Gear Review: Sneaker Fresheners

     So, once you get your training going, are getting runs in several times a week, and have broken your running shoes in well (especially in the heat and humidity of summer), I bet you've noticed something after you come home and take those puppies off...

      They can SMELL...HORRIBLE.  Just think about it-- you are sweating (those socks may catch most of your foot funk, but it is still sitting inside a cloth shoe, and it *does* make them start to smell pretty funky.  

      For starters, I do not recommend just throwing them into the washer whenever you notice this, because the process of washing (and for the love of your investment in shoes and appliances, NEVER the dryer!) can warp and just wreak havoc on your shoes.  If they get really dirty or something, you can wipe them off well with a damp cloth, and stuff newspaper or blank newsprint paper (available at any craft store that sells art supplies) to help dry them out quickly (it helps to swap the paper out a few times too).  However, dirty shoes are well loved and run/walked in, so don't get disheartened when your shoes get a little dirty-- you've been using them well!

      As for the smells, this is actually something we were prepared for (the Hare wears boots to work every, single, day, so I KNOW the drill for this!) and when we picked out our shoes, we just grabbed a set of sneaker fresheners too.

*Image courtesy of Amazon/ Sof Sole*

      These little guys are great!  There is no simpler way to prevent the dreaded running shoe stank-- you just click them open, and as soon as you take off your shoes, place these inside (1 for each shoe), and put them wherever they live when they aren't on your feet (I do feel that they don't get as nasty if they aren't in a box/ closed up in a container, so I just put mine by the closet door, the Hare has his by the dresser.  Out of the way, but able to "breathe" and dry).  When you prepare for the next run, just take them out, and leave them until you get back! 

      They have lasted us 6 months with no loss of the nice fragrance (it just smells like clean laundry!) and no stinky feet smell in our bedroom either!  There are tons of sprays and other options out there for alternatives, I just found the freshener balls the most effective (and the most cost effective too).  For you natural buffs, there are even cedar sachet versions as well!  I can say that thanks to these, neither of us has felt the need to wash our shoes in the laundry.

      These are great no matter what gym activities you are doing-- if you bike, run, walk, weight lift, aerobics or dance-- if you are sweating, and wearing shoes, you may need something to stave off the post workout foot funk, and these make it really quick and painless!

      What methods have you used for shoe freshening?  Are there any that you feel did or didn't work?  Share your experiences and stories with us!