Bromhidrosis (Stinky Feet) and Cleats! What to do?"Bromhidrosis”, this “injury” results in over-sweaty and stinky feet! There are hundreds of thousands of sweat glands in our feet. Inside our shoes we have an increase in temperature. Please understand that this condition is different from “athlete’s foot”. With bromhidrosis we do not have itchiness and rashes etc… How do we prevent this? Especially if we are concerned about boyfriends and girlfriends (wives are generally tolerant of this condition! : )). There are three things to look at... 1) Your Shoes... 2) Your Socks... and 3) Your Feet! The Shoes / CleatsYou need to have shoes (cleats) with the best possible breathability. This generally means a pair of cleats with uppers made from natural leather or high quality microfiber. You want to stay away from shoes with synthetic leather uppers. The next thing... you want your cleats to have a good sockliner. The sockliner also needs to be made of "breathable" material. SocksWe currently are researching the best types of socks for use in sports and cleats. But we know that no matter how "breathable" your shoes are... your shoes will only be as good as your socks.As an example... when I wear cheap "dress socks" my feet get stinky and sweaty very fast. Cotton socks are better for me because they absorb the moisture. However, this moisture absorption is only good to a point... once the cotton socks are full with moisture they become wet and you are then likely to get blisters. There are also socks made from microfiber. These microfiber materials have moisture wicking properties which basically "pull" moisture and sweat from your feet and allow this moisture to move or evaporate at the outer surface of the sock. I personally don't really like these types of socks, although they are absolutely widely used in sports, hiking, and all other recreational activities. My preference is to change my cotton socks frequently to ensure they don't become sweaty etc... Some players wear the moisture wicking socks as an initial layer against their foot, and then put on a cotton sock above this to absorb the sweat and moisture. Perhaps it is a good idea to wear only moisture wicking socks if you are playing on a wet field or it is raining during your game/match. Your FeetIn general, it is a good idea to apply a medicated foot powder (example is Gold Bond Medicated Foot Powder available at Walgreens for $8.99 per bottle) directly to your feet. It can also be generously applied to your cleats/shoes as well.Click on the picture to buy what I use myself:
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