Stinky boots.

[bigclive]

I think this deserves it's own thread since it's a common issue with work boots.

 

Y'see, there's this stuff called boric acid, but it's not really acidy if y'know what I mean. In fact it tastes sorta like salty chalk. So this boric acid stuff is pretty safe for humans with a lower toxicity than salt and even gets used widely in eye drops. But it's really BAD for fungus. Athletes foot, dry rot, wet rot, in fact just about everything. It can also be dusted on the floor where it will do away with ants and other crawling beasties, and it also has combustion limiting effects in fabrics. It's just an all round useful stuff.

 

So it used to be fairly common for people to just sprinkle this stuff into their shoes and boots, or dust it on their feet to get rid of smells or fungal problems quickly and thoroughly. But there was a problem. The pharmaceutical industry didn't make much cash from such a cheap and effective treatment. So they designed some less effective products and then hyped them up with advertising so they could create an ongoing market for medicated foot powders.

 

Then the Internet kinda messed things up, 'cos when people were unhappy with the lacklustre results from their ineffective foot powders they searched for a cure on Google, and they found out about boric acid. Then they went on ebay and typed boric acid and got lots of hits for bags of the stuff at really low prices. They ordered some of the finely powdered stuff (not the granular stuff) and tried it in their boots and behold! Their stinky feet stopped stinking and their boots didn't attract adverse attention any more.

 

Can also be used on "jock itch" and other fungal things.

 

Here's what Wikipedia says.

[brainwave-generator]

Or you can just not be really ming and change your socks now and then.

[GridGirl]

Yeah, but changing your socks doesn't necessarily solve the problem. I tend to wear two pairs of socks with my work boots (just find it more comfortable), and they're always clean on in the morning (and sometimes at lunchtime as well, depending on the day and the gig!). I keep my feet (and the rest of me!) clean - being a girl who likes to wear sandals in the summer, I like to have non-manky feet! But my boots still stink sometimes - I reckon no matter how clean your socks and your feet are, there are times when you just can't avoid it.

[brainwave-generator]

Yeah, but changing your socks doesn't necessarily solve the problem. I tend to wear two pairs of socks with my work boots (just find it more comfortable), and they're always clean on in the morning (and sometimes at lunchtime as well, depending on the day and the gig!). I keep my feet (and the rest of me!) clean - being a girl who likes to wear sandals in the summer, I like to have non-manky feet! But my boots still stink sometimes - I reckon no matter how clean your socks and your feet are, there are times when you just can't avoid it.

 

Yeah, my post was slightly light hearted, I agree it's a fact of life that hard working feet become sweaty feet become sweaty socks become smelly socks become smelly boots. It's inevitable.

 

My avoidance techniques:

• Also 2 pairs of socks. M&S do some really good "CoolFeet" or something socks, which are self-wicking like sports t-shirts, meaning sweat is drawn away from your foot, which is good for preventing blisters too. Then hiking socks on the outer.

• Change inner socks at lunch time, spray feet with Scholl Spray. Apart from hygiene, it's nice and refreshing too!

• Wear Gore-Tex (or similar breathable material) boots / shoes, as they are waterproof but allow moisture out. Obviously less of a requirement if you don't do festivals or build stages outdoors, but I do; and simply 'waterproof' but not breathable make your feet sweat uncontrollably.

• Wash the shoes! People seem to think that just because they're not the sort of thing you put in the machine and hang on the line, that shoes don't need washing. If you footwear has any sort of fabric lining, that is like a second/third sock. If you don't wash it, you could be wearing a sock for YEARS before you change it! Eurgh!!

 

Foot hygiene is important, and seems to get overlooked. In the army, foot care is taught as one of life's major priorities, at the same level as weapon care; because their feet are so essential to their job. I think we'd all be pretty screwed without our feet too though, so smarten up!

[paulears]

I don't think we've done smells before, but one of the worst things on a job is working with somebody who really smells. I don't mean the sort of sweaty smell we all have after a long day humping gear in and out, because this is fresh sweat, and no matter how good the sprays and roll on stuff is, they wear off. I mean those people who pong first thing in the morning before they've even done anything.

 

I remember one girl (which is actually quite rare) who was just horrible, so in due bloke manner, we elected the only other girl to tell her (seemed fair to us). So she bought two cans of deodorant from Boots and said to the other girl, I got two for one, you can have the other - to which she replied "Oh, I don't use those, I don't sweat!"

 

These people always seem to have clean clothes, so it's not a case of putting dirty back on after they've washed in the morning - so what causes it? We can deal with all sorts of personal problems quite openly, but telling somebody they smell is really tricky.

 

As for smelly trainers and steelies - I found my cat litter spray works pretty well if they'e left overnight.

[bigclive]

The trouble with washing boots is that they take an age to dry again. I find it useful to put the washed footwear into a large box on its side and point a fan heater in set to the lowest heat setting so that it gently dries them over the course of the day.

 

I also try to change socks at least once during the day, but lets face it, on a hot day your feet will bake in any boots.

 

I've come across a few crew members with serious hygiene issues in the past. Sometimes they just have to be told that it's normal to change certain items of clothing on a daily basis and have a shower more frequently when they are doing manual work.

[charlyfarly]

Well I can give a tip too:

 

Change your socks daily and wear cotton socks or synthetic sports socks that are designed to wick the sweat.

 

If you suffer badly from smelly feet use an anti-bacterial soap daily and thoroughly dry your feet.

 

If you have cracked heels or very hard fissured soles this is a nice holiday camp for bacteria so you will need a plain cream to try and make the skin a bit more supple and that cream is Zinc and Castor Oil cream. A tub is really inexpensive and will do the job, if not better, than expensive "foot lotions".

 

This stuff really works. My OH used to work with a very well known UK staging company and was famous for his revolting smelly feet to the point that only those with the least sense of smell would share a hotel room with him! So notorious that it was even mentioned in his Best Man's speech when we got married! (the best man also worked at this company so was well qualified to pass on deepest commiserations to me!).

Zinc and Castor Oil works beautifully!

It's good for "gig butt" too.

[the kid]

Sock wise I go through them just too fast, but the best socks I have found are bamboo socks, or bamboo and cotton.

[TomHoward]

I do think the boots can make a lot of difference - I had a pair of Hi-Tec boots, which lasted for years, but stunk, and so did my feet - I went to an outdoor shop and bought some higher end Trezeta hiking boots (that have a removable insole for drying, and better quality materials) and the difference is night and day - I wear them literally every day for around 12 hours and on most days my feet are completely dry - it has to be a very hard & hot day to get even the slightest amount of dampness, and my feet cleaned up immediately.

 

Unfortunately they haven't lasted as well (I'm still wearing them 18 months on, but they are seriously falling apart now) - and I've had other expensive boots that haven't been as good - so it's the luck of the draw really.

[themadhippy]

Bicarb of soda in yer boots helps avoid the pong,avoid plastic or various other man made fibers,go for leather.Gortex boots are ok,but just that, ok,they eventually let water in,seem to hold the smell in and make my feet uncomftable hot,and they no were near as robust leather.One top tip avoid vibram soles,on wet surfaces you tend to do a wonderfull torival and dean impression.

[timsabre]

I do think the boots can make a lot of difference - I had a pair of Hi-Tec boots, which lasted for years, but stunk, and so did my feet

 

I agree with this, I had the Hi-Tec boot stinky feet problem, I decided to try something a bit more expensive to see if it would be any better. I bought some waterproof breathable Merrell boots which were about £100, I have worn them pretty much every day for 3 years and they never smell at all. They've even stayed in reasonably good condition, the soles are starting to wear now though. I don't think Merrell do steelies... steelies always make holes in my socks for some reason.

[Simon Lewis]

Good breathable shoes or boots are an important starting point, but even these can get smelly if used continuously. One friend buys two pairs of shoes and alternates between them daily. I have used 'odour eaters' in the past, but they aren't always that comfortable, or end up slipping inside the shoe.

 

Good foot hygiene - regular washing with soap and water, use of appropriate fungicides, change of socks and/or footware is useful.

 

If you do use boric acid, make sure it's fairly pure, and doesn't have some other insecticide added ;-)

[RumbleO]

The trouble with washing boots is that they take an age to dry again. <snip>

Stuffing them with newspaper and putting them in the airing cupboard (drying room - whatever you call the place where the hot-water tank is) works fine. They'll usually dry overnight. If necessary, remove the damp newspaper after a couple of hours and stuff them again with dry newspaper to wick out the damp.

[Matthew Robinson]

steelies always make holes in my socks for some reason.

+1. I can't understand it...

[TomHoward]

Try cutting your toenails..