Live hack: How to make smelly cycling shoes fresh again

We asked around the editorial team, asked the community for tips and also asked an AI how to get rid of smelly cycling shoes - without throwing them away, of course.

Causes of smelly cycling shoes

Before we get to the solutions, it is important to understand why cycling shoes can start to smell in the first place. This is due to bacteria, which multiply particularly well in damp and warm environments. A moist environment that promotes bacterial growth can be caused by sweat as well as other moisture, such as rain or splash water.

1. SweatWhen cycling, the body produces sweat, which can get into the shoes and cause bacterial growth.
2. MoistureIf your cycling shoes get wet and are not dried properly, they will quickly start to smell.

Our test: Neutralise odour in smelly bike shoes

Our involuntary test shoes were endurance testers from Specialized. The Specialised Recon ADV gravel shoes are designed for long adventures and bikepacking. And because this is currently the cycling shoe that fits my feet best on really long distances, the choice was quick and easy. But what are they actually for?

The shoes in extreme use - gravel bikepacking race in Norway

A good 1000 kilometres had to be covered in The Bright Midnight bikepacking race. The principle was similar to that of the Transcontinental Races - but there was a prescribed route that was designed for gravel bikes. The start was at 9am on a sunny Sunday and the clock would only stop when the finish was reached. The first day remained sunny and warm, but there were countless watercourses to cross. During the first two river crossings, many people, including myself, took off their socks and shoes to keep their bike shoes dry. Later on, this no longer made sense, as the watercourses were almost as numerous as the mosquitoes that would pounce on you if you stopped for a moment. So then the gravel shoes were wet. But not only that, on one pushing section it was so muddy that an entire shoe sank into it.

The rain came the next day. And with the rain came VeloToze rubber overshoes over the cycling shoes. This kept my feet warm, but I couldn't get rid of the sweat.

Now imagine what gravel shoes that have been on the road for four days and three hours, most of which were wet with a mixture of sweat, mud and water, smell like after the race - or even during it. So, are you wrinkling your nose yet?

Get rid of smelly shoes

1. Odour control tips from the editorial team
2. Tips against stinky shoes from the community
3. Odour control tips from the AI
4. The test: How we neutralised the smell of our cycling shoes

Odour control tips from the editorial team

As a first step, we asked around the editorial team. What recommendations do our colleagues have?

The topic is not new; we have already dealt with a similar issue - smelly cycling clothing - in detail in the BIKE editorial team and even had it analysed in a microbiology laboratory.

>> Read now: This helps against smelly cycling clothing <<

My sequence: remove the insole, wash or replace, soak the shoes in warm water with vinegar cleaner, dry and then put them in the freezer for a night. - Matthias Borchers, test editor TOUR

Tips against stinky shoes from the community

• Machine wash at 40 degrees and leave to dry in the sun
• Freeze and, if necessary, put a handkerchief with lavender oil in it
• Baking soda / baking powder
• Hand wash with baking soda
• Sprinkle with baking soda when the shoes are dry
• Rub baking soda paste into the sole and lining; rinse with water
• Soak in vinegar water
• UV disinfection / place in the sun for 4 days
• Disinfectant spray and fresh air
• Soak with Rei in the tube, then shoe deodorant
• Upholstery cleaning foam
• Lemon zest in strips - peel with a peeler
• Coffee - ground coffee powder in a tea bag and put it in the shoe / a layer of coffee powder in the shoe
• Soak shoes in a bucket of warm water and liquid detergent, then dry well

Odour control tips from the AI

1. ventilate and dry regularly

After training or a ride, you should remove your cycling shoes immediately and leave them to dry in a well-ventilated area. Avoid leaving them in a closed bag or in the car, as this can trap moisture.

2. use of antibacterial sprays or powders

There are special Antibacterial sprays or Powder on the market that can help combat the odour in your cycling shoes. Simply spray or sprinkle the product into your shoes and leave it to work overnight.

3. washing the insoles

The insoles of your cycling shoes can also absorb odours. You can remove them and wash them by hand or in the washing machine to get them fresh again.

4. use of tea bags or newspaper

Tea bags or newspaper can absorb moisture and reduce unpleasant odours. Simply put a tea bag or some crumpled newspaper in your shoes and leave it to work overnight.

5. changing the socks

Make sure you always wear clean and dry socks when cycling. This will prevent sweat from building up in your shoes and causing odours.

This really helps against smelly cycling shoes

With all the tips we've collected, we set to work. Two cycling shoes, two insoles, four methods to combat smelly shoes. Baking soda was mentioned so often that we absolutely had to try it. The practical test was as follows:

1. An insole was added to a 60° C wash in the washing machine - in a laundry net.
2. The second inlay sole was soaked in warm water with Rei in the tube and left for 12 hours. Then rubbed off by hand and rinsed under cold water.
3. One shoe was put in the freezer for two days.
4. The second shoe was placed in a bucket of caustic soda.

Then we tried another tip and put ground coffee in a shoe.

Wash the insoles in the washing machine

We threw one of the insoles into the washing machine - well protected in a laundry net and not like in the photo. The insole was washed together with a load of 60 degree laundry. This variant seems to work well for insoles. The acrid odour was history afterwards.

Water with detergent

Hand washing with travel detergent was also able to remove the odour. The more thoroughly you wash, the better the odour disappears.

Freeze shoe

Through our Tests with smelly sportswearwe didn't expect much from freezing. As the tip was often mentioned by the community, we still wanted to try it out - and debunk the myth (again). No sooner said than done. Fresh from the freezer, the shoe smelled neutral. But just 30 minutes later, it was time to snigger again.

Caustic soda

The second shoe was placed in a bucket of caustic soda to compare the methods. The bicarbonate of soda powder was purchased beforehand from the nearest chemist. It is difficult to wash the shoe properly, so it was allowed to soak in the bucket for a good day. The shoe was then rinsed again. Newspaper was crumpled up and stuffed inside so that it would dry quickly and changed two or three times as soon as it was damp. Once completely dry, the acrid odour of the shoe was gone. After the first journey to work, which was the equivalent of a good hour's cycling, the odour test. The acrid odour was gone, but you could still sense it.

Ground coffee in the bike shoe

We quickly subjected the freezer shoe to another odour-removal method and added ground coffee. Our recommendation: Do not pour the coffee directly into the shoe. You can use a tea filter for this. We didn't have one to hand, which made it all the more difficult to get all the coffee crumbs out again. Afterwards, the shoe smelled of coffee and nothing else. The coffee method was also convincing after the first journey to work. The nose test showed that there was still a coffee smell, but no odour. We could still smell the coffee odour later after using the shoes for days, the smell remained in the background.

Conclusion

Smelly cycling shoes are not a pleasant problem, but fortunately there are solutions. Even though no live hack was 100 per cent satisfactory, we have derived the following best practice cases from our test - here are our tips to combat smelly cycling shoes:

1. Wash insoles in a laundry net at 60 degrees - removes pungent odours
2. Soak shoe in caustic soda solution, then dry well
3. Place coffee or a cloth with essential oils in the shoe overnight - masks the odour and ensures long-lasting freshness