What causes smelly feet?

Answer 1

One of the top causes of smelly feet is excessive perspiration (hyperhidrosis) and moisture, which provides a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast. When sweat and cellular debris from the bacteria and yeast begin to break down, they produce a fetid foot odor that results in your smelly feet.

Additional common causes of smelly feet include:

* Excessive anxiety
* Various skin conditions


If a particular health condition is causing your smelly feet, you may also notice that you have sweaty palms and excessive perspiration under your arms and in your groin area.

In turn, excessive sweating can indicate the presence of other health conditions more serious than smelly feet, so it is always good to discuss the problem with your physician.

Answer 2

Smelly feet are another common problem suffered by some people. Smelly feet is an embrassing condition that may distress to your family, your friends and affects your self confidence.

It generally occurs due to excessive sweating or perspiration. Other possible factors that causes smelly feet are as:- wearing vinyl or plastic shoes, not bathing regularly, wearing synthetic socks etc. The family history of smelly feet increases the chances to get affected by it.

The odour of your feet, is greatly depends on the kind of shoes that you wear. There are millions of sweat glands in the individual body and every foot has more than 250,000 sweat glands, so you can imagine why your foot smells so bad. The bacterial infection of the feet, is the main cause of being smell. Athletes foot is also common asociated condition with sweaty feet-.

Answer 3

I have a very, very similar problem, including the broken skin part. It sucks, doesn't it? Basically, it's similar to why your armpits may stink: bacteria. You are on the right path by changing your socks, rotating shoes, etc, but in your case, as in mine, you may have to "step-it-up" a notch and do even more, or live with it. I have tried powders, sprays, etc., but they don't seem to help my feet themselves. Here are some thing I do that DO help... When you take your shoes off, remove the insoles too, and allow them to dry real good. At the same time, loosen the laces and fold the tongue back as far as you can (practically, that is) and that will help the inside of the shoe to dry quicker, too. If you can manage it, take a foot bath once throughout the day. I went to the cheap department store and bought a plastic dish tub that is the right size for my feet, and I have a little foot washing at some point in the mid-day. This REALLY helps. Make sure you dry your feet thoroughly and put on fresh socks. (You will notice it will feel like your feet have had a nap, too... it's really great.) If you have shoes that can be washed with soap and water, do it and allow them to dry completely before wearing again. This will surely help kill the bacteria in the shoe. If you have some leather shoe that you can't wash with water, get some 91% alcohol rub, or some anti-microbial spray, or a bit of 25% bleach/water solution or something with which you agree, and occasionally swipe the insides of your shoes and the footbeds. This will help!!! Don't do it TOO heavily because it could damage your shoes, and be careful with the bleach solution, if that's what you choose, because you could have a reaction if you make it too strong. Avoid nylon socks. For some reason, they will really make your feet stink! (Well, they do mine, at any rate!). I typically go with some natural fibre. Most of my socks are 100% cotton, but I have some wool ones as well. The woll ones are really the best. They wick the best, they moderate the temp the best, and they don't make my feet smell nearly half as bad as any other material. The ones I have are a brand called "Smart Woll" and they are not scratchy at all and they are nice and soft. I think they are made with Merino wool. These are my best suggestions. Good luck!

Answer 4

bacteria maybe.

but one of the causes is wearing a socks or a shoes with your FEET still wet. make sure to dry them first bec. the moist that was stucked inside your feet is the one causing the bad odor.

some people use rubbing alcohol to eliminate the bad smell (at least for the mean time). but, if there is an open wound dont apply the alcohol.

Answer 5

You're not allowing your feet to breathe enough.... And sweat will cause this as well. Use gold bond powder before you put your socks on..and you could put some in your shoes.

Answer 6

its not your feet that smell. its your shoes. washing your feet won't make one ounce of difference until you handle the problem in your shoes. use the powders and sprays. best to get rid of the shoes and use powder before you even put the new ones on. don't wear the same shoes twice in a row. change them constantly to allow them to air out.
its natural. everyone gets foot stink eventually. don't let these snobs tell you otherwise

Answer 7

Not washing them. I dont get smelly feet. Maybe fungus too. I wash my feet all the time...it feels good.

Answer 8

bacteria, excessive moisture (sweat), and not changing your socks often, or not wearing any socks with certain shoes...if you have this problem try rubbing antiperspirant on your feet (the same one you would use on your armpit) usually best after a shower...make sure it is not a deodorant (that will only cover smell)..an antiperspirant absorbs moisture...make this a daily regimen..I used to have that problem many years ago..and this is what a podiatrist explained to me.

Answer 9

Probably sweat. Just wash you're feet often and change you're socks too. Sometimes old shoes can do that too so my suggestion, give them the chuck.

Answer 10

Sweat, bacteria.