This is going to sound dumb - foot odor

[Aerows]

I asked in sports and no one had anything useful to offer. I've started running again, but my feet have a moldy smell. This is new, and isn't normal. It's okay if my feet stink when I run, but it's weird when they smell moldy.

They itch a bit, but mostly, they just stink to high heaven. Anyone have any ideas? I'm going to air out my shoes in the sun, and bleach my socks, but it's really ODD.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. that settles it...no more running for you in the moderator lounge!

:rofl:

(or at least please leave the sneakers at the door)

seriously....any changes to your diet? medication? sounds like an interesting Google exploration (ask.com, etc)...

[Aerows]

3. *sigh* It truly is terrible

LMAO.

No changes to my diet, this is ODD. It's a moldy smell. Stink I can handle. Itchy, moldy stink, I'm having tremendous issues with.

Laugh it up. Poor feet :(

[uppityperson]

2. Fungus is common on feet and some can have quite an odor, can be different types fungus

Baking soda in shoes may help. Wear clean socks. Let everything dry. Air out your feet daily. And your shoes. Have 2 pairs of shoes to alternate days with. Anti-monkey butt powder into shoes.

Heat and moisture = yummy.

See a health care provider if your feet peel or get worse.

[Aerows]

6. Thank you, UP I'm going to try Baking Soda

I'm going to bleach my socks. I think I wore a pair that got wet when I accidentally fell in a mudhole for too long.

Bleach should work, right?

[NRaleighLiberal]

12. be sure if you use bleach to rinse them well. You may want to check

the People's Pharmacy website/books - some good suggestions in this thread (ie vinegar) reminded me of that.

check this thread -

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/09/29/stinky-feet-are-source-of-embarrassment/#comments

[Aerows]

13. Thanks for the help NRaleighLiberal

I've never been the best as laundry, and any help I can get is appreciated. The kitchen? I can kick behind, but I'm awful in the laundry room.

[Frustratedlady]

22. I'd use peroxide before bleach. You can soak your feet in peroxide/water.

Vinegar is also good. You may smell like a pickle, but what the hey...

There are foot soak mixes at the drugstore you can also buy, but I think a lot of those are epsom salts.

[Aerows]

27. That's a good idea, too

My feet still itch a little, even after the MoM bath I put them through.

I know this is a disgusting conversation, but I appreciate the help.

[Aerows]

37. Thanks for that, BTW

I have tea and I'm going to try a tea soak.

[salvorhardin]

39. never mind... replied in wrong place...

[polichick]

4. I've heard of people soaking feet in vinegar; maybe that would work...

Vinegar is good for lots of health issues!

[Aerows]

31. I like vinegar, but this seems like an opposite type issue

My gf threw away my socks, so I guess we'll see how I do with new ones.

[sharp_stick]

5. It could be as simple as athlete's foot

Especially if there is itching that goes along with it. The increased sweat can sometimes produce a musty/moldy smell.

You could try some of the over the counter stuff and see if that remedies the problem.

[Schema Thing]

7. I bet if you wipe down with Milk of Magnesia the odor will be gone in minutes

Sure works for underarm odors.

[Aerows]

8. Seriously?

I'll try it and report back.

[Aerows]

9. Okay, why did that work?

My feet don't itch, either NOW!

It's not like I don't bathe, either, but that worked for my feet to make them stop itching and smelling.

[Aerows]

14. Seriously, why did that work?

Itching is gone too. Kind of amazing.

[Schema Thing]

32. cool! I just made that up as a joke!

lol, j/k.

I read or heard about it on the people's pharmacy and tried it out.


Not sure why it works, but for people that are worried about aluminum in underarm anti-perspirant, it seems like it would be a good choice.

[Aerows]

33. It works because it binds to the receptors

Worked well, though, so joke or not, it helped me out. I'm so glad my feet don't itch.

Don't know why I didn't think of that. Glad you did.

[dtexdem]

10. Many of us are built backwards:

Our noses run and our feet smell. ;-)

[Aerows]

11. LMAO

Hadn't heard that one.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

15. New Socks, New Shoes, and Athlete's Foot Spray should do it.

Keep running socks and running shoes for excercise only.
Wash/Spray feet before the jog to keep the training shoes "fresh"

[Aerows]

18. You think I've infected all my socks, too?

I don't know how I got this problem. It's like a damn STD.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

21. If it's fungal, it may very well be harbored in socks.

Nothing personal... I don't mean to make it sould like you're a leaper or anything. Just that smells usually come from organisms and, like organisms do, they like stick around nearby things.

I played football and baseball from gradeschool through NCAA. Keeping clothing items (shirts, undies, socks, shoes) for sports and life separate is the easiest way to avoid smelling. Especially if you use non-bleach detergents. If I wear a workout shirt around the house, when I start sweating the shirt will start smelling.

[Aerows]

24. Good advice

I'm going to start using bleach, because apparently, when you get sweaty you need to use them and I fell in a mudhole, too, and probably am harboring bacteria.

I didn't take offense, I was making a joke. Still seems yucky to get rid of, but I will.

[Aerows]

36. GF took care of the socks. She threw them out

Wouldn't even wash them in hot bleach with the towels after a sniff.

Guess I'm going to be buying new running shoes, too, since those are now practically being handled with barbecue tongs and put outside as far away as possible.

[Tx4obama]

16. And soak your shoes in bleach too to kill the fungus/mold

otherwise you'll just keep cross-contaminating your socks/feet/shoes

Or just toss the running shoes in the trash and get new ones.

[Aerows]

19. I feel like I got Herpes :(

Thanks for the advice. I want to clear this problem up. It must have been from the gym that I picked this up.

[Aerows]

30. GF tossed the socks. She's eyeing my shoes

Probably necessary at this point, I guess.

I'm just really attached to those running shoes.

[tabatha]

17. Lavender

It is anti-fungal, in a way that I have not encountered with any commercial products, even the one most recommended, clotrimazole.

http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Essential-Oils-Lavender-4-fl-oz-118-ml/905?at=0

[Aerows]

23. Using J.R. Watkins Lavender Oil

It smells nice, and it's one of my favorites. Maybe that's why I got fungus foot, because I quit using it.

[Aerows]

20. Milk of Magneia

I swabbed my feet with it on the advice of a poster, and I'm shocked. My feet don't itch. I'm spraying Lavender on them as we speak.

This is such a great place to learn things. MoM on my FEET? But it worked.

EDIT: Using J. R. Watkins lavender dry oil on my feet, too. Smells nice, and I like it.

[CrispyQ]

25. I use one of those crystal stones on the bottom of my feet.

It works great. Just rub it on while your feet are still damp, or wet the stone & rub it on.

[Aerows]

26. Which kind is that?

Could you link to one?

[CrispyQ]

40. Something like this. I found it at a health food store.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00028QF9U/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000AN1JEI&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ZR31ZPGJ1FW7N9PWSG5

[jwirr]

28. That sounds like what we used to call athletes foot. There was a

powder that helped. However, I did not actually experience this just others around me.

[Aerows]

29. My girlfriend straight up threw my socks away after one sniff :/

We were doing laundry, and I suggested bleaching them with the towels in hot water, and she said "If they are that bad, throw them out."

She inspected.

They got thrown out.

[applegrove]

34. I have bad foot odor about once a decade. Try using a hand sanitizer on your

feet. You've got to kill the bugs.

[Aerows]

35. Glad I'm not the only one

It only happened since I started running and fell in a pond chasing after a frisbee.

I think it was the mudhole that caused it. I'm not going to stop running, but the foot issue has to go.

[Aerows]

38. Okay, I'm throwing out the shoes, the socks and getting some athlete's foot stuff

It looks like that is the problem

I didn't realize it could smell so bad. If it doesn't clear up, I guess I'll go to the doctor, but it seems like I just have a really stinky case of athlete's foot I picked up from the gym.

EDIT: and sorry to stink up the forum with this weird problem :D Thanks everyone. I was so embarrassed. It's not easy to just up and have feet that announce "Oh hello, I SMELL".

[closeupready]

41. I sometimes have that issue - when it occurs, I try to powder my feet with Gold Bond

or other such talcum powder. It works well, especially if you wear two layers of socks (if it's cold).

[astral]

42. I have a suggestion, too.

Wash your feet with borax and vinegar put together, not just vinegar. I know borax is antifungal. You may want to do it every day for a while. It would sure be nice to find out what caused this.