Looking to keep your shoes smelling fresh and odor-free? Whether it's your sweaty gym sneakers or those pumps you wear without socks, you don't to want to be embarrassed by shoe stink. There are powders, sprays and bags that can deodorize, disinfect, and even act as antiperspirants!
Understanding the challenge of finding the right one, we browsed through various products and compiled the top 10 best deodorizers to help you figure out which product to buy. Take Foot Sense's Natural Shoe Deodorizer Powder. This product made our top spot because it removes odor and controls bacteria growth. We have nine other great products for you to consider, and also included a buying guide to help you navigate through the plethora of shoe deodorizer options currently offered on the market.
After a long day of wearing shoes, your feet will likely sweat. The moisture will then dampen your socks and seep into your shoes, causing a funky odor that might not only irritate you but other people who stand near you as well.
In the tight, moistened space inside your shoes, harmful germs grow rather quickly and build up an unpleasant smell. So, how to solve that problem? Many people simply spray some perfume or cleaning solutions, but certain liquids might not be effective on shoes made from leather, and they may cause more damage in the long run.
Thankfully, a shoe deodorizer can change the game. It can fight away all the harmful germs, give your shoes a nice scent, and potentially reduce the smell of your feet.
But don't just wait until your shoes get stinky to use a shoe deodorizer! Even before your shoes started to become smelly, you should use the product frequently to prevent bacteria from growing.
Here we have some of the best shoe deodorizers currently on the market. You have varying formulas from powders to sprays, and those with a scent that is not overpowering. Check them out and see if any works for you!
$11.98
Amount | 3.5 oz. |
---|---|
Scent | Mild scent |
Type | Powder |
Germ killing ingredient | Zinc oxide |
Main ingredients | Lemon powder, lavender essential oil, cinnamon bark powder |
$13.97
Amount | 4 oz. |
---|---|
Scent | Peppermint Blast |
Type | Spray |
Germ killing ingredient | Yes |
Main ingredients | 7 essential oils, 11 botanicals including peppermint, lavender, tea tree, aloe vera, menthol |
$12.90
Amount | 4 oz. |
---|---|
Scent | Mint |
Type | Spray |
Germ killing ingredient | None |
Main ingredients | Peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, thyme |
$12.95
Amount | 4 oz. |
---|---|
Scent | Citrus |
Type | Spray |
Germ killing ingredient | None |
Main ingredients | Lemongrass, orange, lemon, tea tree |
$14.99
Amount | 6 balls |
---|---|
Scent | Fresh & Clean |
Type | Ball |
Germ killing ingredient | None |
Main ingredients | Not specified |
$10.85
Amount | 3 oz. |
---|---|
Scent | Not specified |
Type | Spray |
Germ killing ingredient | None |
Main ingredients | Acetone |
$9.22
Amount | 13.5 oz. |
---|---|
Scent | Not specified |
Type | Spray |
Germ killing ingredient | None |
Main ingredients | Proprietary ingredients, acetone, ethanol |
$13.95
Amount | 4 oz. |
---|---|
Scent | Earthy Minty Fresh |
Type | Spray |
Germ killing ingredient | Apple cider vinegar |
Main ingredients | 12 essential oils and natural enzymes |
12 pack
$13.99
Amount | 12 inserts |
---|---|
Scent | Fragrance-free |
Type | Bag |
Germ killing ingredient | None |
Main ingredients | Bamboo charcoal |
$19.65
Amount | 1.8 oz. |
---|---|
Scent | Cooling |
Type | Powder |
Germ killing ingredient | Zinc oxide |
Main ingredients | Potassium aluminum sulphate, zinc oxide, Manuka oil, peppermint oil |
Image | 1 ![]() Foot Sense | 2 ![]() Elite Sportz Equipment | 3 ![]() Rocket Pure | 4 ![]() Lumi Outdoors | 5 ![]() Sof Sole | 6 ![]() Sof Sole | 7 ![]() FunkAway | 8 ![]() Sprayzee | 9 ![]() Marsheepy | 10 ![]() Gran's Remedy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | All-Natural Foot and Shoe Powder | Shoe Deodorizer and Foot Spray | Natural Foot & Shoe Deodorizer Spray | Natural Shoe Deodorizer Spray | Sneaker Balls | Fresh Fogger | Aerospray | Shoe Deodorizer | Charcoal Shoe Deodorizer Bags | Gran's Remedy |
Features | Natural Ingredients With Zinc Oxide to Control Bacteria | Deodorizer With Moisturizing Agents for Your Feet | Best Natural and Environmentally Safe Ingredients to Shoo Away Stink | An Essential Oil Shoe Spray With a Fresh Citrusy Scent | Small Deodorizing Balls That Fit in All Shoes | Full, Long-Lasting Coverage That's Safe for All Materials | A Spray for All Things Funky | Shoe Freshness With 12 Powerful Essential Oils and Natural Enzymes | Fragrance-Free, Eco-Friendly Bamboo Charcoal Bags for Easy Odor Removal | Cooling Powder With Peppermint Oil to Kill Fungi and Bacteria |
Price | $11.98 | $13.97 | $12.90 | $12.95 | $14.99 | $10.85 | $9.22 | $13.95 | $13.99 | $19.65 |
Amount | 3.5 oz. | 4 oz. | 4 oz. | 4 oz. | 6 balls | 3 oz. | 13.5 oz. | 4 oz. | 12 inserts | 1.8 oz. |
Scent | Mild scent | Peppermint Blast | Mint | Citrus | Fresh & Clean | Not specified | Not specified | Earthy Minty Fresh | Fragrance-free | Cooling |
Type | Powder | Spray | Spray | Spray | Ball | Spray | Spray | Spray | Bag | Powder |
Germ killing ingredient | Zinc oxide | Yes | None | None | None | None | None | Apple cider vinegar | None | Zinc oxide |
Main ingredients | Lemon powder, lavender essential oil, cinnamon bark powder | 7 essential oils, 11 botanicals including peppermint, lavender, tea tree, aloe vera, menthol | Peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, thyme | Lemongrass, orange, lemon, tea tree | Not specified | Acetone | Proprietary ingredients, acetone, ethanol | 12 essential oils and natural enzymes | Bamboo charcoal | Potassium aluminum sulphate, zinc oxide, Manuka oil, peppermint oil |
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Choosing a great shoe deodorizer is not an easy task due to the multitude of products currently sold on the market. In this buying guide, we provide you with some tips that you may want to consider when purchasing.
All shoe deodorizers are formulated somewhat similarly to each other but still contain their own unique ingredients. Some shoe deodorizers also consist of chemicals that may be harmful, so you should pay attention to avoid those ingredients.
When our feet sweat, the bacteria existing on the surface of our skin break down that sweat into isovaleric acid, which has a pungent scent similar to that of blue cheese or fermented beans. Instead of killing germs to remove the root cause, various shoe deodorizer products simply mask the pungent smell with a cleaner and fresher scent.
However, to truly clear out all of the foul odors, you should choose products with strong antifungal and antibacterial properties that can eliminate bacteria and remove the smell of isovaleric acid.
Some ingredients that you should keep in mind include zinc oxide, alcohol (ethanol), and benzethonium chloride. They are strong antimicrobial and antifungal agents. However, they might also lead to skin irritation.
You can also opt for natural essential oils and other ingredients like peppermint, tea tree, lavender, cinnamon bark, or vinegar. They are not only effective in taming the most stubborn germs but more likely to be friendly to your skin.
Wearing shoes all day may make your feet feel uncomfortable. And for athletes who exercise intensely, foot problems are somewhat common.
Many brands have started to infuse ingredients such as aloe vera, olive oil, and glycerin into their products to provide extra nourishing and soothing effects. Of course, the effects might not be as strong as lotion or cream, but they can provide you with some nice relief for your feet.
Some shoe deodorizers contain chemicals such as aluminum and alcohol, which may trigger irritations to those with sensitive skin.
They are not completely bad, but they have been reported to cause skin infections, burns or lead to more severe diseases. If used in small amounts approved by health agencies such as FDA, these chemicals should not pose any serious health problems.
However, if you have really sensitive skin or any allergies to certain chemicals, you should avoid them and choose products made from natural ingredients instead.
Shoe deodorizers are often scented with either herbal, fruity, or floral scents to cover up the smell from your shoes or feet. Your choice may be based on the scents or ingredients with a particular smell that you prefer.
Scents extracted from tea tree or peppermint leaf tend to be refreshing but could be overwhelming at first. On the other hand, citrus smells like bergamot give out a sweet, clean fragrance. Products infused with flower extracts of lavender or chamomile tend to have a light, lingering, and soothing scents.
However, not all scents can mask the shoes' pungent smell. In some cases, the scent of a product could mix with the stink and make things worse. Therefore, you should look for more reviews to see what users say about the effect of the product on a funky smell.
Also, you should be aware that products containing alcohol ingredients will smell a bit medicinal. If you find any scent too overpowering, you may want to consider fragrance-free products! We recommend reading through feedback to see if a particular spray or powder is truly scent-free and did not bother users.
Shoe deodorizers can be categorized into three different types: spray, powder, and travel-friendly packages. Each type has its own pros and cons, so you should consider all of them before purchasing.
Among all types, the spray is probably the most common. It is easy to use, allows even distribution, and can get to all corners of the shoes. However, using a spray deodorizer can be wasteful, since some solution will be dispersed into the air.
In addition, you should shake the bottle well before spraying to make sure that the bottle will expel the solution instead of just propellant.
When using powder deodorizer, you will directly scoop the powder into your shoes, so it's less likely that you'll waste any of the product. However, you might not be able to distribute the powder as evenly as with a spray deodorizer. You can easily create a mess as well since powder tends to fly around.
If you are tired of all the spraying, you may want to consider a shoe deodorizer that comes in a ball or bag. A ball or bag freshener is often small, convenient, and easy to carry around, so you can bring it anywhere you want. However, it might take you a while to see the effects of this type compared to the spray and powder ones.
Ball deodorizers are equipped with a formula that is activated when twisted. You can twist them again to close to preserve the deodorizer. These balls are great for getting into deep corners of a shoe that powder and spray can't reach.
Meanwhile, bag deodorizers absorb excess moisture from your shoes, preventing the buildup of bacteria and bad odors. They're also often recyclable and reusable, meaning one bag lasts longer.
If you are looking for more products that help you cover the sticky sweat because of exercise or hot weather, then look no further! Check out our links below for more suggestions.
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