When executed by skilled artists, dance is a beautiful art form. No one in the audience thinks about what happens when the dancers take off their shoes, though. The term “jungle rot” from stinky shoes and feet never comes to mind at that point. Jazz shoes take a beating. The combination of hours of practice and constant sweat mean major foot funk. Those babies are stink-y. There is no way of getting away from it. This is Grade A level foot odor that will hunt you down and slap you up the side of the head. If you want to talk about suffering for your art, this is one place to start. Unfortunately, everyone else in the room will share the same fate if you can’t get the smell under control. This guide will provide helpful tips for how to get the small out of jazz shoes.
Since jazz shoes get such a hard workout from dancers, they tend to accumulate a higher level of stank other types of footwear. Sweaty feet create the perfect environment for bacteria to set up housekeeping. When you smell foot stink, you are being alerted to the presence of these tiny organisms. Go after them aggressively and lower the risk of clearing out the room when you take your shoes off after a practice or a performance. Your fellow dancers will definitely thank you for it. The people living in your house will also be grateful for your diligence. If the foot odor issue is bad enough, it may even escape from your dance bag into your car. You really want to get on top of this one, and keep your shoes fresh as you can.
Odor Elimination Solutions for Jazz Shoes
1 Baking Soda Baggies
You can make your own baggies to absorb odor and keep your shoes sweet smelling. Take a paper towel and lie it on a flat surface. Pour 1/4 cup of baking soda in the middle of the paper towel. Fold the edges of the paper towel into the middle and secure with a rubber band or a clip so the baking soda doesn’t escape. Place the baking soda baggies into the toes of the jazz shoes after each dance class. They will absorb the moisture to keep the foot funk factor down to a minimum.
2 Scented Dryer Sheet Toss
An easy way to deodorize a pair of shoes quickly is to toss in a scented dryer sheet. Simply choose a fragrance that you like and stuff it inside your jazz shoes. You can also toss a dryer sheet into your dance bag to keep it sweet smelling. Change the scent every so often to get some variety.
3 Febreze the Stink Out
This solution involves a one-two process. First, you spray the inside of the shoes with Febreze. Then you place them outside while the Febreze is drying. The combination of the air freshener and the power of the sunshine should banish the bad odors from the shoes. Leaving them out overnight is best if you have the time to do so.
4 Rubbing Alcohol and Water Spray Solution
You can mix up a solution of rubbing alcohol and water to mist the foot rot stank out of your shoes. Put it in a spray bottle and treat the shoes spray them lightly. The alcohol will remove the stink as it dries, which should not take very long. Repeat each time you wear the shoes to try to keep on top of the smell issue.
5 Odor Destroying Insoles
Placing odor-destroying insoles in your shoes should help with the issue of keeping your jazz shoes from stinking up the room when you remove them. There are a number of brands on the market. You may need to experiment with a few before you find the one that will work best for you. Look for one that contains activated charcoal, since this is the material that will absorb the foot odor. Dr. Scholl’s Odor Destroyers is a brand that a number of dancers find effective for dealing with stinky jazz shoes.
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