Yeah VFFs are funky...but sometimes not in the good way

[AlexMontilla]

... I recently bought the Crystal deodorant ...

good idea.  i use crystal stick as my underarm deodorant.  let us know your results.

[vwater69]

Tried the efferdent. Enzyme stuff, crystal deodorant...to no avail. However, I tried the efferdent WITH Epsom salts...2 tabs and about a cup of salts in about 2 gallons of water, and I think I have a winner for my funky funk feet!

[7 miles]

Has anyone tried rubbing alcohol or will that damage the shoe?

[Go_Blue]

Has anyone tried rubbing alcohol or will that damage the shoe?

I wrote about using rubbing alcohol on the previous page:

Something that I do for a little bit of preventative maintenance:

After wearing them, I spray an isopropyl alcohol/water mixture into the shoe and let them dry. I wash them when they start to get funky, but in between washings I always hit them with the rubbing alcohol mixture.  I've done this with my ice hockey equipment for years, and it keeps it perfectly neutral (and trust me, hockey gear can get deadly if not kept on top of).

No damage to either the shoes or the hockey equipment.

[fingerhunter]

I live in a hot climate and believe it or not, I just hose off my KSO's inside and out with the garden hose after each run and throw it in the washer about every four runs....

[EricMontgomery]

If I wear my KSOs without socks for too long they'll smell. I sprayed mine with Oxi Clean (with hydrogen peroxide), let them sit for about half an hour, then put them in the wash. The smell comes right out. I think the hydrogen peroxide in the Oxi Clean kills the bacteria that causes the smell.

I'll have to give this a try. My wife is close to disallowing my  VFFs because they get funky so fast (i.e. one day of wear).

[jdr00ejr]

Has anyone tried rubbing alcohol or will that damage the shoe?

I wrote about using rubbing alcohol on the previous page:

Something that I do for a little bit of preventative maintenance:

After wearing them, I spray an isopropyl alcohol/water mixture into the shoe and let them dry. I wash them when they start to get funky, but in between washings I always hit them with the rubbing alcohol mixture.  I've done this with my ice hockey equipment for years, and it keeps it perfectly neutral (and trust me, hockey gear can get deadly if not kept on top of).

No damage to either the shoes or the hockey equipment.

I'm going to give this a try.  What is the ratio of your mixture?  Is it just 50/50?

I'm going to have to do something to get rid of this smell and then if this works just spraying them after wear, that would be great!

[supermario]

Not sure if it was mentioned here, and I put it in a nother thread, but Penguin sportwash works pretty well.  I throw the KSO's in with cycling/running clothes.

[Olarte]

since I'm still transitioning I'm running about 1 1/2 miles barefoot two days in a row then with Bilikas every 3rd day to give my soles a break and still work on the calf muscles.

So my shoes have not gotten funky yet. In any case I always rub my feet (soles especially) with isopropyl alcohol right after I come back from my BFR run...

and since funk is probably related to germs etc...  I have not stared  doing a quick rub down of my feet with the alcohol before wearing the Bilikas. Someone mentioned wipes but why bother alcohol is cheaper and more pure. A quick rub down will hopefully clean\disinfect the feet before wearing vffs...

Once\If I start running with VFFS on a daily basis (once I increase my milage) I plan to rotate between the green pair and red (being shipped) that I have.

ivan

[Go_Blue]

I use 91% isopropyl alcohol, so the ratio is probably more like 1:4 with water instead of 1:1. The 70% alcohol might require more, but it's up to you to play around with it and see what works for you.  I usually spray mine down after each use and wash them when they get funky, and that routine keeps them fairly neutral.

[gryllus]

Luckily, I am yet to experience the dreaded smelly feet sort of funk in the VFFs. However, I am becoming rather unhappy - as the weather gets colder and wetter, they take forever to dry (not just after washing, even after a walk in grass), and start to stink of mildew if continuously wet for more than two days. (Repeated inoculation with soil bacteria obviously contributes, too.) I do not feel like starting the heating just because of those shoes yet. Any tips how to rid them of the mildewy sort of funk?

[Brad]

Hey guys! I just signed up today, and wanted to show something i do to clean mine. I have a pair of black KSOs that i got a few months back, and i run in the woods and stuff, so they get FUNKY! I scrub mine with some sort of brush, warm water, and a combination germicide/fungicide soap which gets all the stuff out and helps the stench alot. Then i rinse them off and rub some baking soda on the inside and pour vinegar on them. I would think the bubbles, baking soda and vinegar would help the stench and the rest of the dirt. I just tried the vinegar and baking soda today, so ill reply later on how well it works out. By far, the scrubbing works way better than throwing them in the washer. Tell me what you think....

[Jacksonian]

After a month of using the crystal deodorant immediately before putting on my KSOs and KSO Remixes for hour long cross training workouts with a personal trainer, I'm happy to report that I don't have any odor in my VFFs and haven't needed to wash them. 

Obviously from 17 pages of this thread, not every solution works for every person.  But the crystal deodorant solved my problem and it's a lot easier than all the scrubbing and washing that some folks are having to do. 

I just ordered some more crystal deodorant, this time in the little spray bottles. 

Note:  I don't even wait for the stuff to dry, I get the bottoms of my feet good and wet, rub them together and put on my VFFs right away.

Hope that helps someone, Brent

[j3oomerang]

Tea tree oil works great for me. Thanks to whoever has suggested it (loving having a natural alternative). Tea tree oil has antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties.

I live in hot humid weather (Houston, TX) and I've never had an odor problem with my feet or shoes. Of course, I've always worn socks unless I'm wearing flip flops. Here's what I do:

1. Spray on Bac-Out to smelly dirty VFFs and let sit for 5-10 min
2. Soak in Dr. Bronners liquid soap and water solution (I use the tea tree one, good to see I'm not the only one that knew about this soap)
.....the first two steps are probably not that important, I'm sure throwing them in the wash will be just as good.....
3. Clean feet and apply 100% tea tree oil to your feet. I use about 4-5 drops probably. I just pour it into my hand so it's hard to say how much I use. 4-5 drops will be enough for both feet.
4. Put on Vibrams.

With this method, I can go two weeks without having any odor issues (haven't tried going any longer). Although here in Houston, its probably best to wash once a week anyways to get rid of any build up (dead skin cells and what not). Before, I couldn't go two days after washing my Vibrams without stinking up the entire room when I took off my shoes. Feet and shoes would just smell horribly.

[thehumanrunner]

I wear gaiam yoga socks with my vff. They are cheap and fit perfectly.
http://www.target.com/Gaiam-Gripping-Nonslip-Yoga-Socks/dp/B0015RC39I