Ds6 socks/shoes suddenly smell terrible

amother

OP ↓

Wed, Jan 01 2025, 5:22 pm

Never had this before. Really bad odor that smells up the whole room. Any idea what could be causing it and how to fix it?

zaq

Wed, Jan 01 2025, 5:51 pm

Could be a fungal infection from sweaty feet. Synthetic sox or shoes make it worse. Try a foot-drying powder from a pharmacy. If that doesn't do it, and he's wearing natural fiber sox and leather or canvas shoes,see a healthcare professional. He might need to use an antifungal product.

amother

DarkGray

Wed, Jan 01 2025, 5:55 pm

It's possible that his shoes got wet and didn't dry properly and now they smell causing his socks to smell too. I've had this happen and then I wash the shoes and it's back to normal

amother

Cantaloupe ↓

Wed, Jan 01 2025, 6:44 pm

amother DarkGray wrote:

It's possible that his shoes got wet and didn't dry properly and now they smell causing his socks to smell too. I've had this happen and then I wash the shoes and it's back to normal

How do you wash the shoe?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Jan 01 2025, 8:50 pm

amother DarkGray wrote:

It's possible that his shoes got wet and didn't dry properly and now they smell causing his socks to smell too. I've had this happen and then I wash the shoes and it's back to normal

How do I wash them? They’re Skechers sneakers.

amother

Burlywood

Wed, Jan 01 2025, 9:44 pm

I also wash my DS sneakers.
I spray them really well with oxiclean, let them sit for a few minutes and then put each one in a mesh bag. Wash with warm water on delicate.

If you're nervous to use warm, try cold water but I don't think it works as well.

Make sure they are completely dry before he wears them again. You can blow dry them or wash erev shabbos so they have more time to dry.

Queenesther613

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 5:45 pm

Buy Lume deoderant cream at Target or Amazon and rub it onto his feet and between toes. Works like magic. Howver, the stink is already absorbed into the shoes, so its best to start this when along with a new pair of shoes.

ra_mom ↓

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 5:48 pm

When he's freshly bathed, wearing clean socks, and shabbos shoes, is the smell still there?

If his feet don't smell when he's not wearing his weekday shoes, then get rid if his weekday shoes pronto.

Dd once had brand name boots that just caused a smell, something awful. We had to get rid of them before we even got much use out of them.

amother

↑ Cantaloupe ↓

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 5:52 pm

ra_mom wrote:

Yes, clean feet - no smell. Definitely the sneakers.

amother

↑ Cantaloupe

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 5:53 pm

Can I put them in the dryer to dry them? Or theyll shrink?

↑ ra_mom ↓

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 5:56 pm

amother Cantaloupe wrote:

Can I put them in the dryer to dry them? Or theyll shrink?

You can dry them but they'll still stink. It's baked in. There's something wrong with the sneakers.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 5:56 pm

His feet smelled terrible even when he was wearing boots. But the old shoes didn’t smell until recently. He has it since September.

I did buy him new shoes too. Will see how that goes.

↑ ra_mom

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 6:10 pm

amother OP wrote:

His feet smelled terrible even when he was wearing boots. But the old shoes didn’t smell until recently. He has it since September.

I did buy him new shoes too. Will see how that goes.

If this happened with 2 pairs, then it likely is not the sneakers. It's something about him sweating through. Maybe he needs more breathable socks and reminders to take off his shoes so he can air out his feet as soon as he gets home.

Is he getting his sneakers/boots wet often?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 6:12 pm

ra_mom wrote:

They play outside by yeshiva daily so who knows. But I don’t think it smelled with other shoes, like his shabbos shoes.

amother

Gardenia ↓

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 6:36 pm

Ds10 recently had the same issue. The smell was unbearable!
He had developed fungus on his foot. We treated it with Lotrimin af - miconazole nitrate antifungal. It's a deodorant powder spray used for athletes foot.
Bh he's not had a smell since treating it.
GL!

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 6:38 pm

amother Gardenia wrote:

Were you able to see the fungus or it was a shot in the dark?

amother

Fuchsia

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 6:43 pm

amother OP wrote:

Were you able to see the fungus or it was a shot in the dark?

I’m wondering this as well.

amother

↑ Gardenia ↓

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 6:51 pm

I don't know what you mean by shot in the dark. I did not see it for myself. My dh observed it and said it looked fungal. Actually with my son the smell was mostly when he wasn't wearing his shoes.
We first ruled out sweating in other parts of his body ( bought new underwear, bathed every day etc... till we realized the smell is from his foot and only when he did not wear his shoes.

amother

↑ OP

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 7:11 pm

So weird… just smelled ds’s old shoes and they do not smell! But when he wore it the last few weeks most days his feet smelled terrible when they came out of his shoes. So what else can it be? It doesn’t smell every day.

amother

↑ Gardenia

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 7:53 pm

amother OP wrote:

Check the bottom of feet or between toes and if it's indeed fungal it's usually obvious to the naked eye. ( Red, rash, scaling etc.)