How to Remove Odour from Smelly Trainers

How to Remove Odour from Smelly Trainers — FreshStep

To remove odour from smelly trainers, take out the insoles, wash them by hand, clean the inside of the shoe with mild soap and a barely damp cloth, then dry everything slowly at room temperature. The smell comes from bacteria feeding on sweat, so the fix is to clean away what they live on and then keep the shoe dry.

Most of the quick fixes you'll see online only mask the smell for a day or two. This guide covers what is actually happening inside the shoe, how to treat each material without damaging it, how to dry a pair properly, and which popular tricks are best skipped.

Key takeaways

Why trainers smell in the first place

Your feet carry a lot of sweat glands, and a pair of trainers is warm, enclosed and dark. Sweat itself barely smells. The odour appears when skin bacteria (and sometimes fungi) break down sweat, dead skin and oils into smaller compounds, some of which are sharp, sour or cheesy. Warm, damp conditions let those bacteria multiply quickly.

That's why the smell is rarely on the surface. It sits in the insole, the foam under it, the lining and the stitching where moisture collects and takes longest to dry. A trainer that never gets the chance to dry out between wears effectively restarts the process each morning.

Three things make it worse:

Check the material first, then clean the inside

Before you start, know what you can't do. Don't put trainers in the washing machine. Hot water and tumbling can loosen the glue holding the sole on, deform the midsole and wreck leather and suede. And don't soak the shoe: water that gets into the foam is very slow to leave, which is exactly what you're trying to avoid.

For every material, begin the same way. Remove the laces and the insoles, loosen the tongue, and give the shoe a good look and sniff. If the smell is strongest at the heel and under the toes, that's where sweat has pooled and where you should focus.

Knit and mesh uppers

These breathe well but trap smell in the fibres. Mix a few drops of mild washing-up liquid or gentle laundry detergent into a small bowl of cool water. Use a soft brush or cloth, wrung out well, to work over the inside lining and the outside. Wipe away suds with a second cloth wrung out in clean water. Work in small sections so the shoe never gets drenched.

Leather and synthetic leather

Wipe the inside with a cloth dampened with mild soapy water, then go over it again with clean water. Leather linings dislike being soaked, so keep the cloth just damp. Once dry, a light pass of leather conditioner on the outer keeps it supple, but keep it off the inside lining. Leather that has stayed wet for long periods can start to crack, so don't leave it damp overnight.

Canvas

Canvas is the most forgiving. Use the same soapy cloth method inside, and a soft brush on the outer. If the canvas is also grubby, you can clean it properly, but the smell fix is the same: clean the lining, then dry thoroughly. Canvas that stays damp can also develop mildew, which smells different (musty rather than sour) and is a good reason to dry carefully.

Suede and nubuck

Take the most care here. Water can leave marks and stiffen the pile, so start dry: use a suede brush and a suede eraser on the outside. If it still needs it, wipe the whole panel evenly with a lightly dampened cloth and a small amount of dedicated suede cleaner (or a tiny amount of mild soap), after testing on a hidden spot. Never soak or scrub. For the inside lining, use a barely damp cloth only if the lining is fabric or leather rather than suede. To absorb odour, sprinkle a little bicarbonate of soda inside, leave it overnight, then tip it out and vacuum or brush away the residue. Keep it off the outer surface, as it can leave a pale dusty finish on dark suede.

If your suede pair is tired as well as smelly, a professional suede clean is a better bet than a DIY experiment.

Insoles and drying: where most odours are won or lost

The insole is the main culprit more often than the shoe. It sits against your foot all day and soaks up sweat. If it's removable, treat it separately.

  1. Pull the insoles out and check both sides. A grey or dark underside, or a sour smell that hasn't gone after airing, means they're holding bacteria.
  2. Hand-wash them in lukewarm water with mild soap, scrubbing gently with a soft brush. Don't use hot water, which can warp foam and break down adhesive.
  3. Rinse thoroughly, pressing the water out rather than twisting.
  4. Dry them flat at room temperature, away from direct heat, for a full day. Foam insoles hold more water than you'd expect.
  5. Replace them if the smell returns quickly. A fresh pair of insoles is often cheaper than endless rescue attempts, and a worn-out insole has very little life left to clean.

Then dry the shoes themselves:

  1. Stuff them loosely with plain white paper or kitchen roll. Avoid printed paper, as the ink can transfer onto light linings.
  2. Change the paper after an hour or two when it's damp, then again a few hours later.
  3. Leave them in a room with some airflow, out of sunlight and away from radiators, for 24 hours or until fully dry inside.
  4. Put the insoles back only when both are completely dry. Re-assembling damp parts is how the smell comes back within a week.

Slow and boring is right. A fan in the room helps. Direct heat does not.

Worked example: gym trainers worn without socks

Say you've been wearing a pair of mesh gym trainers three or four times a week, with no socks, and they've gone from fine to unbearable in a couple of months. This is one of the hardest odour cases, because every drop of sweat goes straight into the insole and lining, and the pair rarely gets a day off.

Here's how to approach it sensibly.

  1. Take out the insoles and smell them. Chances are the worst of it is there. Wash them as above, or bin them if they're compressed, discoloured or flaking.
  2. Clean the lining. Use a soft brush with soapy water on the inner heel and footbed area, where sweat soaks in the most. Wipe off with a clean damp cloth.
  3. Wipe the outside of the mesh with the same soapy solution, working in small sections.
  4. Dry slowly for a full day or more, stuffed with plain white paper or kitchen roll, with the tongue pulled forward and the shoe on its side near moving air.
  5. Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda inside once the lining is dry, leave overnight, then shake or vacuum it out. This helps absorb leftover odour.
  6. Change the habit. Wear thin moisture-wicking socks or no-show socks from now on, and rest the pair for at least a day between sessions, or alternate two pairs.

With that done you should notice a clear improvement. But be honest with yourself: if the foam inside has been soaked for months, a deep-set smell can linger in the midsole or lining no matter how well you clean the surface. Cleaning can reduce it a lot; it can't always remove it completely. If the pair is still unpleasant after a proper clean and dry, it's worth deciding whether it's worth saving or whether it's time to replace the insoles or the shoes.

Common mistakes and what doesn't work

A lot of odour advice makes things worse, so it's worth knowing what to skip.

Vinegar solutions are sometimes recommended too. A weak mix can help on fabric insoles, but it can dry out and mark leather and suede, so test a hidden spot first or skip it on those materials.

Keep the smell from coming back

Prevention is mostly routine, and it's far less effort than a rescue clean.

When to do it yourself and when to get help

For everyday smells on knit, canvas or leather pairs, the routine above is usually enough, and it costs next to nothing. It's the right first move.

It's worth getting help when the pair is something you care about (Jordans, Air Force 1s, a suede or nubuck pair), when the smell hasn't shifted after a proper clean and dry, or when you're worried about water, adhesive or colour on a delicate material. Some problems also sit deeper than a home clean can reach, and a pro can judge whether a pair is salvageable before you spend more time on it.

If you're in or around Reading, FreshStep hand-cleans trainers and restores them. A Standard Clean is £30 a pair (plus £5 for high tops), and the Deep Clean & Restoration at £50 a pair covers deep pore extraction, stain treatment and full sole restoration, and includes suede and nubuck care. Odour that has soaked into the foam can't always be removed by cleaning, and FreshStep will tell you honestly what to expect. Message FreshStep on WhatsApp or Instagram (@thefreshstep_), say which pair it is and what the problem is, and it will confirm the service and turnaround before anything begins. Typical turnaround is 24 to 48 hours, and you can hand pairs over locally or post them in.

FAQ

Does bicarbonate of soda really remove trainer odour?

It helps absorb odour from dry linings and insoles, but it doesn't clean away the sweat and bacteria causing it. Use it after cleaning and drying, leave it in overnight, then tip or vacuum it out. Keep it off suede and nubuck outers, where it can leave a dusty finish.

Can I put smelly trainers in the washing machine?

No. Don't put trainers in the washing machine. Heat and tumbling can loosen the glue, warp the midsole and damage leather, suede and some knits, and the soaked foam then takes days to dry. Hand cleaning the lining and insoles works well for most smells and is much safer.

How long should smelly trainers take to dry?

Allow at least 24 hours at room temperature with good airflow, and longer if the insoles or foam were soaked. They should feel completely dry inside, with no cool or damp patches under the insole, before you wear them again.

Why do my trainers smell even when my feet are clean?

Bacteria build up in the insole, lining and foam over time, not just on your skin. Trainers that don't get a full day to dry between wears keep that build-up going, so the smell can return quickly even after you've washed your feet.

Do I need new insoles or new trainers?

Replace the insoles first if they are flattened, discoloured or still smell after washing and drying. If the whole interior smells after a proper clean, the odour has probably soaked into the midsole or lining, and you may need to decide whether the pair is worth keeping.