Having left behind my âbuy cheap, buy twiceâ era and started walking the minimalist path, I embraced the philosophy of âthink before you buy, and once you buy it, love it and use it for a long time.â But back when I worked in customer service, there was one problem I couldnât avoid. That wasâcoming face-to-face with the foot odor of nuclear-weapon-level intensity.
I felt this especially acutely when I was working at a hotel front desk. Wearing stockings and the company-issued pumps, standing for eight hours straight. By the third day, the smell was so strong I hesitated to even take my shoes off! But of course, I couldnât buy a new pair every three days.
Thatâs exactly why, this time, Iâm revealing a set of simple and economical care techniques to tackle this quietly common (but hard to talk about) problem head-on.
1. Slip in a desiccant whenever youâre not wearing your shoes
The first thing youâll want to introduce is a shoe desiccant. It doesnât need to be anything expensiveâDIY versions or items from a 100-yen shop work perfectly well.
The main culprit of shoe odor is bacteria that thrive on sweat and skin oils. In other words, âdrynessâ is your ultimate weapon. Ideally, youâd âlet shoes rest for a day after wearing them for a day,â but in situations where you must use the one pair provided to you day after day, thatâs not realistic. Even so, simply placing desiccants inside worked far better than I expected.
2. Control moisture with five-toe socks
If moisture is the source of odor, then keeping your feet dry is absolutely essential. But the stockings + pumps combo is practically the same as wearing leather shoes barefoot. Thatâs when the idea struck me: wearing five-toe socks underneath my stockings.
Nowadays, there are plenty of short beige options that donât show when worn with pumps. I started using them during my front-desk days, and now I continue to use black ones instead. You can pick the color, and the comfort works regardless of occupation. By the way, at MUJI you can get three pairs for 1,000 yenâanother big plus.
3. An ultimate weapon: Deodorizing powder
After suffering to the point where I couldnât take my shoes off in front of people, the savior I found online was a deodorizing powder called âWILL CLENSâ. You simply sprinkle it inside your shoes and wear them as usual, and the unpleasant smell disappears. I tried it half-doubtingly, but it truly brought my shoes to a state of zero odor, and Iâve repurchased it three times since. Itâs a bit pricey, but its reliability is unwavering.
That said, the experimental part of me has started wondering, âCould baking soda work just as wellâŠ?â and Iâm planning to test that soon.
These are the carefully honed techniques devised by a former hotel front-desk staff member who once struggled with severe foot odor herself. In the end, I was able to keep my shoes completely odor-free even when wearing the same pair every single dayâso I can recommend this with full confidence.
In addition, try to let your shoes rest and dry whenever possible. And donât forget regular care suited to each pair, like polishing or washing them occasionally.
Before you know it, the unpleasant smell will disappear, and as a result, your shoes will last longerâtruly a win-win. May your hardworking feet and shoes stay light, fresh, and beautiful today as well.