asking for friend: what can i do about stinky sandal feet?
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the type of material of your sandal can contribute to how much you sweat and stink. getty
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dear asking for a friend,
my feet really smell after a day in my sandals – and my sandals smell too. i have tried powders and lotions, but i still haven’t figured out a way to prevent foot odour. any ideas?
signed, stinky feet
dear stinky feet,
after spending so much time in boots over the long canadian winter, putting your tootsies into a pair of sandals can be liberating. not only do they allow your feet to breathe, but uncovered feet can help you stay cool in the heat. look for ones with good arch and ankle support to keep you safe from injury or painful conditions like plantar fasciitis, where the tissue across the bottom is inflamed causing heel pain.
flip-flops should be an occasional go-to because they make your toes work harder, shortening your steps and causing your heels to hit the ground with more force, all leading to possible foot, hip and lower back pain, according to research.
but what about sweaty feet and odour? first of all, it’s completely normal.
feet have more than 250,000 sweat glands, which is more than any other part of the body, according to the british columbia podiatric medical association. these glands are programmed to release sweat throughout the day to cool your body and keep your skin moist. everyone’s feet sweat, although pregnant women and teens can be more prone to overly sweaty feet because their bodies produce certain hormones that make them sweat more.
why do my feet smell?
the natural bacteria on your feet help to break down the sweat as it’s released, but if bacteria and sweat build up, you can end up with stinky feet.
dr. howard green, a podiatrist in surrey, british columbia, and president of the british columbia podiatric medical association, says damp, sweaty feet can lead to other problems on top of the embarrassing odour, such as itchy, scaly, peeling or cracked skin.
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“if the feet stay damp for extended periods of time, the skin can break down between the toes in particular,” he says. “then you’re at higher risk for athlete’s foot or other fungal infection on the skin,” he says.
green recommends giving your sweaty feet a wash to not only avoid infection, but to prevent the bacteria buildup that leads to odour.
“if you go to the gym and work out, you come home, you take a shower. so if you go for a long walk and you’re sweaty afterward, give your feet a shower with soap and water to rinse off,” he says. “i’m not saying you have to sit there with your feet in pans of water for hours, but rinse them off.”
and don’t forget to dry them. use a towel to dry the bottom and top of the feet, green says, as well as between the toes, an area that is often overlooked.
“if the skin actually breaks there for some reason,” he says, “you’re prone to getting infections and you want to avoid that.”
another tip is applying a spray or roll-on antiperspirant before you put your sandals on in the morning which will help to block your sweat ducts, limiting dampness.
sweaty feet can be a sign of hyperhidrosis
foot sweat accompanied by excessive sweating on your palms, underarms or brow can be a sign of hyperhidrosis — a sometimes hereditary condition that can be linked to an underlying health issue.
and when it comes to the sandals themselves starting to smell, he says air them out in a cool, dry place overnight or rotate them if you have extra pairs to let them air out and dry completely. he also suggests spraying sandals after you take them off with a light misting of antibacterial air freshener.
the type of material of the sandal can also contribute to sweat and stink.
“it could be a vinyl or it could be just open a flat cork surface — these are the ones that tend to absorb the odours,” he says, adding that a spray is a better option than putting foot powder on your sandal, because “[powder] gets this white glob look to it that’s not very attractive.”
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if you find that no amount of washing, drying, or spraying is helping to tame the sweat and odour plaguing your feet, green recommends seeing a foot specialist for a diagnosis and advice.
is there something about health that you (or a friend, wink, wink) have always wondered about but are too embarrassed to ask? send a note to info@healthing.ca. we promise your ‘friend’s’ secret — and identity — is safe with us!
karen hawthorne is a toronto-based writer.
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