Boot Stink… anti-bacterial ?

Well, i got to say, this thread is really..ripe.. for the cheesy humor… Could be bacterial, but could also be fungal. Seems like fungi can be really hardy, hard to kill stuff. What kind of socks do you wear? Has your diet or health changed in major ways recently? Go to any "exotic" places recently? Lot's of different variables.

make sure you dry them as much as possible, like between trips baking soda sprinkled in can absorb odors there's anti-fungal spray

I don't think it's me or the socks. None of my other boots have the smell using the same feet and brand of socks. What ever it is seems to have come with the boots… b

And I live in a dry climate and always dry them out each day after hiking. Treat all my footwear the same and this pair of boots is the only ones that have EVER stunk like this in the 40 years I've been hiking. b

Maybe the boots were made in China and some joker actually put limburger cheese in them? :) on a more serious note, after soaking the boots in alcohol is just drying them okay? will the alcohol evaporate completely or does it leave a residue that I should rise out with water? billy

I’ve had good success deodorizing shoes using MiraZyme. Also available from several other sources.

>"will the alcohol evaporate completely or does it leave a residue that I should rise out with water?" If by "alcohol" you mean ethanol, methanol or isopropyl alcohol, yes, it will all just evaporate away. If you mean ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, those are much less volatile and would remain as a residue or bulk liquid much longer. My concept of boot drying advanced when I moved to Alaska. In California, I'd leave them propped open or near a heater vent. A much better way is the Peet Boot Dryers everyone has up here. Not only does it circulate moderate temperature air so the boots get dry without damaging them, if you store them on the dryer, they will be pleasantly warm to put on the next time you go out. $34 on Amazon. There are also doubled versions and taller ones for hip boots.

Thanks David… yes, isopropyl alcohol hope it killed the (assumed) bacteria I just turn my boots upside down over a furnace vent in the laundry room.. billy

Lysol

What boots were they? Was this your first time using them?

garmont zenith mid not the first time using them; and not the firs time I notice that smell.. but it was MUCh worse this time… maybe because previous times were day hikes for just a few hours in a cooler climate… Lysol… can't use this product as it give me migraines… awful stuff…

The internet review says Garmont's Zenith Hike GTX … while providing a natural antimicrobial quality to fight odor … Perhaps the first thing to grow on the anti microbial liner stinks, or, it's so effective you can smell it working ? Maybe it fights odor with a stronger odor ?

"Perhaps the first thing to grow on the anti microbial liner stinks, or, it's so effective you can smell it working ? Maybe it fights odor with a stronger odor ?" Surly you did not read my original post… THIS IS THE MOST DISGUSTING ODOR KNOWN TO MANKIND… ANY BOOT MAKER THAT WOULD INTENTIONALLY PUT THIS ODOR IN THEIR PRODUCT WOULD BE TRYING TO COMMIT PRODUCT SUICIDE… You got the idea now? this is not just an odd odor or an unpleasant odor… this is a weaponized grade odor. billy

"Lysol… can't use this product as it give me migraines… awful stuff…" Sure. But it does work. Maybe someone other than you might find it helpful. I would prefer to use it than dunking my stuff in alcohol. Different strokes. Get it? If it's unpleasant the Germans have a word for it. Kaesefuesse

Yea… If I soaked my boots in Lysol I'd have to sell or give them away. And yes, fair enough Ken… but do YOU get it? Maybe someone other than you might find it helpful… that Lysol can cause migraines Different strokes Ken… Get it? billy

Yes, I meant that perhaps you grow the microbial ecosystem of the supreme funk, and even a treatment can not slow the growth. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Perhaps the soil and goretex combined to create this odor of ultimate offensibilty, and even the microbial resistant liner couldn't help. Maybe the gore holds the perfumes on the sock and at the end of the day the aroma is strong enough to blind an eagle.

Spray Lysol. Not dunking. The liquid stuff is way nasty.

Vinegar and baking soda are good for getting odors out of clothing. I'm not sure if the vinegar would have a detrimental effect on the footwear glues though.

I've worn leather Zamberlan's for the past 20 years. Never a problem with smell. Last year I bought Salomon X ULTRA MID 2 GTX boots. The insides of the upper section of the boots look very much like your Garmont Zenith Mids. In the Salomon's it seems that the inner upper section wicks sweat right out of my socks. The uppers can get quite sweat wet. It's the source of the smell. Only occurs on hot sweaty days. On the trail, whenever I take a break, I take the boots off and try to dry the inners and socks as much as possible. Once I'm home, I dry them as quickly as possible. At some point, I might try alcohol, though I'm not sure what it might dissolve or damage. I won't use Lysol. That will just land on the material surface IMO (and I don't like the chemical smell). The sweat is much deeper into the fabric.

Certain fabrics will make you stinkier than others, although it’s not the fabric itself that’s to blame. It turns out that Micrococcus bacteria prefer the open-air lattice of synthetic fibers over cotton, according to new research by Chris Callewaert (aka “Dr. Armpit”) and colleagues.1 http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/09/20/synthetic-polyester-fabrics.aspx leather and wool are better for fresher smelling toes. Acid destroys nylon. Vinegar is acid.

"Perhaps the soil and goretex combined to create this odor of ultimate offensibilty, and even the microbial resistant liner couldn't help. Maybe the gore holds the perfumes on the sock and at the end of the day the aroma is strong enough to blind an eagle." My boots are the non-Gortex version. This smell is an order of magnitude (or two or three) beyond any stink I have ever smelled in an fabric or boot… whether natural or synthetic Perhaps I should not try to kill it… maybe I could sell it to the military for their bacterial warfare program :( billy

Is it possible they don't smell to other people, and you have a nose that is sensitive to the aroma ?

I do have a very sensitive nose, but I also know the difference between a subtle smell and an extremely gross smell. It was so bad I dreaded taking my boots off. Anyway.. the alcohol treatment is done. Not sure when I will get a chance to hike them, but that will be the true test… maybe I'll also hit them with one of the enzyme treatments for smells. P.S… there is no obvious damage to the boots from the alcohol… no melting or disappearing threads… the socks and the insoles came out good too. b

My kids ski boots would get the same smell if they didn't get dried properly. If they got stinky I'd soak or swish them with Listerine. I've also used Listerine on stinky wetsuits. It'll kill the smell, plus your feet will smell like mint mouthwash afterwards! K