How To Remove Odor From Golf Shoes?

Your golf shoes will start to smell no matter how much you take care of them from the outside. Whether you have synthetic shoes or pure leather, the smell is inevitable. Dont worried about how to remove odor from golf shoes. You can spend hours cleaning the outside of the shoe, but if you overlook the inside of the shoe, soon it will start smelling horribly.

The smell can be embarrassing when you have just played 18 holes on a beautiful day and then you get home and take your shoes off. What happens next can be close to a nightmare for you and your family. So, it’s wise to just deodorize your shoes from time to time without having anyone else tell you how bad your shoes smell.

Dirt and debris are the least of your problems when your shoes soak up so much sweat from playing long games. Now, throw in some morning dew, fertilizers on the course and weather conditions that may cause you to sweat excessively, and you have got yourself a very bad case of smelly shoes. Lucky for you, the remedy is simple, especially if you do it frequently so that smell doesn’t have enough time to settle deep inside the fibers of the shoes.

Let’s have a look at some tips to deodorize your golf shoes and how you can minimize the smell by avoiding the factors that lead to your shoes smelling bad in the first place.

 

Golf shoes smelling bad is a common issue. Because when your feet are trapped in shoes with little airflow and continuous sweat, the shoes are obviously going to smell. The interior of the shoe is warm which makes it easier for the shoe to soak up sweat and moisture from the grass. This creates a perfect place for odor-causing bacteria where they can thrive. Golf shoes usually don’t have enough ventilation which makes it harder for sweat to dry off on its own. 

Your feet tend to sweat a lot because they carry thousands of sweat glands. When you walk those 18 holes, the sweat has nowhere else to go and it absorbs into the fabric or foam of the shoe. The mistake that people usually make is that instead of letting the shoes dry off, they store it away. Whether you keep your shoes in the car, a storage cabinet, or your golf bag, it is essential that you let the shoes dry off first. Fortunately, fixing the smelly shoes is easy with some household items, and here is what you will need.

What You Will Need

1. Old Newspaper
2. Baking Soda
3. Dry Tea Bags
4. White Vinegar
5. Essential Oils
6. Deodorizing Spray
7. Odor-Fighting Insoles

Old newspapers are a really great way of soaking up moisture from the insides of golf shoes. Whether the moisture is trapped in the lining, insole, or any other part of the shoe, the newspaper trick will always work. Newspapers have a porous surface which makes them great at absorbing moisture from the spaces they come into contact with. If you put old newspaper into shoes after every round, it will absorb the moisture and sweat. This will prevent the shoes from harboring any odor.

When you are finished with a round, you can remove the insole of the shoe if it is removable. Then, you can ball up an old newspaper and push it deep into the toe box of the shoe. The paper will effectively absorb all the moisture. If you have had a rainy golf round, you can change the newspaper after a few hours. You will notice the difference after repeating this process a few times. You can leave the shoes like this overnight and you will notice a significant difference by the morning.

Tip: Newspapers with glossy paper are not suitable for this trick because they don’t absorb any moisture.

Baking soda is a common item that is used to deodorize things; however, with golf shoes you have to be extra careful when using it. Baking soda will neutralize any acidic smells in the shoes but you can’t just sprinkle it inside the shoes. It should be used in a sachet or an old sock.

Using the baking soda by adding a few spoons of it in an old sock is much easier. You can tie a knot on the sock so that powder won’t get out. Make sure that the knot is secure and no loose powder will come out. If any of the baking soda comes into contact with moisture anywhere, it will form a thick paste which will not be easy to clean.

You can leave the baking soda odor bomb sock in the shoe overnight. This trick will work great for light smells in your shoes. However, it can’t be a long-term solution for deodorizing because it’s not great with stronger smells. The lack of plant oils doesn’t refresh the insides and some of the odor continues to linger.

Tip: You can use two old socks and fill them up with cedar wood chips and a few drops of tea tree oil. You can put these socks into your shoes as soon as you take them off. The cedar wood will soak up any moisture the shoe may have and the tree oil will work as a natural deodorizer. 

Dry tea bags are another great way to deodorize the golf shoes that have been smelling bad. The high concentration of tannins in the tea bags can work as a sponge that will absorb moisture and sweat. Moreover, the smell of the black tea can freshen up the insides of the shoe. You can leave the tea bag in for as long as you want and the tea bags will keep your golf shoes or bag smelling fresh.

You can take two or three tea bags and slide them into your golf shoes. The tea bags will work quietly and get rid of the moisture as well as the stuffy smell of sweat. You can also use the tea bags in your golf bag where you keep your socks and gloves to keep them smelling fresh and clean. 

Warning: Just to make it clear, do NOT use these tea bags to make tea once you have used them.

White vinegar is another way you can get rid of the bad smell from your golf shoes. The best way to use white vinegar is by spraying some into your shoes. You just have to make sure that you only spray a little, which is enough to dampen the shoe.

Don’t use too much vinegar or it will leave its smell instead of cancelling out the odor that was there already – and who knows what that monstrosity would smell like. You can then leave the shoes to air dry in a well-ventilated area so the moisture from the shoes dries off completely. 

Even if one of the previous tricks works and your shoes are rid of the bad smell, you can still use the essential oils. You can choose any essential oil of your choice, such as lavender, eucalyptus, or peppermint. Add a few drops of your chosen oil to two cotton balls and then place them inside your shoes, preferably in the toe box. The toe box of a shoe is where it smells the most. You can leave them overnight and you will notice a very pleasant difference in the morning. 

You can also use essential oil by mixing them with water and spraying some of the mixture inside the shoes. Make sure to air dry the shoes afterwards so there is no moisture trapped inside the shoes. You can also switch between essential oils to freshen things up.

Yes, in fact, there are several solutions for deodorizing that work on a long-term basis. You can use a high-quality deodorizing spray after each round which will get rid of all the smell. Moreover, you can also use odor-fighting insoles so that your shoes aren’t at risk of trapping odors at all times. There are soles that have antimicrobial properties which prevent the growth of any kind of bacteria including the odor-causing ones. 

In the end, the most important step is to ensure proper maintenance of your golf shoes. You have to take care of them on the outside as well as the inside. Neglecting the inner of the shoes is what causes them to smell so bad. The proper removal of moisture, deodorizing, and care of the shoes’ insides will be good for your nose. Most importantly, this will extend the life of your shoes.

No, it is not recommended to put your golf shoes in the washing machine because it will damage their structure. Moreover, the water pressure, heat, and detergent can weaken the adhesives and ruin the leather components of the shoes. Therefore, hand cleaning golf shoes at home without damaging methods is the best way to take care of your shoes.

You should deodorize your golf shoes after every round for best results. This way your shoes won’t have any lasting smell. Any smell the insides may have absorbed will be removed immediately after the game, which will also keep the shoes cleaner for a long time.

No, baking soda shouldn’t be a regular method of deodorizing your golf shoes. Ideally, you should air out the shoes right after taking them off. Exposing them to some sunlight may also help. You can also use a mild deodorizing spray without soaking up the entire shoe. Baking soda should be used when your shoes develop a lingering smell over a long time such as a few months.

Yes, moisture-wicking socks are a great way to prevent the buildup of sweat against your skin and inside the shoes. Socks that are made from 100% cotton can trap moisture inside the shoes and against your skin. This is why you should opt for wool or synthetic blends for socks that will minimize the buildup of sweat inside the shoes.