Men are raised to approach dressing in a certain way; pants require underpants; flies require zipping and shoes require socks. However rules in style and in life are there for breaking. In a time when men are going bold with almost everything they wear, going sock-less is not a bad choice after all.
That said, going sock-less is a tad tricky even if it is the coolest and boldest thing to do. Each of your feet can produce up to a pint of sweat everyday, a complicating factor if ever there was one. This sweat leads to a horrible odor. Here we talk about how to not wear socks and still not emit the odor.
What Causes Foot Odor
The key to preventing foot odor when you go sock-less is knowing what causes your feet to smell in the first place.
The main cause of foot odor is sweat. While sweat is odorless, every drop of it is a breeding ground for the bacteria that causes foot odor. Your feet produce copious amounts of sweat because 1) your feet are packed densely with sweat glands and 2) you stick your feet in shoes that have little or no ventilation for hours a day.
Once you have plenty of sweat going, the bacteria that live on your feet start growing and producing smelly stuff. The main culprit for your stinky feet is brevibacteria. These eat the dead skin that sloughs off your feet every day. After digesting your microscopic skin particles, the brevibacteria expel methanethiol, a gas that smells sort of like rotten cabbage. That’s right. Your smelly feet are the result of millions of little bacteria letting out a huge collective fart.
How to Prevent Foot Odor When Going Sock-less
To prevent smelly feet you need to prevent two things: 1) sweat and 2) bacteria. Here’s your battle plan.
1. Wash your feet more often and vigorously with anti-bacterial soap.
I bet most men devote zero time to washing their feet while in the shower. They probably think that the suds that wash down their body are enough to clean their feet. When you decide to go sock-less, that just won’t cut it. Every day you need to destroy the dead-skin-eating bacteria that causes foot odor. Scrubbing vigorously with your favorite anti-bacterial soap will do just that.
2. Don’t wear the same pair of shoes every day. You need to give your shoes time to dry out in-between wearings. Remember, a wet shoe is a smelly shoe. Give your shoes at least a day of rest before you put them back on. More time is better.
3. Line the shoes with newspapers. When you’re giving your shoes a break between wearings, stick wads of newspaper in your shoes. They’ll absorb moisture. They’ll also maintain the shape of your shoe, help prevent creases and cracking, and most importantly in our case, absorb moisture from the lining of your shoes.
4. Sprinkle foot powder in shoes before you wear them. Foot powders, like Odor Eaters, contain talcum (which absorbs sweat) and baking soda (which neutralizes odor). Before your slip your shoes on, give them a light dusting of powder. It will keep your feet dry throughout the day and will kill any bacteria that might be creeping in your shoes.
5. Use no-show loafer socks. If you want the sock-less look, but want to avoid the hustle that comes with going sock-less, try wearing a no-show loafer sock. They’re cut low enough that the socks won’t appear over your loafers, and they’re made of antimicrobial fibers to prevent smells.
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