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Smelly shoes

Ok, so there's no point beating about the bush; my cycling shoes have been banished to the shed because they whiff. Now obviously this is aided and abetted by having socks that wick sweat away from the skin. I use Specialized Body Geometry shoes, insoles and wedges, so now that I have my foot position just right, I'm not about to switch to odour-eater insoles or something.

Anyone else have this problem? None of my other shoes smell like this.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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7 comments

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Tour Le Tour | 11 years ago
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Relish it - that smell makes it just that little bit harder for the guy behind you to hold your wheel... But seriously I now use different shoes on different bikes which means they all get lots of airing time, but I have also used an anti-bac powder in the past, which was combined with a bit of scented something to make my shoes smell like flowers. I can't recall the brand sorry, but it did work.

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Trebor replied to Tour Le Tour | 11 years ago
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A friend of ours works for Mr Branson's airline and in their handbook they recommend putting orange peel in your shoes to combat the odour, not while you are wearing them of course,  39 it may also contribute to your five a day  3

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hotweathercyclist | 11 years ago
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I wash my shoes once a month- rinse with hot water then dry outside- it is a bit hotter here(Taiwan) but you could put them in the airing cupboard. This has eliminated the smell.

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CycCoSi | 11 years ago
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notfastenough | 11 years ago
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Thanks for the replies, think I'll give the spray a go before raiding the piggy bank for more shoes!

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Paul J | 11 years ago
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One solution is having 2 pairs of identical shoes, then swapping between them on 6 to 8 week basis. That should be long enough for the bacteria in the "resting" pair to run out of sweaty food, die off and stop smelling. Though, the "in use" pair will still end up stinking more and more as you use them.

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spin cycle | 11 years ago
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Have you tried using milton anti-bac spray? works a treat on mine

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