Ever been embarrassed to take off your shoes, due to the unpleasant odor? Don’t worry you are not alone, and there are some simple tricks to help you on your way.

Our feet have over 250,000 sweat glands which can produce over 500ml of sweat each day. That’s about 2 cups of fluid!!

Although sweat itself has no odor, it provides a perfect breeding ground for the naturally occurring bacteria on our feet, and its this combination of bacteria and sweat that cause that well-known foot odor.

So, now we know that the lovely soup of sweat and bacteria cause the odour on our feet and in our shoes, what can be done about it? One of the best ways is limiting the warm moist environment the bacteria love to live in. This can be done in many different ways:

• Wear cotton socks, they are the best absorbers of sweat
• Choose leather shoes, they are usually more a natural and breathable material
• Rotate your shoes, so they get a chance to dry and air out between wears
• Practice good foot hygiene, like anywhere on our body, they need a wash
• Use an antiperspirant if required, available from your pharmacist
• Use an antibacterial spray on your shoes, then let them air dry

It's important to remember that although we all sweat, and all have bacteria on our feet, there are some medical conditions that result in excessive sweat or bacterial growth. So if these remedies aren’t working for you, then make sure you come and see us and we can help you out.

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