Why Do Feet Smell?

Ever notice how a pair of smelly shoes can clear out a room? It is funny how even the cleanest feet can leave a new pair of sneakers stinking after only a few hours. Foot odor is a problem everyone has had to face at one point in their lives or another, but did you every wonder why your feet smell funny after you wear your shoes all day?

Sweat is the major culprit in feet smell issues and your feet are composed of over 250,000 sweat glands. Everyone sweats, and we are told as children it is good to sweat because it is your body's natural defense mechanism against over heating and exhaustion. Sweat also doesn't seem so threatening because it is made up of water and salt, but it is not the sweat that actually smells.

The nasty odor that lingers around your feet and shoes is actually cause by a bacteria on your feet. This bacterium eats the sweat, and a strong unpleasant odor is produced. Now this may be a shock, but it is natural to find bacteria living on everyone's skin on a regular basis. You may be wondering why the rest of your body doesn't smell so bad; people definitely sweat all over their body. The feet sweat so much that it actually attracts the bacteria, and there is so much sweat being produced by the feet that the bacteria has a field day. Feet are basically like an all you can eat sweat buffet for the odor causing bacteria.

Feet actually stink even worse because they are usually encased in socks and shoes. Unlike when your forehead sweats, your shoes and socks actually accumulate more sweat than anywhere else on your body can. The bacteria loves to live in our shoes, on our feet, and in our socks because not only is there enough sweat to go around, but the darkness of being inside of a shoe is the perfect breeding ground for this bacteria. All of the bacteria is busy chowing down inside your shoes, and when you take your shoes off all the excreted waste odors are set free and waft through the room or in your face.

There are many possible ways to solve foot smell problems, but the major factors are sweat and bacteria. Keeping feet clean and wearing clean socks can help eliminate odors. Letting shoes dry and air out before returning your toes to them can help rid your feet of the nasty stink. Some people are even prescribed medicine to help cure foot odor. I choose to not be discouraged by foot smells and think about how many little bacteria I would be leaving homeless if my feet didn't smell!