How to Avoid Smelly Climbing Shoes

How bad do your partner’s climbing shoes smell? Be honest. Are they “knock you off your feet” stinky, or just mildly smelly? Do they hit you with an almost visible wave of stench that travels into your nostrils the moment they open their gym bag?

If your partner’s climbing shoes invade the nostrils of others at the gym, it’s time to do something about it. And yes, of course we’re only talking about your partner… There is no reason any of these tips would help you…

Follow along to help your friend get their shoes to a manageable amount of smell. Learn tricks for when you get your next new pair and discover how to tackle those already broken-in, stinky ones marinating in your climbing bag.

Prevention is Key

Of course, if your shoes are already smelly, some of these tips will only help once you finally get a new pair. But stick around to learn how to be on top of your game when that day comes!

No more throwing your climbing shoes in your bag and forgetting about them until your next session! It’s time we were proactive about our climbing shoes’ smell and took precautions to prevent them from ever getting that level of rankness.

After your session, you must let your shoes dry out. You don’t need to wait around at the gym to do this. Chuck them in your bag and dry them out when you get home! Look, our feet have over 200,000 sweat glands… You can imagine just how moist the inside of your climbing shoe is after a hard session.

Before hanging your shoes up and simply forgetting about them, hit them with a disinfecting spray (only on the insides), then hang them. Do this after each climbing session to maximize the length of smell-free climbing shoes.

Already Sort of Smelly?

The majority of you will have shoes that are already sort of smelly. This stage includes climbing shoes that could use some TLC but don’t require a gas mask to handle… yet. Maybe you’ve been keeping your damp shoes in your gym bag and only breaking them out to climb, which, if they’re still damp when you put them back on, let that be a sign to take care of them quickly… Come on, now…

To help your “partner’s” funky feet, grab them a pair of odor absorbers to throw in there. You can make these from equal parts baking soda and cornstarch, or grab a pair from a shoe store and toss them in your shoes after your climbing session. Odor absorbers are created to reduce bacteria and help dry out your shoes.

Another option to help mitigate the stink from your shoes is to use a 1:1 ratio of white vinegar and water. Mix and pour the concoction into a spray bottle and spray your shoes after each session. Be sure to hang them up to fully dry out after spraying!

Essential oils are a great way to help manage smelly climbing shoes. Tea tree, clove, and cedarwood have antifungal properties and can be used as a spray bottle to help treat that gnarly climbing shoe smell. Mix whichever antifungal oil(s) you choose with water, then spray down those sweaty shoes! Again, make sure they are completely dry before your next session.

The “Oh No” Limit

Oh no…. Your shoes smell as though they’re too far gone. You’ve tried spraying them with essential oils and leaving them to dry overnight, but instead woke up with an equally smelly pair of shoes. What can you do?

Today, you harness the strength to deal with the climbing shoes you’ve neglected so long. Sure, you may use them every session, or maybe only on your send-goes, but have you taken care of them when they’re not on your feet?

Two options are available to you now, and you may need to do both!

Freeze them

Yes, put your climbing shoes in the freezer! What do you have to lose? Stuff your shoes with wadded newspaper or rags, then put them in a ziplock and lock them away in your freezer overnight.

Odor-causing bacteria cannot survive in the temperature of a standard freezer. Thaw them in the sun or in a well-ventilated area the next day, and be aware of the smell.

You may need to use this method a few times to remove all the bacteria that’s been lingering in there!

Wash ‘em!

Wash your shoes! Take some warm, soapy water and an old (or new) toothbrush. Scrub-a-dub-dub the footbed and everything you can in and around your climbing shoes.

Scrub until you’re pumped and can’t scrub any longer…then keep scrubbing. Refill your soapy water as you do this. There’s no point in cleaning a dirty shoe with dirty water.

Air-dry your shoes—don’t use a dryer. You may want to plan performing this cleaning routine around a time when you won’t be climbing for the next couple of days!

Do you Have Smelly Climbing Shoes?

Alright, the jig is up, we know it’s you… You’re the one with the smelly climbing shoes, not just your partner. But they probably have stinky shoes, too, if it makes you feel any better!

If you want to change the ways of your smelly climbing shoes and not worry about knocking others over when you unzip your bag at the start of your next session, follow the tips in this article to help keep your climbing shoes in better shape!

Remember, it’ll be easier to keep your shoes stench-free if you start with managing their smell from day one, so make sure to get on it when you grab your next pair!