How to Stop Climbing Shoes from Smelling

If your climbing shoes are smelling pungent, you’re not alone — climbing is a sweaty activity! Over time, all the sweat and dead skin cells that get trapped inside your shoes build up and lead to unpleasant smells that might seem impossible to get rid of, but don’t despair. There are some easy techniques you can employ to both prevent and treat the problem of smelly climbing shoes.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Preventing Odours

1
Wash your feet before you go climbing to get rid of dead skin cells. Take a shower or a bath and wash your feet thoroughly with soap and water. Use a pumice or a rough sponge of some kind to really scrub your feet and remove all those dead skin cells that lead to bad odours.^{[1]XResearch source}
- There are certain types of smelly bacteria that like to feed off dead skin cells, so keeping your feet nice and clean minimizes the buildup of these cells inside your climbing shoes.
2
Spray inside your shoes with an antiseptic spray to kill bacteria. Grab a can of antiseptic spray, like what the staff uses on shoes at your local climbing gym, and spray it generously inside both shoes to inhibit the growth of stinky bacteria.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Antiseptic spray is also known as disinfectant spray. Your favorite brand of cleaning supplies probably sells disinfectant spray.
- Do this both before and after you climb for the best results.
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3
Put climbing chalk on your feet to absorb sweat while you climb. Pat some chalk onto the soles of your feet before you put your shoes on. The chalk absorbs sweat to help prevent stinky shoes.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Keep in mind that the insides of your shoes will be covered in chalk. Turn your shoes upside down and knock out the excess chalk after climbing to avoid making a mess elsewhere.
4
Wear socks when you climb to create an odour barrier, if desired. Socks create a barrier between your skin and your shoes to help absorb sweat and prevent odours, but they do make climbing a bit more difficult. Only do this if you’re comfortable climbing in socks.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Socks make it harder to feel foot holds on a climbing wall or rocks, so this isn’t a practical option if top performance is your goal.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Airing Out and Deodorizing

1
Clip your shoes on the outside of your bag instead of putting them inside. If you carry or store your shoes inside your gear bag, the moist conditions and lack of air circulation create a breeding ground for odour-causing bacteria. To avoid this, try hanging your climbing shoes on the outside of your bag before and after climbs so the shoes can air out a bit.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Trapped moisture and bacteria growth are the main culprits when it comes to stinky shoes.
2
Let your shoes dry out after climbing to prevent bacteria growth. Place your climbing shoes out in the open somewhere dry and let them dry out completely before you store them in a closet or anywhere else. Keep them out of direct sunlight when you do this to avoid warping any of the materials.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Try stuffing crumpled newspapers inside your shoes to absorb sweat and moisture more quickly.
3
Store your shoes overnight in the freezer to stop bacteria growth. After a climb, put your shoes inside a plastic bag to keep them separate from food items in your freezer. Close the top of the bag and put the shoes in your freezer until the next day to stop bacteria from growing.^{[7]XResearch source}
- If you have a climb planned the next day, make sure you take your shoes out of the freezer ahead of time to give them a chance to thaw out and warm up.
4
Put activated charcoal inserts in your shoes to absorb smells. Get a pair of charcoal shoe inserts, such as bamboo charcoal bags. Slip 1 bag inside each of your shoes when you’re not using them to reduce their smelliness.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Activated charcoal inserts are sometimes called charcoal air purifying bags.
- Check online for banana-shaped shoe inserts made with a combination of charcoal and other odour-fighting ingredients.
- Another option: buy sticks of activated charcoal and put them inside thin socks. Then, stuff the socks inside your shoes during storage
5
Stuff dryer sheets in your shoes to deodorize them in a pinch. Grab a handful of scented dryer sheets and shove some inside each of your shoes. This sometimes works to reduce bad smells and freshen up your shoes between climbs.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Keep in mind that, unlike charcoal, dryer sheets don’t actually absorb smells to get rid of them. They just help to mask smells to make them less noticeable.
6
Use baking soda and water to deodorize shoes between climbs. Put 2 tsp (9.6 g) of baking soda inside each of your climbing shoes. Mix in enough lukewarm water to turn the baking soda into a paste and scrub it all over the inside of each shoe. Rinse your shoes out thoroughly after scrubbing them to remove all the baking soda.^{[10]XResearch source}
- If you don’t rinse out the baking soda, it makes the insides of your shoes slimy and slippery.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Deep Cleaning Your Shoes

1
Soak your shoes in soapy water when they get really smelly. Pour about 1 tbsp (14.8 mL) of any regular washing detergent inside each shoe. Submerge the shoes in a bucket or container full of lukewarm water for up to 24 hours. ^{[11]XResearch source}
- To be safe, don’t machine wash your climbing shoes. If you really want to, check the manufacturer’s recommendations to see if your shoes are machine washable and only use cold or lukewarm water and a gentle wash cycle.
2
Scrub the shoes using a brush and rinse them off thoroughly. Use a bristled cleaning brush or an old toothbrush to scrub your shoes inside and out to get rid of odours and dirt. Rinse the shoes with cool water until all the soap suds are gone and the water runs clear.
- Note that your shoes might lose some of their color when you wash them this way, especially after repeated washes.
- You can use a toothbrush to clean the rubber soles of shoes and to clean stitches on shoes.^{[12]XResearch source}
- If the toothbrush hair is too soft, you can cut the hair in half to make them strong.
3
Let your shoes air dry completely before storing them. Hang the wet shoes up or place them out in the open in a well-ventilated area. Let them air dry completely before you store them so they won’t develop odours again.^{[13]XResearch source}
- If the weather is warm and dry, let your shoes air dry outdoors. Avoid putting them in direct sunlight, which can warp some types of shoe materials.
- If you’re worried about your climbing shoes being misshapen after washing them, stuff them full of old newspapers to help them maintain their shape.
- In general, you can do brushing, cleaning, conditioning, and waterproofing to keep the
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shoes longer.^{[14]XResearch source}

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Tips

Regularly washing and scrubbing your feet with soap and water goes a long way towards fighting unpleasant odours at the source.
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Remember that moisture always makes bad smells worse, so always air out your climbing shoes when they’re sweaty or wet.
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Warnings

Avoid machine washing your climbing shoes unless you feel like you have no other option to get rid of their bad smells.
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Keep climbing shoes out of direct sunlight because the excessive heat can warp them.
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