Yeah VFFs are funky...but sometimes not in the good way

[koffeekev]

Hmm. I've never had this problem...maybe I use less....

I'm sure I over did it and thought I rinsed them enough. I should have taken a picture, it was something. All is well now. Kevin

[allawayr]

Good, I'm glad to hear it! 

[koffeekev]

I've started to use a light coating of Gold Bond powder and it seems to be tackling the problem very well.

[Tina]

I don't know if this has ever happened to anyone else... The other day, my spouse put his very dirty/smelly KSOs in the wash, we took them out, checked them for smell (no smell), and put them on the drying rack. The next day, when he grabbed them to put them on, they smelled SO BAD. We think it was because they dried too slowly but we're not sure.

We got the smell out by spraying them with OxiClean (which we had not done the first time they were washed) and letting them sit for half an hour before putting them back in the wash. When we took them out, there was thankfully no smell and we put them outside to dry faster in the sun and wind. When they were dry, they didn't smell again.

So my lessons learned were 1) OxiClean does a super job at removing the smell and 2) KSOs need to dry faster than leaving them on the drying rack overnight in the basement (at least for my spouse's shoes).

[allawayr]

I've been using the OxyClean powder, it seems to be working alright - but I haven't tried an extended soak in Oxyclean - that may work out better than just tossing some of the powder in the washer.

Kevin -
As far as the Gold Bond powder, does it irritate you at all? I've never used that before but it sounds like it would chafe or rub if you did something particularly active when it was applied.

[koffeekev]

Kevin -
As far as the Gold Bond powder, does it irritate you at all? I've never used that before but it sounds like it would chafe or rub if you did something particularly active when it was applied.
[/quote]

I haven't noticed anything adverse. I do use it sparingly and rub it into the material. I was more concerned with powder seeping out of my black ff's

[jcarneytx]

I've had some issues with stinky KSO's. I've since washed them, using pre-wash, with arm and hammer detergent. I just throw my workout clothes in with the KSO's. For drying, I put a table fan on high blowing on them. Gets them dry quick and the pre-wash and wash with the arm and hammer detergent keeps the smell away.

I've since bought a 2nd pair and use one pair for running and one for normal activities.

[allawayr]

Saltwater seems to cut down on the smell if that's how they get wet (as opposed to rainwater or something) - or at least they take a bit longer to get smelly.

[koffeekev]

"BUMP"

I wanted to bump this topic up after listening to Tina's podcast with Michael Martin of Vibram. One of the questions talked about undesirable odors coming from VFF's. I have found what I think is a good solution and use it all the time. I also wrote about it in this thread but wanted to share it with our newer guests.

I wear FF's exclusively in my job as a street level sales rep (as well as everywhere else shoes are required). Stinky feet are out of the question. After every two wearings I take my shoes out to the patio, soak them with hose water, spray liberally with Clorox Green Works, scrub inside and out with my fingertips, rinse thoroughly and hang them on the line. It takes a total of about one minute. If they are still wet when I want to wear them I toss them in the dryer on low and haven't had any problems.

I'm sure the bathtub or local stream would work just as well.

If it's going to be very hot I will rub some powder on my feet before wearing. Knowing that people can get close to my shoes without me worrying about them fainting is great piece of mind. For me it's just part of my daily routine. Kevin

[allawayr]

"BUMP"

I wanted to bump this topic up after listening to Tina's podcast with Michael Martin of Vibram. One of the questions talked about undesirable odors coming from VFF's. I have found what I think is a good solution and use it all the time. I also wrote about it in this thread but wanted to share it with our newer guests.

I wear FF's exclusively in my job as a street level sales rep (as well as everywhere else shoes are required). Stinky feet are out of the question. After every two wearings I take my shoes out to the patio, soak them with hose water, spray liberally with Clorox Green Works, scrub inside and out with my fingertips, rinse thoroughly and hang them on the line. It takes a total of about one minute. If they are still wet when I want to wear them I toss them in the dryer on low and haven't had any problems.

I'm sure the bathtub or local stream would work just as well.

If it's going to be very hot I will rub some powder on my feet before wearing. Knowing that people can get close to my shoes without me worrying about them fainting is great piece of mind. For me it's just part of my daily routine. Kevin

Hey Kevin - thanks for recommending the Gold Bond powder. It works well! I used it today and noticed a slight sweatiness but otherwise I'm fine and my feet dried out quickly. There is no odor coming from my KSOs - not even the Gold Bond powder scent. This is pretty amazing as because I have NEVER washed my KSOs in any manner - and I've worn them alot (I regularly wash my sprints because I get them messy and muddy and sweaty etc). Although I will probably wash them soon. But it's nice to save this pair for "casual" wear only - not sweating in them a lot + gold bond powder + occasionally wearing injinji socks helps control odor to the point wear washing is unnecessary.

[JerryD]

I have been using regular corn starch baby powder in both pairs of my VFFs for the past week and I really like the difference it makes.  The powder really helps to minimize the sweaty feeling in the toe area of the shoes and has also cut down on some of the funk.  Makes the shoes much more comfy!

[AlanT]

I haven't yet had any odour issues with my KSOs, even with wearing them up to 8 hours in a day. They still smell the way they did when they came out of the box, that odd rubbery smell which is neither good nor bad, just rubbery.

That said, I have never had odour issues with my feet. So maybe it's me...

Alan

[allawayr]

I haven't yet had any odour issues with my KSOs, even with wearing them up to 8 hours in a day. They still smell the way they did when they came out of the box, that odd rubbery smell which is neither good nor bad, just rubbery.

That said, I have never had odour issues with my feet. So maybe it's me...

Alan

Was it a naphthalene (mothball) sort of smell? That's what mine smelled like (somewhat, anyway).

[Hawkeye]

I wouldn't say my VFFs smell like mothballs. I've been wearing them 3 weeks without socks for the most part and still can smell a faint rubbery/cheap public bathroom hand soap smell (the kind they use at MCDonalds). Better that then funky feet.

[AlanT]

It's been a long, long time since I smelled mothballs (weren;t they banned some time ago?), so I couldn't say if that's the smell. As I said, just a not-unpleasant rubbery kind of smell, not unlike the smell of the soles of new pair of running shoes.

Alan