Friday, June 27, 2008

Advice sought: Jr. foot funk

Most days Sophie wears these cute and lovely L.L. Bean shoes to school or camp. They look smart, are comfortable, stay on when she runs, and hold up to wading in and out of the creek that runs through the school property (their main piece of playground equipment in warmer weather).

The problem: THE SMELL. Worse than a pair of stinky Tevas. After a few days of wear without socks (best for creek wading), we can hardly keep them in the house any longer. It smells like something died. The other day she took them off in the car, and I almost drove off the road. And it seems to be getting worse. . . .

What to do? They go through the wash well, and the problem is solved for a short time. What I'm wondering is is there is any way to extend the period before which they start to reek again. Can I spray Lysol in them? Febreeze? I'm not excited about either of those substances against her skin. Can I dump baking soda in them? Do they make children's Odor Eaters?? I'm worried about our upcoming camping trip where we will be without a washing machine for two weeks.

7 comments:

lisagh said...

I use odor eaters for a particularly stinky pair of sailing shoes I have. They come with outlines printed on them so you can cut them down to any shoe size. I'm sure those'll get you through 2 weeks of camping.

KathleenKMM said...

What if you stuck a dryer sheet in them? I got this idea because I was trying to see if Method made any febreeze-ish stuff and they don't, but a dryer sheet might at least mask the smell!

Kate said...

Tea Tree oil always worked well for me as a camp counselor & camp director. I used to mix a little w/ water in a spray bottle & spary them at night before I went to bed so they could dry before I wore them again. Plus - the scent doesn't attract bugs & it's good for your skin:)

sabi said...

i like that tea tree oil suggestion of kate's. you could also try sprinkling baking soda and corn starch combination as "powder" subtitute--they're absorbant. it's the bare feet and artificial materials that create the odious scent. most unpleasant. best of luck in a vehicle for hundred's of miles.

Melinda said...

Hi Cindy, I've been lurking behind the scenes, reading your blog for a little while, and just want to tell you how much I enjoy it. I'm still giggling about the 'messing with Tim Tim's head' incident. Furthermore, with your petit fours, I believe that no-one should ever attempt to hold themselves to Jen Yu's standard, I read her blog too, and she is a force to be reckoned with, a perfectionist and just too damned good.
I'll endeavour to leave my name, but in case I fail, it's Melinda, (I'd hate to be mistaken for one of those sad, anonymous posters that have nothing better to do than be negative).
Anyway thankyou, and I look forward to your next post. PS. Tea tree oil is magical stuff and may work for the foot funk problem.

TLA said...

Im also going to go with the tea tree oil. You can find sprays from various sources...I believe that the Body Shop and Crabtree and Evelyn both have tea tree oil footcare lines.

I like Earth Therapeutics brand which you can get at Ulta, Amazon or other mass marketers. I dont wear socks unless its below 40 degrees, and believe me, my Harkens and chef clogs would be toxic without this stuff!

Unknown said...

I probably can't add anything to what's already been offered, but I have to say, as the mother of a soon-to-be 8 year old boy, stinky shoes are a year-round concern. Although I've never been a big fan of buying "brand-names" for kids just to have them, I'm sold on Skechers Airators. They magically allow air to pass through the shoe without exposing the foot to the elements and even when he wears them for days WITHOUT SOCKS, they seriously don't stink. Best.Kids.Athletic.Shoes.EVER.