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One of the most repeated home remedies for fighting smelly shoes is baking soda: put a little inside your sneakers and let it work. It’s no coincidence that it’s recommended so often, because it has a specific chemical explanation and targets two of the causes of odor: the acidity created by bacteria and the moisture that feeds them.
What it’s for
Baking soda helps neutralize sneaker odor and keep the inside dry. In other words, it works on the odor already there and, by absorbing moisture, makes the problem less likely to come back. That’s why it’s used so often in everyday shoes and athletic shoes, which often stay damp after use.
Sneaker odor is not caused by sweat itself, which is almost odorless, but by the bacteria that live on the skin and in the shoe. Those bacteria feed on sweat and dead skin cells and, in the process, release strong-smelling compounds, especially acids such as isovaleric acid, which is responsible for the characteristic foot smell.
Those compounds are acidic, and baking soda is an alkaline substance, or base. When they come into contact, the baking soda neutralizes those acids through an acid-base neutralization reaction, so the odor is reduced instead of lingering.
On top of that, baking soda has a second effect: it is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture. And since bacteria need a moist environment to multiply, drying out the inside of the shoe takes away the ideal conditions for them to spread.
How to apply it properly
The process is simple, but it’s worth doing it properly:
- Make sure the sneakers are dry before you start; if they’re damp, let them air out first.
- Put a moderate amount of baking soda inside each sneaker — one or two teaspoons is enough — and spread it well across the sole.
- Let it sit for several hours, ideally overnight.
- The next day, shake the sneakers out well upside down or vacuum out the powder before wearing them.
A neater alternative is to put the baking soda inside a thin sock, a cloth pouch or a tied coffee filter: it does the same job of absorbing odor and moisture without leaving loose residue, and it can be reused for several days.
How often to do it
It can be repeated whenever needed: once or twice a week is usually enough for normal use, or after wearing sneakers for activities that leave them very sweaty. If the shoes are very damp, the best approach is to combine baking soda with letting them dry and air out well, even in the sun or in a well-ventilated place.