22 Month Old Son with Stinky Feet

Updated on June 25, 2008
A.M. asks from Godley, TX
25 answers

I have a wonderful, active 22 month old son who has stinky feet. No matter if I give him a bath and wash his feet they still stink. He does wear sandles a lot now that it's summer. The thing is, even if he wears socks and shoes his feet stink (not as bad though). He has his Dad's body temperature but sweats at his feet a lot more. Does anyone know of any home remedies or anything to stop his feet from stinking?

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So What Happened?

I want to thank everyone who sent advice on my son's stinky feet. I would have done this sooner but I've just been really busy. We found the main problem (sandals). There is only one pair of sandals that made him have unbearable stinky feet. I threw those away. Now everyonce in a while he will get them because of sweating soo much. When he does sweat I put his feet in a tea bath at night. These two things (getting rid of his sandals and the tea bath) has helped soo much. He does not have the stinky feet he did have. In fact he hardly has it at all.

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P.M.

answers from Dallas on

I don't have any advice, unfortunately, but if you find something that works let me know. My son (3 years old) has the smelliest feet ever! :-)

Thanks!
P.

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S.M.

answers from Dallas on

Dr. Oz was on Oprah a while back and addressed this problem. He said to soak the feet in tea for a week...I think it was like 15 min per day for 1 week and it should help. I did this with my daughter & my husband (both have stinky feet). I also found that my daughter's favorite shoes were a big problem...she wore them without socks and they reaked! Hubby too had to get rid of a pair of shoes, but now all is well!

1 mom found this helpful

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K.G.

answers from Dallas on

My advice is the same as a few others... the tea! I also saw Dr. Oz on an Oprah show help a girl with super stinky feet - and apparently it worked! As far as the name brand shoes... I think there's some truth to that - however - my son wore his Sketcher tennis shoes a few times w/o socks and they stunk something aweful!!! I washed them and put them outside for fresh air and sun.. that helped! It sounds like the issue for your son is with his feet and not his shoes though! Good luck!!!
K.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.H.

answers from New York on

Like the first poster said, cheap shoes can make a difference (though certainly aren't the only reason for stinky feet). The teachers at my kid's MDO said that kids who wore the no-name Crocs had really stinky feet. And real Crocs say they are anti-microbial which keeps the smell from happening (just in case your son wears Crocs as much as my kids do).

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L.B.

answers from Dallas on

baking soda in the shoes little bits and shake it like dusting powder also..at his age shoes are not a major thing to focus on as their feet grow so quickly...I thought my 3rd grown daughter would buy the high top baby shoes that would give ankle support but she chooses the $l. store rubber like shoes. And they seem to be doing just fine. I also bought cloth Keds when my kiddos were small and washed them several times a week as we had lots of sticker burrs in our yard and at the parks.
I find most of the time anything that reads "Man Made" is an instant stinker in a shoe...and if they wear leathers they need two pair one to air out a day and transfer to the following..
Sincerely in Christ,
Mrs. B.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.C.

answers from Dallas on

Soak them in tea. my mother swears by it.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.T.

answers from Dallas on

I know it sounds gross, but have him pee on his feet while in the tub. Something about the urine kills the odor. This worked for a friend of mine who had the stinky feet problem.

M. T

1 mom found this helpful
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R.R.

answers from Dallas on

Not a "home remedy" but I recommend Dr. Scholl's deodorant foot powder called Odor Destroyers (which says it is "with baking soda and zinc oxide"). I sprinkle it inside my tennis shoes or any other closed in shoe (especially if I am wearing it without a sock). It cuts down on perspiration and definitely helps prevent odor. The directions say to wash and dry feet daily (which I'm sure you do already) and sprinkle it all over the feet and between toes. I have always found that once a pair of shoes developed an odor from foot perspiration, then even putting a clean foot in the shoe made the foot smell immediately. So this is a good way to keep your shoes from ever developing that awful odor.

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R.A.

answers from Odessa on

I went through the same thing with my kids. I learned if I bought cheap shoes, like Walmart, etc and they got wet, they smelled and the kids feet were unbearable. I think there is something in the shoes that made it that way. I would wash their shoes, hoping to get rid of the smell, only I didnt realize at the time I was making it worse. I finally went to Sears and bought keds and other cheaper shoes, but with recognizable names. That helped beyond my wildest dreams. I know that just getting started sometimes that is harder, but I learned that was a necessity and cut corners elsewhere. They had the cutest clothes at Walmart and those didnt make their feet stink :) Hope this helps!

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C.J.

answers from Dallas on

You can buy pure tea tree oil at Sprouts or Central Market and put it into a spray bottle. Spray your own palms with it and rub it into your son's feet before putting socks on-also can do with sandals but it might make them slippery.
I have been doing this with my own feet for years and it is really effective-safe also.

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J.Y.

answers from Dallas on

I have a daughter with stinky feet, so some of the things I do that help alot are washing her shoes regularly, putting her shoes in the sun help alot (don't ask me why, it just does!), we buy lots of shoe deoderizer & she has to put it in her shoes every day. Also, I know it's not easy to do often, but I make her wipe her feet down with baby wipes through out the day.

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C.H.

answers from Dallas on

HI A.,
Your son could have a milk allergy. This can cause stinky feet. I know it sound wierd, but it is fact.
Try him on goats milk or rice milk be careful with soy, the processing makes it unpure so it is not always as effective as it should be.
Have a Blessed Day!
Char <><

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S.B.

answers from Dallas on

I have heard that taking zinc will help get rid of stinky feet. I've never tried it myself - but have heard friends say it's the best way to get rid of the stink!

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T.W.

answers from McAllen on

Vingegar on his feet and putting gold bond powder on them and in his shoes should help.

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T.F.

answers from Dallas on

my hubby's family have stinky feet and have actually seen drs. because of it. The drs. said to make sure that the shoes and socks are 100% NATURAL material as natural material is more absorbant and less likely to grow yuck than man-made. Generally speaking, the more expensive the shoe, the more likely it is going to be made of leather and natural fibers (wal-mart, pay-less, etc don't usually offer real quality leather)!
Also, change socks often. Use foot powder or even baby powder in your shoes and socks, even when you are not wearing your shoes. Don't wear sandals NOT made of natural materials (leather) and lined with natural materials (feet rub on sandals more b/c there is no sock to absorb moisture and friction). Don't wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row (shoes need 24 hours min. to air-out and dry-out correctly to keep bacteria from housing there-if you have a gen. pair of shoes that he uses all the time, buy the same shoe but in two or more pairs!). When at home, keep him bare-foot! Odor eaters in shoes! Keep shoes when un-worn outside in sun or well-light, well-ventilated place (dark places like closets tend to bread yuck and keep things moist)

Just some I remember!

Best of luck!

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S.N.

answers from Dallas on

I read through the responses you've received so far and one of the first responses you received was about vinegar.... I tried this on my daughter when she was your son's age. All I did was make a vinegar foot bath (vinegar and water)and had her soak her feet in it. We did this a couple more times that same week and it got rid of the smell... except her feet smelled a little bit like vinegar for about a week.
I like the suggestion about the tea foot soaks too....
Good luck!

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G.A.

answers from Dallas on

Years ago I heard if wiping feet with formaldyhide. They say that works. G. W

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V.B.

answers from Dallas on

Hello, Try Crocs type shoes for summer. The leather bottom sandals will make it smell worse. My son has the same problem when he was about 1.5 years old but now almost 3 it's better. His feet still sweat alot when he wears sock...which he hates so I usually let him wear sandals or his crocs with socks if it is cold. Stide Rite has some like crocs that are adjustable.

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L.W.

answers from Dallas on

what about baking soda.

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A.K.

answers from Dallas on

Hi! My daughter had this problem as a toddler too! The only thing that seemed to work was for her to wear the expensive shoes :o(. If I put the Stride Rite tennis shoes and socks on her, they didn't smell - if I put her in shoes from Payless or Target (etc), they smelled BAD! Unfortunately, sandles usually started smelling too. So, the only thing I can guess is that the materials in the Stride Rite tennis shoes were better for her feet. They are expensive, but it did work. She is 7 now and she can wear the cheaper shoes now...I guess she grew out of the smelly feet :o).

Good Luck!

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J.N.

answers from Lubbock on

Dear A.:

My feet stunk to high heavan until I ot rid of my athletes foot (sometimes I couldn't even tell that I had it). Lamisil cream that is sold over the counter will work unless the toenails are ivolved. It cured the smell once and for all.

Jen

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T.S.

answers from Dallas on

Let his feet breath! Don't put sock or shoes on him for the rest of the summer only sandals. Try a mild foot powder.

Thanks,
TS

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C.C.

answers from Dallas on

I saw Dr. Oz talk about treating stinking feet by soaking them in tea. Something about killing the bacteria. Not everyday either, just once in a while when it gets bad again.

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M.N.

answers from Phoenix on

Hmm...there is a site that I frequent called Why Tell Me...it is a forum for healthy,natural and alternative living. It is really very interesting, but let me warn you, there are some extremist on these forums, but the advice you can find is GREAT!

Here is a thread that I found on stinky feet.

http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,5724.0....

Or if you would like, just go to www.welltellme.com and up in the search box put in the words of what you would like to look for.

There is a lot of helpful information on this site and I hope you find it as interesting and helpful as I do.

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D.L.

answers from Dallas on

Once on Oprah they said that soaking your feet in tea would take a bad smell away. Also there is Dr. Scholl's foot spray that works pretty good.

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