Help! I have perspiring feet

Materials that don’t breathe 

Synthetic shoes – which are popular in stores and which you can hardly tell apart from leather footwear - are hotbeds. Compare it with a plastic bag around the feet. But also shoes with a nylon lining, safety shoes that close tightly, and rubber boots cannot "breathe". Which means your sweat can not evaporate in these shoes.

Sweat accumulates in this type of footwear, which (together with skin flakes) forms an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Especially when it’s sweltering warm! The bacteria multiply quickly in such an environment and ensure that the odorless perspiration fluid quickly spreads an unpleasant odor.

Go for leather 

Based on this information, it makes sense that wearing leather shoes with a leather lining is our first recommendation. Leather is a natural product and it breathes so that perspiration moisture disappears more easily.

Our advice is to buy leather shoes. That may sound easier than it is. There are more and more shoes on the market that seem to be made of leather but actually aren’t. This often has to do with the costs: fake leather (artificial leather) is often a lot cheaper than real leather shoes. When buying shoes, pay close attention to a label that indicates via symbols whether the upper, lining, and outsole are made of leather or not.

What also works extra well are open shoes, such as sandals or slippers. For example, if you do not want to wear shoes made of animal materials, then that is also something to look at.

Washing and maintaining your feet

It goes without saying that washing your feet often is important to prevent sweaty feet. Wash your feet in the morning and evening with an antibacterial soap. Or add a dash of household vinegar to the foot bath, because many bacteria cannot tolerate acid. Dry the feet carefully and wait a few minutes before putting on your socks so that they are really dry. The most pleasant socks are made of cotton or wool in which little or no plastic has been processed. These are natural, highly moisture-absorbing materials. Additional aids to combat unpleasant odor are talcum powder, which also helps to keep the feet dry, a special foot deodorant, or antibacterial insoles.

Extra shoe tips against perspiration 

• Change shoes daily. This way the shoes that you’ve just worn, have time to breathe and dry thoroughly before you wear them again.  
• Always wear clean socks! You can also sprinkle some talcum powder on your feet before putting your socks on, this helps with excessive sweat.  
• For shoes with a loose insole, buy an extra pair of soles and alternate them. 
• Do not put your shoes on the radiator! Otherwise, the leather will dry out. We also recommend applying some shoe cream to your dry shoes.