Odor Management

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The best strategies for keeping your footwear as fresh as possible

Odor-causing bacteria loves a moist environment. One of the best ways to prevent bacteria growth is to dry the inside of your boots every time they get wet, either from the elements or sweaty feet (don’t worry, we’ve all been there!)


Use a Boot Dryer

A boot dryer is one of the best tools in the battle against smelly footwear. They safely dry the inside of your boots, they last for a long time, and are relatively inexpensive. They work by gently warming air that rises and dries your boots as they rest. Many of them are also silent, so they won’t disrupt your peaceful evening.

Most boot dryers are safe for any material; leather, rubber, synthetics, textiles, fleece, neoprene, and more.

Best for: Drying at home

Use on: All types of footwear

Use when: Footwear is wet on the inside

Frequency: As often as every day

Best for: Drying boots while traveling or for use in homes with limited storage space

Use on: All types of footwear

Use when: Footwear is wet on the inside, as often as every day

Frequency: As often as every day



The Newspaper Method

If boot dryers aren’t your thing, you can use the newspaper method:


Take a sheet of dry newspaper and crumple it into a loose ball.

Stuff the loose newspaper ball into the toe box of your footwear (where your toes rest).

Repeat with more sheets of newspaper until your boot is filled. Make sure the newspaper is loosely crumpled.

Leave your newspaper-filled boots alone for a while, the dry paper will absorb the moisture.

After an hour or two, pull the saturated newspaper sheets from your boots and discard.

If your boots are still wet, repeat the steps with fresh sheets of newspaper until they’re dry.

Avoid Extreme Heat Sources

Extreme heat sources, such as a campfire or a vehicle left in direct sunlight, can harm your boots. The high heat can prematurely age the materials, such as leather, stitching, and glues, that hold the bottom of your boot to the top.

Please do not put your boots in your clothes dryer. The relatively high heat, even on low, will damage the materials. Additionally, it may cause expensive damage to your dryer!

We also don’t recommend placing boots over a heater or air vent in your home as this is considered a fire hazard.

Odor reducing products work by preventing bacteria growth or absorbing smells and moisture.

Danner Odor Eliminator

Our Odor Eliminator product works by inhibiting bacteria growth and we recommend using it often in both new and well-worn boots.

It’s safe to get on your skin and it’s also safe to use inside all Danner boots, including those with waterproof liners, such as GORE-TEX or Danner Dry.

It does not contain any brighteners or scents and is PFC free.

To use, make sure your boots are dry on the inside. Spray a few times in each boot and let it dry for a few minutes before wearing.


Best for: Preventing odor-causing bacteria growth

Use on: All types of footwear

Use when: Footwear is new or well worn

Frequency: As often as every day



Baking Soda

An inexpensive and readily available odor fighter is baking soda. It works by absorbing moisture and odors.


Sprinkle baking soda inside dry boots.

Shake and tap them around a bit to even out the baking soda.

Let them sit for a few hours or overnight. It’s safe to leave baking soda in your boots for longer, it will not damage the materials.

Before wearing, shake the excess baking soda out.

If handy, you can also use a vacuum or shop vac to remove excess baking soda.

If your footwear has removable footbeds, replacing them each year is best odor-fighting practice.

Footbeds are the layer on the bottom inside of your boots that your feet rest on, like a bed for your foot. To see if yours are removable, reach in along the bottom and tug up on the edge. Sometimes they’re quite wedged, so you may need to tug harder or work around the heel area tugging up until it pops out.



Footwear Care Articles

Caring for your footwear will extend their life and keep them performing their best.

New Boots

Tips for New Boots

Footwear Care

Intro to Footwear Care

Leather Conditioners

Leather Conditioners

Waterproofing

Waterproofing

Odor Management

Odor Management

Toe Scuff Protection

Toe Scuff Protection

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Footwear Care Articles

Caring for your footwear will extend their life and keep them performing their best.

New Boots

Tips for New Boots

Footwear Care

Intro to Footwear Care

Leather Conditioners

Leather Conditioners

Waterproofing

Waterproofing

Odor Management

Odor Management

Toe Scuff Protection

Toe Scuff Protection