Foot odor is unpleasant and embarrassing, but it's an understandable side effect of the hard work your feet do every day. For most people, stinky feet are an occasional hazard of days that involve a lot of standing or walking, but for an estimated 10 to 15 percent of the population, foot odor is a serious problem, according to KidsHealth.org, a health information website powered by the Nemours Foundation. Foot odor is caused by a combination of bacteria and perspiration, and some behaviors can significantly increase your risk.
Poor Hygiene
Sometimes getting rid of smelly feet is as simple as washing them. If you usually shower, you may not be getting your feet completely clean every day. Try dipping your feet in a bathtub or foot tub and washing them completely with mild soap and water. After you wash, dry your feet completely with a towel, making sure to work the towel between your toes to dry the skin there--those damp spaces between your toes can turn into bacteria breeding grounds.
Sweaty Shoes
If you tend to choose shoes made of plastic instead of leather ones, switching to shoes made with natural materials may help eliminate some of your foot odor problems. Because man-made materials like plastic don't allow your foot to breathe, your feet will sweat more when you wear them, causing bad odors to build up. Avoid wearing too-tight shoes, especially if you'll be walking a lot, since your feet will sweat more in close quarters.
Wearing the same pair of shoes every day can also cause a build-up of sweat that makes your shoes--and by extension, your feet--smell bad. Shoes don't have time to dry completely in just one night, so rotating your shoes may help decrease your foot odor issues. Along the same lines, wash any insoles or pads in your shoes once a week to freshen them up so that they don't perpetuate foot odor.
No Air
Keeping your feet cooped up in shoes can lead to stinky soles, so make a point to go barefoot and give your feet a chance to air out every day. Exposure to air takes out the bacteria that causes smelly feet. When you wear socks, choose ones made of cotton or wool--to absorb sweat--or of athletic material designed to wick perspiration away from your feet, and be sure to carry a fresh pair so you can change socks if the pair you're wearing gets wet.
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