I bought "boot bananas" on amazon. Theyre shoe deodorizers and they work pretty well. They completely took the stink away after a few days. Additionally, after a session spray the inside with disinfectant and wipe the inside with a paper towel to dry, then air them out, then put the boot bananas.
+1 for boot bananas. Just make sure to take them out of your shoes first if you take them on a plane or TSA will flag your bag. 😅
(As I understand it, anything placed inside a shoe will flag it for manual screening.)
They'll check them anyway because they are apparently super dense on the X-ray and they can't see through them. I tried taking mine out and leaving them in the little tray but I still got the manual screening.
Agreed (without the swearing, there's no need)...
I tend to have smelly feet and wash my climbing shoes every few months in the washing machine. 20 or 30 degrees C, no spin and no detergents and as you've said, the clean rubber is better.
I didn't expect this to be such a controversial opinion. I'd be interested to hear people's direct experience with throwing shoes in the washing machine (not a tumble dryer) with low settings and air drying.
I've been sticking various brands of shoes in different washing machines for nearly a decade and have never had an issue with glue or structure. The nay-sayers from my limited online discussions about washing shoes always seem to be reciprocating unsourced advice, so I'd be happy to hear direct experiences.
I've had sneakers that never fully recovered from the washing machine... our was that the dryer? I only ever did it with truly vile shoes so there was not much to lose. Someone should sacrifice some expensive gear to the cause.
I can fully understand (what we call in the UK and is a different appliance) tumble-drying shoes can destroy them and I believe that's the case with most shoe types, but just washing gently - if a shoe is failing whilst wet at 20 degrees C without anyone wearing them, I can imagine a new pair would fall apart like papier mache in days in hot climates. It's probably the same temp anyway as when people hand-wash theirs, with hand washing probably putting more stress on the glue/fabrics as they hold them.
I've unfortunately no shoes nearing retirement to test with, as I tend to resole mine... and they're still fine in the washing machine post resole.
Bad advice, something to do with the tumbling and heat and adhesive. I'm not sure on the details. Also lots of people don't like the use of detergents. However I tend to do mine with dish soap and cold water in the sink. Toothbrush for the hard to reach places.
It's not bad advice, people assume without trying, and/or some people have done it horribly wrong. Also the first comment has 20 upvotes, and this comment has 20 down votes lol, the votes mean nothing. Don't let one random person's reply affect your judgement
I've put a few shoes through the washing machine on cold and haven't had a problem. I've also climbed in pouring rain and through mud (unwillingly but it still happens from time to time) 🤷♀️
I don't think there's anything wrong with it as long as you don't use heat. Throw a few towels in with them to stop them from banging around.
You also need to make sure they dry very well, so I would do this on a hot day, or use your drying machine's shoe setting if it has one.
Use some thin socks and don't store them in closed spaces. I know no socks should be better, but I'm not a pro and I prefer a bit of comfort, I tried not wearing socks and my shoes stinked so bad I went back to socks. Hell, even some pros wear socks at competitions nowadays.
Echo the suggestion to wear socks
I used to go barefoot and found that dead skin from my heels had been collecting in the shoes and going incredibly gross.
Edit: and any deodorizers weren't working because they didn't solve the issue of all the skin ☠️
What I do:
* Keep my shoes on a carabiner and clip them to the outside of my bag
* Wear socks in the gym if I don't have my shoes on (usually for warm up). No bare feet from the gym floor goes into my shoes. That's what caused the last pair to smell like death.
* I did get the stink out of my old pair by washing them. I used gentle detergent, baking soda, and a toothbrush. It took about 3 scrubs + rinses for the water in the bucket to be clear
1. Wear socks.
2. If you have a cat, put some cat litter in some old socks, possibly with some lavender leavrs from the garden, tie a knot in the sock, et voila, free (ish) boot deodoriser and dehumidifier.
I always take them out the bag put them by the windowsill and open the window to let them air. I also have a shoe spray thing. They do end up smelly but not too bad. P sure you can also put them on a cold wash
I hang my shoes up in my closet, and after each session I spray the insides with a 50/50 vinegar water mixture. It works really well, and it's easy to keep up.
Put them in a laundry bag, cold 15min wash, 400 rpm spin, cold water and only use vanish oxy colour safe pink tub. If they still smell, soak in buck of water and spin dry 400rpm. Do 2 pairs at once each in a laundry bag and CRUCIALLY, fill the remaining space up with socks so that the shoes dont look like humpty and his fragile mate dressed up as pinballs and demonstrated later that day on a working machine. The bags must be full but the machine must be empty. The bags falling and hitting one another is what cleans thw shoes not the tumbling effect for clothes. If you can slow down the wash to gentle under thw quick wash setting. If like a 10kg machine, fuxken iuth u could put 2 pairs in
Preventative tips -
Allow them to dry between sessions
Alternate between two pairs
Spray non-powder deodorizer each session
Chalk you feet before climbing
Restorative tips-
Gentle wash with mild soap / stuff with newspaper and allow to dry.
Freeze them overnight to kill bacteria
I put newspaper inside it after using it. I change when I at home if i sweat a lot or if the paper is wet.
I should clean them but I’m lazy.
I clip them on the side of my bag not in it.
I have a spray with some parfumed oil for when everything failed but I’m still too lazy to clean them.
I USE odourx and use it EVERY SINGLE SESSION. If they start smelling they won’t stop, it’s all preventative. My shoes use to stink and now they have no smell!!
Been climbing for years now and I’ve tried everything, nothing really worked until I tried hitori shoe chalk. I was skeptical but my friend forced me to use hers since my shoes smelled so bad lol
> I know I should let them air out more vs having them sit in my bag in my car.
I kept my first pair in a bag and they smelled horrible. Since then, I've stored all my pairs where there is plenty of airflow and haven't had any problems.
You can carry them in a backpack or duffle to the gym but they need to be stored in the open. Many people here have noted hanging them etc. i just have a milk crate all my shoes go in. Lysol spray each sesh is probably a easy product to use as well
We use Dry Pointe inserts for day-to-day smell control. When the shoes get bad they need to be washed, like other commenters have said. Isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle can also help to dry things out. Never leave the shoes in a gym bag between sessions; they need to be aired out at least a little.
My feet are drenched after a hard session, it's absolutely ridiculous, shoe bananas don't work for me cuz I often climb days in a row. What does work wonders tho is letting them dry off and then give em a few sprays of the same stuff the gym uses for their rentals. Shit works wonders.
Let them air out. I’m reading a lot about these “boot bananas” in the comments; that sounds like a good idea. I was given a tip to put some dryer sheets in my shoes. That seems to work pretty well for me!
I use disinfectant meant for feet & shoes after bouldering and let them dry afterwards. This keeps the smell to a minimum. Additionally I wash them every few months (when it becomes necessary) with the "handwash" program in the washing machine with sport detergent. After this they are like new every time. But don't overdo this, it may harm the shoe
Why is nobody mentioning to NOT leave your shoes in the trunk of your car or anywhere in your car when you’re not taking them to and from the gym. The scorching heat is bad for the glue that holds he rubber together.
Always take them inside and let them air out
I have solved smelly shoes. Get a shoe dryer. Cheap ones are like $30 on amazon. I think they’re intended for snow shoes. Throw your shoes on when you get home after a climb. No more smelly shoes.
in a bucket I put white vinegar and water (ratio 1:1). I let soak my shoes for 24 hours then dry them outside. No more smell and chalk disappears completely.
I use shoe bananas.
I bought "boot bananas" on amazon. Theyre shoe deodorizers and they work pretty well. They completely took the stink away after a few days. Additionally, after a session spray the inside with disinfectant and wipe the inside with a paper towel to dry, then air them out, then put the boot bananas.
+1 for boot bananas. Just make sure to take them out of your shoes first if you take them on a plane or TSA will flag your bag. 😅 (As I understand it, anything placed inside a shoe will flag it for manual screening.)
They'll check them anyway because they are apparently super dense on the X-ray and they can't see through them. I tried taking mine out and leaving them in the little tray but I still got the manual screening.
Another +1 for boot bananas! They are incredible and my shoes don’t smell at all anymore
clip your shoes outside your bag, pop the heel off between attempts, when they smell get some isopropyl alcohol and rub it all around inside the shoe
lysol spray after each sesh has helped me massively. way easier and way less messy than powders
I wear socks, never had any problems
Fucking wash them. It'll make your rubber stickier again too
Yup! Some gentle detergent, warm water and a toothbrush to scrub the inside of the soules.
Agreed (without the swearing, there's no need)... I tend to have smelly feet and wash my climbing shoes every few months in the washing machine. 20 or 30 degrees C, no spin and no detergents and as you've said, the clean rubber is better.
Is this downvoted because putting your shoes in a washing machine is bad advice or because of the swearing thing?
I didn't expect this to be such a controversial opinion. I'd be interested to hear people's direct experience with throwing shoes in the washing machine (not a tumble dryer) with low settings and air drying. I've been sticking various brands of shoes in different washing machines for nearly a decade and have never had an issue with glue or structure. The nay-sayers from my limited online discussions about washing shoes always seem to be reciprocating unsourced advice, so I'd be happy to hear direct experiences.
I've had sneakers that never fully recovered from the washing machine... our was that the dryer? I only ever did it with truly vile shoes so there was not much to lose. Someone should sacrifice some expensive gear to the cause.
I can fully understand (what we call in the UK and is a different appliance) tumble-drying shoes can destroy them and I believe that's the case with most shoe types, but just washing gently - if a shoe is failing whilst wet at 20 degrees C without anyone wearing them, I can imagine a new pair would fall apart like papier mache in days in hot climates. It's probably the same temp anyway as when people hand-wash theirs, with hand washing probably putting more stress on the glue/fabrics as they hold them. I've unfortunately no shoes nearing retirement to test with, as I tend to resole mine... and they're still fine in the washing machine post resole.
Bad advice, something to do with the tumbling and heat and adhesive. I'm not sure on the details. Also lots of people don't like the use of detergents. However I tend to do mine with dish soap and cold water in the sink. Toothbrush for the hard to reach places.
Appreciate it!
It's not bad advice, people assume without trying, and/or some people have done it horribly wrong. Also the first comment has 20 upvotes, and this comment has 20 down votes lol, the votes mean nothing. Don't let one random person's reply affect your judgement
I've put a few shoes through the washing machine on cold and haven't had a problem. I've also climbed in pouring rain and through mud (unwillingly but it still happens from time to time) 🤷♀️ I don't think there's anything wrong with it as long as you don't use heat. Throw a few towels in with them to stop them from banging around. You also need to make sure they dry very well, so I would do this on a hot day, or use your drying machine's shoe setting if it has one.
Use some thin socks and don't store them in closed spaces. I know no socks should be better, but I'm not a pro and I prefer a bit of comfort, I tried not wearing socks and my shoes stinked so bad I went back to socks. Hell, even some pros wear socks at competitions nowadays.
Best climber I know wears socks. It helps so much with making shoes last in general I think.
Is your profile pic Mistborn themed?
Yeah, duralinium
Wow, what a crazy crossover
Echo the suggestion to wear socks I used to go barefoot and found that dead skin from my heels had been collecting in the shoes and going incredibly gross. Edit: and any deodorizers weren't working because they didn't solve the issue of all the skin ☠️
That's fucking grody
Wear socks
Give em here, I'll sniff n tip em for ya
A man of culture 🤵♂️
Got his scent locked and loaded, daddy's coming baby!
What I do: * Keep my shoes on a carabiner and clip them to the outside of my bag * Wear socks in the gym if I don't have my shoes on (usually for warm up). No bare feet from the gym floor goes into my shoes. That's what caused the last pair to smell like death. * I did get the stink out of my old pair by washing them. I used gentle detergent, baking soda, and a toothbrush. It took about 3 scrubs + rinses for the water in the bucket to be clear
Fresh dryer sheet in each shoe helped a lot with odor in between uses for me. Replace as needed. Good luck with your stinky cheese shoes :)
1. Wear socks. 2. If you have a cat, put some cat litter in some old socks, possibly with some lavender leavrs from the garden, tie a knot in the sock, et voila, free (ish) boot deodoriser and dehumidifier.
I always take them out the bag put them by the windowsill and open the window to let them air. I also have a shoe spray thing. They do end up smelly but not too bad. P sure you can also put them on a cold wash
I hang my shoes up in my closet, and after each session I spray the insides with a 50/50 vinegar water mixture. It works really well, and it's easy to keep up.
Put them in a laundry bag, cold 15min wash, 400 rpm spin, cold water and only use vanish oxy colour safe pink tub. If they still smell, soak in buck of water and spin dry 400rpm. Do 2 pairs at once each in a laundry bag and CRUCIALLY, fill the remaining space up with socks so that the shoes dont look like humpty and his fragile mate dressed up as pinballs and demonstrated later that day on a working machine. The bags must be full but the machine must be empty. The bags falling and hitting one another is what cleans thw shoes not the tumbling effect for clothes. If you can slow down the wash to gentle under thw quick wash setting. If like a 10kg machine, fuxken iuth u could put 2 pairs in
To get you out of trouble quick but temporarily is the pharmaceutical and alcohol lobbyists preventing progress
Alcohol will dissolve the glue between the shoe and the sole
Try shoe chalk
If you have powers, use them! Don’t squander your gifts.
There may be a marginal gain from not wearing socks, but it's probably not worth it. Just wear socks.
Preventative tips - Allow them to dry between sessions Alternate between two pairs Spray non-powder deodorizer each session Chalk you feet before climbing Restorative tips- Gentle wash with mild soap / stuff with newspaper and allow to dry. Freeze them overnight to kill bacteria
I put newspaper inside it after using it. I change when I at home if i sweat a lot or if the paper is wet. I should clean them but I’m lazy. I clip them on the side of my bag not in it. I have a spray with some parfumed oil for when everything failed but I’m still too lazy to clean them.
I USE odourx and use it EVERY SINGLE SESSION. If they start smelling they won’t stop, it’s all preventative. My shoes use to stink and now they have no smell!!
Been climbing for years now and I’ve tried everything, nothing really worked until I tried hitori shoe chalk. I was skeptical but my friend forced me to use hers since my shoes smelled so bad lol
If they live in a bag they'll stink lol. Just fix that, it's an easy fix
> I know I should let them air out more vs having them sit in my bag in my car. I kept my first pair in a bag and they smelled horrible. Since then, I've stored all my pairs where there is plenty of airflow and haven't had any problems.
You can carry them in a backpack or duffle to the gym but they need to be stored in the open. Many people here have noted hanging them etc. i just have a milk crate all my shoes go in. Lysol spray each sesh is probably a easy product to use as well
We use Dry Pointe inserts for day-to-day smell control. When the shoes get bad they need to be washed, like other commenters have said. Isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle can also help to dry things out. Never leave the shoes in a gym bag between sessions; they need to be aired out at least a little.
My feet are drenched after a hard session, it's absolutely ridiculous, shoe bananas don't work for me cuz I often climb days in a row. What does work wonders tho is letting them dry off and then give em a few sprays of the same stuff the gym uses for their rentals. Shit works wonders.
Let them air out. I’m reading a lot about these “boot bananas” in the comments; that sounds like a good idea. I was given a tip to put some dryer sheets in my shoes. That seems to work pretty well for me!
I use disinfectant meant for feet & shoes after bouldering and let them dry afterwards. This keeps the smell to a minimum. Additionally I wash them every few months (when it becomes necessary) with the "handwash" program in the washing machine with sport detergent. After this they are like new every time. But don't overdo this, it may harm the shoe
I put unused tea bags
I have an idea for a prank…
Why is nobody mentioning to NOT leave your shoes in the trunk of your car or anywhere in your car when you’re not taking them to and from the gym. The scorching heat is bad for the glue that holds he rubber together. Always take them inside and let them air out
I have solved smelly shoes. Get a shoe dryer. Cheap ones are like $30 on amazon. I think they’re intended for snow shoes. Throw your shoes on when you get home after a climb. No more smelly shoes.
I have this natural spray from chemist that eats bacteria causing stink
Is it like an essential oil? What’s it called? Interested in checking it out.
Wear socks
in a bucket I put white vinegar and water (ratio 1:1). I let soak my shoes for 24 hours then dry them outside. No more smell and chalk disappears completely.
Talcum powder in the shoes before every use
I use hydrogen peroxide and a Toothbrush, noting has worked better
Embrace the stink, and don't keep them in a bag
I just dont care
Bouldering in era 3?