No matter if you root for the Giants or the Jets, it was disappointing that neither team made it into the playoffs … again. The Jets did at least have a respectable final record at 10-6, but there are at least 10 reasons why the Giants were embarrassing for their fan base.
There might be few avenues in an average life where the potential for public embarrassment is as great as it for professional athletes, but if friends and loved ones clear out when you take off your shoes, it’s pretty close. Fortunately, we have some tips to prevent foot odor and keep you from being embarrassed. (This won’t help the Giants put a respectable team on the field, though.)
Knowing how to prevent foot odor starts with an understanding of why it develops, which means we should look at oil glands. Oil glands are responsible for keeping skin moist. The only problem, though, is that your feet don’t have them. Instead, feet rely on hundreds of thousands of sweat glands to keep the skin from becoming excessively dry. This means that feet sweat a lot throughout the day.
You might be thinking this makes sense, since feet sweat and sweat smells bad, but that’s not entirely accurate. Sweat doesn’t actually smell bad…or like anything actually. It is odorless. So why do we associate a smell with it? Well, that comes from the bacteria that resides on the body, breaks down the sweat, and the n releases the odor. This means that the key to controlling foot odor is to limit the amount of bacteria.
With that in mind, some of the best tips to prevent foot odor include:
- Wash feet every day with soap and water. Antibacterial soap is particularly helpful for controlling foot odor.
- Keep feet dry, since the bacteria need moisture to survive.
- Choose moisture-wicking socks and breathable shoes.
- Treat your shoes with antifungal spray or powder.
- Alternate between two pairs of shoes every day, thereby giving each pair 24-hours to dry out between uses.