As temperatures rise and we need ways to stay cool, fresh and, most importantly, smelling good, review writer Gareth Butterfield tackles one of summer’s real dilemmas: smelly shoes We’ve found the most perfect gadget for you. Amazon uses technology that eliminates odors and chemicals from inside your shoes.
To be honest, I’ve never really given much thought to what my shoes smell like or what microorganisms are lurking inside them, but recently I’ve been smelling them. But let’s just say it was unpleasant. There may be a market for these devices after all.
Introducing the 3-in-1 shoe freshener sold under the Margaret Dabbs brand.
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Ms Dubbs is an OBE for services to business and podiatry and knows a thing or two about healthy feet. This is evident from the foot hygiene cream she created that was included in her package.
By the way, the cream was taken away by my beloved wife. And since she owns far more shoes than I do, I also commandeered her shoe air freshener. I haven’t seen much since I arrived.
But the shoes I wear every day, my Merrell walking shoes, definitely needed a refresh, so I started using the Shoe Freshener right away.
Designed to fit any shoe, it starts whistling when connected to a power source, and all you have to do is plug it in.
It uses ozone technology to disinfect the inside of your shoes, naturally destroying unpleasant substances and neutralizing odors.
This means that no chemicals or liquids are used, and everything is done using electrical equipment and, in some cases, magic.
Either way, it certainly works. It definitely made the inside of my old Merrell smell fresher and felt really nice to wear again.
Margaret Dabbs says you can protect and preserve your shoes. That’s important to me because Gore-Tex is very expensive.
Another benefit they offer is the ability to dry your shoes. It’s not much of an issue with my Merrells, but the shoes I use in the garden get very wet, so it’s obviously best to dry them quickly.
It costs £55, which is a fair price for such high-tech kit. If this protects my shoes and makes them last a little longer, it will pay for itself in no time.
As I write this, they are quietly getting to work in my wife’s fancy heels. She keeps saying it, but she doesn’t let me use it much.
But I think if it’s good enough for a woman who owns as many shoes as I do, it’s good enough for me too.
Other retailers sell similar products, but Lakeland’s shoe dryer costs just £24.99 and at least prevents damp smells from entering your home after a rainy or sweaty walk. LightInTheBox also has a 22-pound version that acts as a dehumidifier and deodorizer.