brooks running, smelly shoes, running
Feb | 23
(7)
Behind the Laces, Brooks Athletes, Inspiration, Running Tips, Shoes & Gear

Smelly Shoes? 6 Tips to Stop the Stink.

Does your dog avoid chewing on your shoes? People inching away in the locker room? Uh-oh. Sounds like you have a smelly shoe problem. No need to be embarrassed, but you may want to read these tips.

We reached out to our in-house shoe care experts, the Brooks Beasts, to share their scent-sational tips (and stinky shoe selfies). From science to superstition, try these remedies at home:

1. Soak it up with newspaper

Tuck some newspaper in your shoes after a grueling run to capture the sweat. Middle-distance runner Meghan Malasarte likes to make headlines, just so she can re-purpose the newspaper.

Megan Malasarte, brooks running, smelly shoes, running

2. Out the window

Mark Wieczorek suggests aerating shoes by an open window. When he’s not tending to his own shoes, you can find Mark with his nationally ranked team of teenage runners; coaching them on how to deal with theirs.

Mark Wieczorek, brooks running, smelly shoes, running

3. Spray it off

Known for her tenacity on the track in the 5K and 10K, Deb Maier has her finger on the trigger and is ready to destroy odors (and the competition).

Deb Maier, brooks running, smelly shoes, running

4. Cover it up

As an accomplished 1,500M runner, you can smell Garrett Heath from almost a mile away! In a pinch? A shot of cologne usually does the trick for Garrett.

Garrett Heath, brooks running, smelly shoes, running

 

5. Easy Breezy

When Angela Bizzarri’s shoes get a bit ripe, she puts a dryer sheet under the shoe liner and leaves it overnight. Angela has won a number of national championship battles, but the war on odor is a lifelong pursuit.   

Angela Bizzarri, brooks running, smelly shoes, running

6. Embrace the stink! 

When all else fails, get cozy with your sneaks. And Riley Masters.

riley masters, brooks running, smelly shoes, running

Got a stinky shoe remedy and selfie to share? Hit us up on Facebook and Twitter, or in the comments section below!

About Melissa
In my past life, I was a collegiate runner. Now, I happily run in Brooks Ravennas or Ghosts. If all my running shoes were turquoise in color, I would not complain.
View all posts by Melissa
7 Comments
  • Rich W

    I know very little about this topic, but what’s wrong with washing the shoes in water and Lysol? Will this make them fall apart?

    • brooksblog

      Great question Rich! Lysol is a cleaning product that has disinfecting and sanitizing properties so it may not be the greatest product for cleaning shoes. We recommend using laundry detergent, a bucket of water, and a brush to clean any stains. To dry your shoes, we suggest using newspapers or paper towels to stuff your shoes. Using a dryer can cause damage because of the higher heat and tumbling. We hope this helps! Reach out if you have anymore questions.

      • Rich W

        I would still use a little Lysol with the detergent and water, in order to kill any bacteria.

  • chellemel1124

    I’ve never had smelly shoes before! This is my first pair of Brooks and I’ve only worn them for a couple of weeks,but they smell awful. Has anyone else noticed this problem with this brand?

  • Mat

    Clean socks before running, leave shoes outside to ventilate after 🙂 and wash them every 5-6 months

  • Mark

    Get new shoes….it’s fun.

  • Calvin

    I first remember when I started running I wore Brooks which got smelly. I put a lot of miles on them. My running partner, she also wore Brooks. This was back in the day when their was no such thing as no show socks and socks were cotton only or nylon type which were not good for running. Therefore, we wore them without socks. Smelly shoes were the norm for the runner. As we reached miles in the life of the shoe, we purchased new ones. Now with improved materials in shoes and socks, shoes and feet are a lot less stinker. Not having clean socks one day last year, I went on a run anyway without socks. It was OK, just felt too sweaty.