UKC

I'm sure you all have the problem of smelly climbing shoes. but it has now got to the point where i cant be in the same room as them. so has anyone ever come across a reliable way to get rid of the smell, short of putting them in another room or getting new shoes... any good sprays or anything out there?

In reply to Sam Edwards:

Freeze 'em

In reply to Sam Edwards:

make an open pouch of kitchen/bog roll and fill with baking soda. Place in shoes. Don't spill the baking soda, or you'll end up with frothy feet next time you wear them...

In reply to Sam Edwards: stick em in the washing machine on a cold wash with no spin. i do it with my shoes all the time n it works a treat

In reply to Sam Edwards:
Yep - I second the washing machine option. But I use warm (40c) and hand wash liquid poured inside the boot or the smell is still there.

I usually do my rope at the same time.

In reply to Sam Edwards: shove some of this http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052... in the wash with them, or dilute it and spray from a spray bottle

In reply to Sam Edwards: Ahhh the joy of smelly shoes, i actually made someone gag with the smell from mine, i'm pretty proud of them, although they do get a bit much at times, i put them on a rinse wash in the machine which worked a bit although i think they may need a few more washes to get rid of the smell, they seemed to fit the same when they came out anyway

In reply to Sam Edwards:

I recently tried pouring neat bleach into mine, sloshing it about a bit, then washing machine. A couple of sessions and the smell's back already!

I find also it makes the shoes a bit less stiff - think it softens the last or something so I wouldn't do it with new shoes you want to use for edging.

Tried Granger's G-max odour elim stuff has absolutely zero effect either immediate or lasting.

Tried scholl foot powder stuff which masks it temporarily.

Long term best thing is to always air your shoes after ever session (don't leave in bag) and try not to climb indoors (feet always seem to sweat more indoors).

In reply to quadmyre:
I think I've tried pretty much everything, and freezing is the only thing that has worked properly for me. I leave them in the deep freeze for 48 hrs.... then washing machine. A little Mycota powder before each use prolongs the period between treatments but once they are smelly nothing but freezing will shift it. Most shoes have never got smelly if mycota used every time and they are aired after use, but certain shoes succumb regardless. No other powder has helped either, they all have a different active ingredient. Thin liner socks help a lot too. Of course this is just what works for me; not sure what the actual cause of the smell is, or whether it varies amongst people...

In reply to Sam Edwards:

I keep trainer balls in mine, which definately makes them more bearable to be around.

In reply to Sam Edwards:
Having tried everything the only thing that seems to work is soaking the inside of the shoe with a conc. solution of vanish oxyaction and scrubbing it with a toothbrush followed by a wash at 30c with persil. Leave them to dry (not in full sunlight or on a radiator or they'll distort). Keeps them fresh for quite a while.

In reply to freerangecat:
I'll second that! :P

In reply to Sam Edwards:

My Verdes got to an unusable level due to the smell. Stuck 'em in the freezer for 48 hours, no smell at all. Now after using I put trainer balls in them and keep them on the outside of my bag.

No smell still.

I reckon its the confined space of being stuffed into bags after use, allowing the bacteria to go to work that makes them rank. Let them air properly and its reduced significantly.

I did wash my old veclro's which whilst restoring the sole to nice grippy levels, also started making them fall apart!

In reply to Sam Edwards: I put my shoes through the washing machine last night on a cool wash. Left them on a slightly warm radiator over night to dry out. Unfortunatley the smell wasnt completely gone, but you cant notice unless the shoes are right by your face. Another bonus is that when I took them off the radiator I let them cool round my feet. They fit better than ever now!

In reply to Sam Edwards:
I thought that Freezing is bacteriostatic not bactericidal? Which would mean it doesn't kill 'em and they (and the smell) will come back next time you wear them. I think it's the metabolic products from the bacteria which smell anyway.
Can anyone confirm this?

Problem with washing is that it can degrade the glue and also stretch the boots.

In reply to Sam Edwards: Im using something called Grandma's remedy atm... which i bought from hawkshead appartently... anyway, its just half a teaspoon of powder in the boot and leave in while clibing etc.. it starts a fight with the bacteria and its helping mine so far =) They're not evolve shoes by any chance are they?

In reply to Sam Edwards:

I have had terrible problems with smelly shoes, friends complaining just for bringing them into the car (even if inside a bag) and from this I have learned what works and nowadays I have no problems at all.


Freezing:
ot much use, doesn't kill the bacteria, only makes them inactive but as soon as you unfreeze they go active again.


Washing:
95 degrees C (desperate yes ), definitely worked as it is hot enough to kill almost all existing kinds of bacteria, downside is that all glue from the sides of the shoes were lost as well, but reglued and they looked OK afterwards.

60 degrees C might work (70 would probably work 95%) and might not damage the glue, anyone who tried?

40 degrees C and lower only makes the bacteria feel comfortable (25-45=growth) so the only reason to wash in this temperature is to wash away the substance but it doesn't kill any bacteria that manages to stay in the shoes. I have tried 40 degrees C with reasonable results (took away much of the smell and didnt reshape the shoes too much). The reason to wash in 40 and not lower is only that it better dissolves the dirt and removes particles.


After use:
Keep in open environment. Suberb results can be achieved by drying them after each practise, I simply but them on top of the heating element (but i guess you can use something else as well) to dry after each time I use them and due to that the smell is so limited that you actually can do that without scenting the room..


Too me it felt a bit unenvironmental to wash a single pair of climbing shoes so i bought two more pairs of the same kind. So now I switch between the three and then wash them at the same time. I have never tried to use any sprays etc. I doubt any of those work and if they do work I would definitely not want to get skin-contact with them.

Would be interesting to know what happens if shoes are washed in 60 degree C, anyone who tried?

In reply to Sam Edwards: Kitty litter, dries out the shoes and deoderises them temporarily, then use mould spray from the bathroom for a wipe down inside the shoe.

In reply to Arnel: Thats why I wash at a low temperature with antiseptic in the wash, the low temp doesn't cause damage, the antiseptic kills the bugs instead of the hot water.

In reply to Sam Edwards: i have to say that as much as i try to stop my shoes from smelling, airing after use, cleaning, oder spray there is simply nothing you can do...its the bain of my climbing life!!!!!!!!

In reply to Sam Edwards:

a dusting of chalk everytime you take em off, then a sqirt of peroxide and water from an atomizer when you get home.

In reply to Piklu:

Why do you ask? I have an evolv pair which reek to high heaven - far more so than the scarpas I had before (which aren't made any more). I'm wondering if it's the fact that they're synthetic?

In reply to jonny taylor: my anasazi velcros (synthetic) smell far, far worse than any previous pair of shoes i've had - all of which have been leather. I always clip them to the outside of my sac and when I can remember I leave them outside in the fresh air on fine days. They do still stink but hey it's all part of the game!

In reply to Sam Edwards:

Soak them in a mild Dettol solution overnight, then give them a good wash in the washing machine.

In reply to Sam Edwards: My old scarpa eclipses still smell of leather. My 5.10 Verdis can smell disgusting. I do climb indoors three times a week tho.

I turn them inside out and scrub them with washing up liquid and that works for about 4 weeks before they start honking the car out again.

In reply to Sam Edwards: My Evolv's had a trip into the depths of the washing machine yesterday. It made a big difference, I still wouldn't put my nose in and snort, but I could stand in the same room !

In reply to Sam Edwards: wear socks

In reply to Sam Edwards: Scholl has an antibacterial shoe spray which is good if used every time you wear them - won't kill off any smell that's already there though.
The other thing that seems to help masses is stuffing your shoes with newspaper after every use. I guess it absorbs any excess moisture.
If you've evolv's they're going to end up smelling eventually no matter what you do though.

In reply to Sam Edwards: Feet First have got some kind of destinkifying machine that looks a bit like a microwave. I think the works may also have one.