So I've been struggling with the most awful foot odor for years now and I can only hope that I find some suggestions here. Mind you, I have read numerous posts regarding similar cases and followed the advice, but I have yet to find something that works for my body.
The most baffling aspect in my case is the fact that the odor only appears when I am wearing shoes - you can feel it right through them from a reasonable distance, to the point where it will easily fill up an entire room. My feet feel like burning and the odor persists even when I manage to reduce the perspiration (as I have hyperhidrosis). While the sweat does seem to make it worse, the odor is unbearable regardless of how dry my feet are. What's even more inexplicable is the fact that, once I take my shoes off, they do not smell, nor do my feet or socks. It's only when these things come together that my feet emanate a horrible stench that seems like a combination of sewers, garbage and sweaty socks.
Things that I have tried and had almost no success with are plenty: strong antiperspirants, zinc oxide powder, coconut oil (both internally and externally), foot deodorants with great reviews (Lavilin, Gehwol), zinc oxide baby rash creams, rubbing alcohol, vinegar, black tea soaks, listerine, zinc and magnesium supplements, spirulina, shoe disenfectants, cedar soles, alum, benzoyl peroxide, clorhexidine soap, urea cream and foot scrubs and others.
What seems to helps a bit are these things that I have used separately: undiluted tea tree oil, bleach baths and grapefruit seed extract (in a quite concentrated solution of 20 drops to 3
oz water). However, even these only serve to reduce the odor a for 3-4 hours; not nearly enough to be unnoticeable and clearly not a solution that can cover me for an entire work day.
It is clear to me that, even if I manage to reduce the sweat and kill the bacteria (I assume I MUST have killed with all the powerful stuff I've used), there's a quick point where the solutions can't keep up with the nasty bacteria that my feet produce.
Does anyone have any suggestion regarding long-lasting solutions or anything that may have worked for you? I was thinking about trying Mupirocin next.
This has absolutely destroyed both as a person and professionally, leaving me without the best years of my life. I would appreciate any advice or even if you simply shared some of your own experiences.