de-stinkifying shoes?

[AllanVarcoe]

when I rode BMX more and lived in NY, I'd throw my shoes in the back step in the winter when I knew it wasn't going to snow. Didn't do much. I have however washed my shoes in the washing machine with good results. Key for me has been drying them quickly! Wash them early on a sunny day and keep them in the sun all day.

[moobikes]

2 capfuls of bleach, 1 gallon of water, soak for 5 minutes, scrub with any soap at hand and brush, rinse very well, dry. I bet 2 dead puppies the stink will be gone.

[OldCrank]

My Giros were getting pretty Funkadelic, and were on their way to banishment after a rain-a-thon.

Rinsed out the sand, squeezed out what I could into a towel, few hours of sun then newspapers overnight.
I was afraid extending the soak would hurt them.
Then a bit of strong (not straight) oxyclean for a few hours.
Bucket rinse, squeeze out the soap, clear water rinse, repeat a few times.
Repeat the sunshine-then-newspapers-at-night until they're dry.

Fresh as a daisy. Sorta.

[ColonelJLloyd]

I've filled with baking soda then frozen an old pair of Birks that got funky and it didn't do much.

When my kitchen sponge gets funky I boil it and it works. Bring a big stock pot to boil, remove from heat and drop those puppies in for a couple minutes? Worth a try. If you have a steamer in you house I suppose you could try that for a little more targeted approach.

[AngryScientist]

thanks guys, some good ideas here.

i just took advantage of that ebay 20% coupon and ordered a new set of sidis, these old shoes are going to be put on the back burner for a while i think, so i can try a few options to get the funk out.

[djg21]

I have a set of convection boot dryers for my ski boots, https://www.rei.com/product/891154/d...vel-boot-dryer. They work great in my cycling shoes when they get wet.

[Joachim]

This... Dry shoes and remove stink.... Not sure if it's too late already but it has work wonders for me

http://www.peetdryer.com/original-peet.html

[jimcav]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...1?ie=UTF8&th=1

I also now exclusively use merino wool socks and that has kept my feet on-stinky!

[hobbanero]

I have a couple of friends who just remove their insoles and throw the shoes in the washing machine, then let them air dry. No damage so far, and their shoes are sparkling.

[shovelhd]

You won't get the stink if you use newspapers within an hour of taking them off wet.

[Saint Vitus]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

thanks guys, some good ideas here.

i just took advantage of that ebay 20% coupon and ordered a new set of sidis, these old shoes are going to be put on the back burner for a while i think, so i can try a few options to get the funk out.

Yes, smart move. Placing them on the back burner and set it to high. Fire cures all smells

[dpk501]

Sometimes it's beyond repair.

My fave methods steps:

Saturate with cheap vodka and air dry.
Handheld clothes steamer for porous areas.
Charcoal in a sock into the shoe when all dry.
Tea tree oil and mint oil to help with any mustiness

All very bactericidal and deodorizes. This has saved a few pairs of sneakers for me.

[dgauthier]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

they've already been soaked through multiple times - what if i just throw them in the washing machine on the "hand wash" cycle - bad idea?

Yes, bad idea. The uppers could separate from the soles if you compromise the glue.

You should be able to find care instructions on the shoe manufacturer's web site. If the manufacturer says you can wash them in the washing machine, go for it.

If the manufacturer has odor reduction instructions, follow those. Otherwise, remove the insoles and sprinkle baking soda inside the shoes and leave overnight. Shake out the excess in the morning. If that doesn't work, pack the shoes with orange peels and leave overnight.

In the future, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for drying your new shoes when they get soaked.