoles, dry that same evening rather than leaving them until the next session.
Steel toe-cap work boots. Eight to ten hours a day on, not much ventilation. Rotating isn't always an option here, so active drying is close to the only route left.
Wellies and ski boots. Tall shaft, thick lining. Without air actively pushed up into the shaft, the inside never really dries.
Shoes with mould. Wipe visible patches off first with a damp cloth, then dry and treat. If a shoe still smells musty after a full treatment, it's likely in the material itself and the shoe has had its day.
What does it actually cost to fix?
| Approach | Cost | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Home remedies (bicarb, freezer, newspaper) | Next to nothing | Temporary, smell returns quickly |
| Shoe deodoriser spray | £3-10 a can, and you keep buying it | Smells nice, cause is untouched |
| Odour absorbers or balls | £5-20 a set | Absorbs some smell, cause is untouched |
| Simple electric shoe dryer | Around €50 | Dries the shoe, doesn't tackle the odour source |
| Dryer with active oxygen | €129-179 | Dries and tackles bacteria and fungi |
We sell both a spray and a dryer ourselves, so I've no reason to steer you towards one over the other. If it's an occasional whiff, a deodoriser spray such as the Shoefresh Perfume (€24.95 for a two-pack) will do the job. If it's a recurring problem, start with the moisture.
A word of warning if you're shopping for a machine to help: steer clear of anything sold purely on UV. UV light only works on surfaces it can actually reach, and inside a shoe, most of the interior sits in shadow behind seams and folds. There's no evidence it does anything meaningful deeper inside the shoe, whatever the box claims.
If budget's tight, the ShoeDry Airo (around €50) is a reasonable starting point. It uses ION rather than active oxygen, so it's noticeably weaker on stubborn odour, and you go without the multiple programmes, heel dryer and automatic start you get on a machine like the Opod (€129, or €139 in black). For shoes that come back properly soaked, the Opod Detect (€179) checks moisture levels itself and reruns the cycle if needed. Refurbished units start from €119.95 if you want the same technology for less.
FAQ
Why do my shoes smell so quickly?
Because they're not drying out fully between wears. Moisture is the fuel for the bacteria producing the smell, so a shoe that stays damp keeps the problem going.
How do I get the smell out of my shoes?
In this order: pull the insoles, dry the shoe completely, then tackle the bacteria and fungi already inside. Airing or spraying alone won't get you there.
Can I put smelly shoes in the washing machine?
Some trainers can go in on a cold cycle inside a wash bag, but the shoe comes out soaked and the glued seams take the strain. If you do wash them, dry them actively straight after.
Does vinegar get rid of shoe smell?
Vinegar tackles bacteria, but it leaves the shoe wet again and you're left with a vinegar smell instead. It's not kind to leather or glue either.
Why does only one of my shoes smell?
More common than you'd think. Usually that foot sweats more, or that particular shoe dries less well because of how it's stored or worn.
Do expensive shoes smell less?
Not really. What makes the difference is breathable material and a removable insole. Synthetic uppers with no ventilation are the hardest combination to keep fresh, whatever the shoe costs.
How long before the smell is actually gone?
Stick with a consistent routine and you'll notice a difference after a few treatments. If the smell has settled deep into an old shoe, it can take a few more rounds to shift it completely.
Want to know which dryer suits your shoes best? Our complete guide to shoe dryers walks through the options, or see the best shoe dryers of 2026 side by side.