Smelly Golf Shoes? How to Get the Smell Out and Keep It Out

Every golfer has opened a shoe bag and regretted it. Golf shoe odor is not a mystery and it is not permanent. It builds up from two things working together: moisture that never fully dries, and dirt and sweat residue that stays ground into the material. Deal with both and the smell goes with them.

Start by removing the buildup

A round leaves more behind than you can see: grass, fine dirt, and dried sweat work into the upper, the tongue, and the seams. That residue holds moisture and is the base the odor sits on. Cleaning the shoe to remove that ground-in grime takes away most of what the smell clings to.

Then get the moisture out

• Pull the insoles out after every round and let them air separately
• Loosen the laces and open the shoe up fully so air can circulate
• Dry at room temperature, never on a heat source, until the inside is completely dry
• Store shoes somewhere ventilated, not sealed in a hot trunk or a zipped bag

Simple helpers that work

Dry newspaper or paper towel stuffed inside overnight pulls out moisture. A cedar shoe tree does the same over the longer term and helps the shoe hold its shape. Rotating between two pairs gives each one a full day to dry out before it goes back on your feet.

What not to do

Dumping perfume or heavy spray inside only masks the smell for a few holes and can leave a sticky residue behind. Drying on a heater to speed things up damages the shoe. The lasting fix is the boring one: clean out the buildup, then let the shoe dry fully every single time.