Help! My skates smell awful!

[icedancingnut31]

What about your tights?
Do you use them again the next day (or skating session)? Having a bunch of them and washing them frequently could help too.
May be you could wear some very thin and small cotton socks, I think it would absorb the sweat better... (like vlaurend said)

One thing that relly helped me was... getting regular pedicures. The dead skin that inevitably accumulates on the bottom of the feet is like a bacteria all-you-can-eat buffet!

That and regular moistursing along with some sports' foot powder solved the issue for me. And, oh yeah, let your boots dry out as much as you can before closing them in the locker.

I wear black under armor pants when I practice which I wash after a few practices since they're only an hour long. Cotton socks make my feat sweat more and I wear socks designed by mondor that are for skating. I also have no time to air out my skates since I go before class and I have to leave immediately after I am done so I won't be late to class. I also do get pedicures for my ugly disfigured calloused feet but my sweet sweat like crazy for some reason. One time my coach took my skates with her since I saw her again the next day (before I had a locker) and she said my skates stunk up her whole car and the odor remained for days. Needless to say she never took them again.

[jjane45]

My skates improved a LOT since I started drying them out instead of throwing them into the car truck until the next session.
What about a small portable fan running on batteries?

... spray a bit of a homemade mix of:
- 1/4 c. grain alcohol (this is usually the 150% proof stuff) in a pinch you can use rubbing alcohol (good if you are under age)
- 10-15 drops tea tree oil (it will smell very strong)
--mix well
-add 1/4 c. water

I like the smell of tea tree oil Grain alcohol seems difficult to get, settling with rubbing alcohol for now. THANK YOU for sharing!

[vlaurend]

Febreze?

[Ladskater]

I have a problem with my skates, that they smell really bad. My feet sweat for some reason and when I take my skates off they are soaked with sweat. I wear mondor knee highs which are made of lycra and nylon and are designed for skating. Also they smell. What can I do about this? I have tried stinkeez which are cloth animals that smell like vanilla, cinnamon or mint that go in your boot but then my skates smell like a mixture of feet and vanilla, which is pretty gross. Any advice??

Yikes!! Me thinks "something is a foot!" - sorry no pun intended, but could not resist. I have never really thought about this problem, as I never experienced it when I figure skated. I would imagine many Hockey players have the same dilema. Have you seen your Dr. about the problem? It could be athlete's feet.

Anyway, here is some info that may help:

http://www.footdynamics.com/who_we_are.htm

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=what+causes...%2F16%2F87.cfm

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=Ways+to+Cur...en_smelly.html

I hope this info will help.

[megsk8z]

We have this stuff they sell at my rink called "Unique." It's about $15 per bottle and it really does de-stink! Lots of the hockey players use it and I have found it to be useful for removing blood stains, grass stains and the dreaded cat pee smell. I would spray some of this into my skates, then wipe them dry on the inside with a clean chamois. Air out.
Good luck.

[Kat12]

Antiperspirant on your feet? I've heard of people doing that...

[Skate@Delaware]

My skates improved a LOT since I started drying them out instead of throwing them into the car truck until the next session.
What about a small portable fan running on batteries?



I like the smell of tea tree oil Grain alcohol seems difficult to get, settling with rubbing alcohol for now. THANK YOU for sharing!

Grain alcohol can be purchased wherever Liquor (beer/wine/hard booze) is sold....if you are not old enough then use rubbing alcohol.

[Kat12]

This is late, but my partner swears by the original yellow Dial liquid soap...he says he and his friend both loved it years ago because you could wash your feet with it and they wouldn't stink for days. He recently bought a bottle and one day came home from work, took his shoes off, and made me smell his feet (yeah, I know. Guys, geez). I admit they didn't stink.

[Binthere]

baking soda... releases oxygen, which kills the anaerobic bacteria that smell the worst

[lpskater]

I have the same problem. A couple of years ago I had the chance to ask the "Ask Mr. Edge" guy who is featured in Skating Magazine what his best advice is at an event I was at. He said that the problem is caused by bacteria growing in the skate and really the best way to kill the bacteria to kill the smell and not ruin your skate is to dilute some bleach and wipe out the skate with a rag with the diluted bleach solution on it. Hope it helps!