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Smelly boots

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 chev1n 30 Sep 2018

Hi

I have just very recently purchased the new pink 5.10s and have had them just a few months. They smell real bad already. I think it may be due to the sticky rubber as my old scarpas don't smell at all and I had those for a few years. These him so bad already. I have tried leaving them out in the wind. They also have developed a yeasty smell. I have been advised not to wash them due to double stitching possibilities. I have had recommended boot bananas but I don't know if they would work. I am willing to try. I am wondering if anyone else has had problems with these boots and would anyone have any advice?. I would be very grateful. Its got so I don't want to wear them.I am embarrassed at the wall. And although today is a nice day I thing going for a run is preferable to going bouldering

In reply to chev1n:

Stick them in the washing machine, it works and doesn't damage them. 

I was initially reluctant to do this but got to a point where my shoes were so bad I would have thrown the out anyway so took the risk. It paid off. 

The rubber comes out really sticky too. 

1
OP chev1n 30 Sep 2018
In reply to Presley Whippet:

Thanks

I am not sure if I should risk it. I got told that some types of boots behave strangely because they are stitched a certain way and when they come in contact with water the stitching comes away and they get really lumpy.

But I may end up risking this. This has never happened before especially so soon and they were quite expensive. Hence not wanting to throw them out and they are so sticky - and soft. Guess the price is the smell lol and feel like just sticking the old scarpas back on. But will miss the stockiness if I do.

 

 

 tjdodd 30 Sep 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Strongly recommend boot bananas.  I use them in my climbing shoes and has made a huge difference.  Just make sure to put them in after every climb.

In reply to chev1n:

I don't see how it can be the sticky rubber because that's not in contact with your foot.  It's the linings/upper material on the 5.10s that have been colonised by bacteria from your feet.

Lots of things will kill the bacteria but if you wear the shoes again with no socks they will come back very quickly.   Whats worse is if you sort your feet they will pick up the bacteria again from the shoes and if you sort the shoes they will pick up the bacteria again from your feet. Boot bananas just try and mask the smell with an even stronger one.

The only thing I found that actually breaks this cycle and gives you a long period with non-stinky shoes is thin socks and getting the shoes somewhere any sweat will dry out  as soon as possible after climbing.   So my advice is wash the shoes to get rid of the smell and then start wearing thin socks to delay the smell coming back.

1
In reply to chev1n:

I don't see how it can be the sticky rubber because that's not in contact with your foot.  It's the linings/upper material on the 5.10s that have been colonised by bacteria from your feet.

Lots of things will kill the bacteria but if you wear the shoes again with no socks they will come back very quickly.   Whats worse is if you sort your feet they will pick up the bacteria again from the shoes and if you sort the shoes they will pick up the bacteria again from your feet. Boot bananas just try and mask the smell with an even stronger one.

The only thing I found that actually breaks this cycle and gives you a long period with non-stinky shoes is thin socks and getting the shoes somewhere any sweat will dry out  as soon as possible after climbing.   So my advice is wash the shoes to get rid of the smell and then start wearing thin socks to delay the smell coming back.

1
In reply to chev1n:

I don't see how it can be the sticky rubber because that's not in contact with your foot.  It's the linings/upper material on the 5.10s that have been colonised by bacteria from your feet.

Lots of things will kill the bacteria but if you wear the shoes again with no socks they will come back very quickly.   Whats worse is if you sort your feet they will pick up the bacteria again from the shoes and if you sort the shoes they will pick up the bacteria again from your feet. Boot bananas just try and mask the smell with an even stronger one.

The only thing I found that actually breaks this cycle and gives you a long period with non-stinky shoes is thin socks and getting the shoes somewhere any sweat will dry out  as soon as possible after climbing.   So my advice is wash the shoes to get rid of the smell and then start wearing thin socks to delay the smell coming back.

1
In reply to chev1n:

I don't see how it can be the sticky rubber because that's not in contact with your foot.  It's the linings/upper material on the 5.10s that have been colonised by bacteria from your feet.

Lots of things will kill the bacteria but if you wear the shoes again with no socks they will come back very quickly.   Whats worse is if you sort your feet they will pick up the bacteria again from the shoes and if you sort the shoes they will pick up the bacteria again from your feet. Boot bananas just try and mask the smell with an even stronger one.

The only thing I found that actually breaks this cycle and gives you a long period with non-stinky shoes is thin socks and getting the shoes somewhere any sweat will dry out  as soon as possible after climbing.   So my advice is wash the shoes to get rid of the smell and then start wearing thin socks to delay the smell coming back.

In reply to chev1n:

I don't see how it can be the sticky rubber because that's not in contact with your foot.  It's the linings/upper material on the 5.10s that have been colonised by bacteria from your feet.

Lots of things will kill the bacteria but if you wear the shoes again with no socks they will come back very quickly.   Whats worse is if you sort your feet they will pick up the bacteria again from the shoes and if you sort the shoes they will pick up the bacteria again from your feet. Boot bananas just try and mask the smell with an even stronger one.

The only thing I found that actually breaks this cycle and gives you a long period with non-stinky shoes is thin socks and getting the shoes somewhere any sweat will dry out  as soon as possible after climbing.   So my advice is wash the shoes to get rid of the smell and then start wearing thin socks to delay the smell coming back.

1
In reply to chev1n:

I don't see how it can be the sticky rubber because that's not in contact with your foot.  It's the linings/upper material on the 5.10s that have been colonised by bacteria from your feet.

Lots of things will kill the bacteria but if you wear the shoes again with no socks they will come back very quickly.   Whats worse is if you sort your feet they will pick up the bacteria again from the shoes and if you sort the shoes they will pick up the bacteria again from your feet. Boot bananas just try and mask the smell with an even stronger one.

The only thing I found that actually breaks this cycle and gives you a long period with non-stinky shoes is thin socks and getting the shoes somewhere any sweat will dry out  as soon as possible after climbing.   So my advice is wash the shoes to get rid of the smell and then start wearing thin socks to delay the smell coming back.

1
 Greasy Prusiks 30 Sep 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Fill a couple of socks with cat litter and stick them in your boots. Always works. 

 Tony Jones 30 Sep 2018
In reply to chev1n:

My 5.10 pinks are rank. I reckon that its the unlined, synthetic uppers that make them worse than some other shoes. 

 wbo 30 Sep 2018
In reply to chev1n: athletes foot cream and kill the bacteria

 

In reply to chev1n:

Also to delay the onset of the funk, keep your shoes clipped to the outside of your pack. That way they dry quickly which prevents the cultures from growing so rapidly. 

1
 Timmd 30 Sep 2018
In reply to chev1n:

What about talcum powder? It's an unscientific reason for suggesting it, but I put ash from my wood stove in the bottom of my bin, and it stops it smelling. It's designed as a 'smell cover upper' too.

1
Wiley Coyote2 30 Sep 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Another vote for Boot Bananas. My Evolvs were embarrassingly rank, especially in confined spaces like the wall, but the new Scarpas are surviving pretty well with the bananas. I also  clip my shoes to the outside of the sack at the end of the day rather than stuffing them in the sac.

 mik82 30 Sep 2018
In reply to tom_in_edinburgh:

Boot bananas don't just mask the smell. They absorb moisture to dry the shoes out quickly after climbing. Probably get a a similar effect using cat litter as mentioned also. They key is to use them from when the shoes are new, to avoid the bacterial growth getting established, as then they will just mask the smell.

 wert 30 Sep 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Boots the chemist sell their own make of antibacterial foot powder. A sprinkling of that in each shoe after climbing prevents them smelling. I use 5.10 pinks and I've never had a problem. (Boots often have a buy two get one free offer on.)

 bouldery bits 30 Sep 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Freezer

Removed User 30 Sep 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Buy some athletes foot spray. Wash the shoes in luke warm water with a little washing powder to get the slime/ crud out then rinse and dry them. After that give the insides a good spray with the powder.

Worked on 5.10s for me.

In reply to mik82:

> Boot bananas don't just mask the smell. They absorb moisture to dry the shoes out quickly after climbing.

I was never convinced by that claim.   There's lots of chemicals will absorb water from the atmosphere but unless there's some mechanism to 'recycle' the absorbent substance and get the water out of it again it'll only be able to do the trick once.   Fine for protecting goods in a closed environment like the way the little silica gel pouches are used to make sure packaged electrical goods stay dry in transit but it's not going to work for long exposed to the atmosphere.   

Maybe the boot banana guys have that figured out but I never saw any explanation of how they achieved it. or noticed any particular drying effect when I tried them.   To be fair my wife objected to the smell of the boot bananas more than the smell of the shoes - and she wasn't that happy about the shoes - so the trial didn't last long.

1
 Mark Kemball 30 Sep 2018
In reply to Greasy Prusiks:

> Fill a couple of socks with cat litter and stick them in your boots. 

This is the simple cheap solution - use the fullers earth type cat litter.

 

 Dave the Rave 30 Sep 2018
In reply to Presley Whippet:

A liberal sprinkling of sodium bicarbonate from Aldi and you will be Cinderella 

 Pete_Mosely 30 Sep 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Bicarbonate of soda (aka baking soda) fumigates my reeky shoes very well (inc the damp rotten smell from wet approach shoes). Sprinkle some in the shoes, shake around a bit to cover the inner, leave over night, vacuum up, bang the remaining powder out. Done. If done too regularly, it might start to crack the leather, though not experienced this. 

 obi-wan nick b 01 Oct 2018
In reply to tom_in_edinburgh:

The supplied instructions suggest that you dry the boot bananas on a radiator from time to time. 

 Lornajkelly 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

I was sceptical about boot bananas when I first bought them. I've always had major smell problems with climbing shoes and even a delicate machine wash hasn't done the job completely. But boot bananas are the way forward. Might be worth looking at a fungal treatment for your feet, but boot bananas in your shoes will definitely help.

 gravy 01 Oct 2018
In reply to Lornajkelly:

Occasional washing in a machine (ie a few times over the lifetime of the boots) is ok but I find washing begins to detach the rand from the pink fabric.

The best answer to this is cat litter - you can have a lifetime supply for five quid.  Pour some into the shoe when not in use, dispose of afterwards (and if you have a cat you can reuse it).  If you can be arsed put some in an old sock and that can go in/out of the shoes and replace every now and again. The type of cat litter doesn't really matter, wood pellets for maintenance, the grey granules for an acute attack.

Pinks are smelly but not the worst offenders but the major hazard is leaving any climbing boot in a plastic bag after use.

 

 nufkin 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

>  pink 5.10s...these boots 

Almost a whole day's worth of helpful answers and no-one mentioning the fact that theyr'e SHOES, not boots. What's wrong with everybody? FFS

4
 nufkin 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

After having my morning whiskey to calm down a little, my wandering mind lit on the notion of filling your shoes with table salt. Not sure if it might have undesirable reactions with the Pinks' material, but I can't really see why it would, and it's pretty cheap. Plus you can put it on your chips after

Post edited at 09:57
In reply to nufkin:

> After having my morning whiskey to calm down a little, my wandering mind lit on the notion of filling your shoes with table salt. Not sure if it might have undesirable reactions with the Pinks' material, but I can't really see why it would, and it's pretty cheap. Plus you can put it on your chips after

...and what would that achieve?

1
Rigid Raider 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

The same problem arises often with cycling shoes, which get worn for sweaty outdoor exercise then put away damp. The problem is the cardboard liner underneath the insole, which gets moist and forms an ideal breeding ground for the bacteria and the fungi that live on the feet especially if you have athlete's foot. 

Putting the shoes in the freezer is a waste of time, it just cools the shoes so that when you take them out there are fewer aromatics and you think it has worked. Similarly drying them with cat litter, newspaper and all the other stuff.

You need to wear clean cotton socks every time you climb and get some Canestan cream (the thrush version has 2% clotrimazole rather than the 1% in the athlete's foot version) and deal with the athlete's foot. Wash your feet thoroughly especially between the toes and dry thoroughly then apply the cream between and around the toes and the sole of the foot. At the same time get a can of Scholl athlete's foot spray and spray inside ALL your shoes to kill the fungus. Do this at least twice. Then evey time you wear the shoes, remove the insoles and leave them in  an airy place to dry. Hung on the line is better because the UV also kills bacteria. After this none of your shoes will smell and your feet will be bearable for others.

1
 Andy Johnson 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Another vote for boot bananas. Cost about £15 (less with BMC discount) and last 6-12 months. A good investment.

 Jon Greengrass 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

I have never had any problems from washing any of my climbing shoes. They shrink slightly but after a couple of sessions they mold back to the shape of your feet.

30 deg machine wash with a couple of capfuls of Dettol will clean, deodorise and kill the bacteria that were making the smell. 

As others have said, drying your shoes out after you have worn them is key to stopping the smell coming back, I keep mine next to the boiler where it is slightly warmer than the rest of the house but not hot enough to melt the glue that holds the rubber on. Do not put them on a radiator.

 nufkin 01 Oct 2018
In reply to DubyaJamesDubya:

>  ...and what would that achieve?

'Salt draws moisture from bacteria, bacteria perish, end of smell' was my thinking

OP chev1n 01 Oct 2018
In reply to gravy:

Many thanks to everybody for replying and offering suggestions. I am not sure about the boot bananas as my boots have got so rank. Ideally I would have used them from the beginning. May try the cat litter.a friend suggested some rice. I realise the error of my ways as to why they have gotten so rank. I always put them in a plastic bag afterwards especially at the wall separate from study books etc. Recently I went on holiday and sealed them in a tight plastic bag tight as far away from my holiday stuff clothes etc lol. I haven't got athletes foot that I am aware of. My feet are generally very clean. I haven't had problems like this with other boots. The old greens hummed a bit but not like this lol Any spray I use for something like this may add to the smell. May put them in the machine. I like the suggestions that they may shrink. I got them a bit big anyway. They stretched more than I anticipated

 Max factor 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Use anti bac. spray, then a good scrub out and washing machine cycle with biological detergent. Dry quickly, a good, breezy day on the washing line is best, after using towels to soak up the moisture inside. if they are wet and go somewhere warm to dry they can get fusty again.

And then be scrupulous about drying immediately after each use.  As mentioned above, sizing to wear with thin socks or buying shoes with leather uppers are the way to avoid stinky shoe problems.

Rigid Raider 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Your mistake was in sealing them in a plastic bag, which prevented them from drying out. You might as well have given the bacteria and fungi a waterbed and a supply of Viagra and told them: "Go forth and multiply...."

 PaulJepson 01 Oct 2018

I use a few drops of clove oil in mine. I really like the smell.

 

 Dave B 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Cat 5 wetsuit cleaner works  well

 

Or

Try

Detol laundry liquid as a spray... 

 

 oldie 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

I once swilled meths around a boot that was becoming mouldy inside.  It worked. Recommended by the Lawrie's shop in London (no longer extant).

 wercat 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

washing your feet in vinegar is an ancient and effective remedy and preventative for athlete's foot and a host of other fungal foot stuff.

You immerse your feet for a few minutes to allow it to penetrate the skin, can be warm if you want but needs to be a reasonable strong solution - you can add some salt if you want too.

Dry but don't rinse the feet afterwards.   It can maky feet less stinky (vinegar smell is insignificant compared with sweaty socks and boots and wears off) and your footwear might benefit.

 defaid 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Another vote for anti-bacterial powder. I find that those little pump-action cetrimide/clorhexidine wound wash bottles work well too.

 

Best let the shoes dry out before you use them again though.

Post edited at 17:08
 MarkH55 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Cat litter will sort out the smell, fill em up with it and leave it overnight.

 badgerjockey 01 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

Google shoe and helmet disinfectant spray. It's the only thing that truly works. 

https://www.lawson-his.co.uk/tygris-r247-shoe-and-helmet-sanitiser-spray-40...

It's the stuff commonly used at climbing gyms and bowling alleys.

I like boot bananas too, they definitely work to an extent but they don't actually disinfect the shoes - this spray has bactericidal and fungicidal ingredients, better than athlete's foot stuff and better than powders etc.

 

 

Post edited at 23:56
 Chris Sansum 02 Oct 2018
In reply to chev1n:

I tried lots of different things and the only thing that worked long-term was wearing socks. I previously had this purist idea that socks would affect performance, but it didn’t make any difference, at least at the level I was climbing (e1-ish).

 wercat 02 Oct 2018
In reply to wercat:

btw, if anyone thinks I have strange ideas that information came from a doctor who said it was a lot cheaper than prescription creams and powders


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