Do Hey Dudes Make Your Feet Stink?

Last Updated on September 10, 2023 by Martina McKeough

Hey Dude shoes are the perfect summer shoes. Made from canvas, or knitted stretchy fabrics they are a casual shoe lover’s dream however do Hey Dudes make your feet stink?

The problem is that Hey Dude shoes are usually slip-on shoes that people love to wear barefoot. Whilst that seems to be a perfect summer solution it is also a recipe for sweat and shoe odor.

Are Hey Dues impervious to smells? Well, sadly not but there are things that you can do to help reduce the problem and keep your feet dry and sweat-free.

This post may contain affiliate links which means that we get a commission if you choose to make a purchase through the link. This is at no cost to you. Please read our disclosure page for more information.

Do Hey Dude Shoes Stink?

So firstly let’s address the obvious issue. Hey Dude shoes don’t stink. When you first buy them box fresh there will be no bad smells at all.

However, if you wear the shoes regularly in hot temperatures without socks and suffer from sweaty feet then inevitably that sweat is going to permeate into the fabric of the shoes and create an unpleasant odor.

Some Hey Dude styles however have been created to reduce this problem and are made in breathable fabrics that allow for increased airflow in the shoe. This stops sweaty feet and reduces the likelihood of unpleasant odors.

The Wally Sox airflow for example has air mesh lining which helps increase ventilation in the shoe. It also has holes in the outsole to increase breathability. Even the insole allows air circulation. This technology will significantly cut down on bad smells.

Even the standard Wally Hey Dude styles tend to have breathable fabric.

If on top of this you take the time for good foot hygiene and use some of the following tips to reduce the likelihood of smells you should be able to wear the shoes without them causing too many problems.

Tips to Stop Hey Dudes Smelling

Do Hey Dudes make your feet stink? Well, not if you take the time for some basic sweat-prevention measures to keep them smelling fresh and clean. Follow some of these simple steps and you should experience fewer problems with odors whilst wearing your Hey Dudes.

These are tried and tested methods that I use when wearing my Hey Dudes and they work brilliantly.

Follow Basic Foot Hygiene

If you are going to wear your Hey Dude shoes without socks in summer then you should be scrupulous with your foot hygiene.

That means every morning you need to make sure that your feet are properly washed and dried every morning before you put them on your feet. If possible wash and dry them again later on in the day to keep sweat and odor to a minimum in warm weather.

Wearing shoes all day in hot weather is going to make your feet stink so it makes sense to try and keep your as dry as possible to keep your footwear smelling good.

Use My Secret Weapon – Carpe Foot Lotion

If there is one product that I recommend more than anything else for sweaty feet it is Carpe Antiperspirant Foot Lotion. This is a brilliant way of stopping sweat in its tracks and keeping your feet dry and cool.

All you need is to use a pea size amount and massage it into your feet. Do this first thing in the morning and at night as well. Do this regularly and you will have feet as dry as a bone. In fact, Carpe uses the words zero sweat so they are confident that their product does a brilliant job at keeping your feet and shoes dry.

They have a money-back guarantee if you aren’t happy so you don’t have anything to lose. Plus they don’t test on animals which is a great positive in their favor.

Alternate Your Shoes

If you wear shoes day in day out and never give them a chance to dry then you are going to experience problems with sweat build up and smells.

If possible wear your Hey Dude shoes for one day and then give them a rest day before wearing them again. If you do this regularly you are allowing your shoes to dry and air which means it is less likely that you will experience any bad smells.

This is particularly important if your shoes have got wet as all shoes need to dry out properly before being worn again.

Using Baking Soda

Baking soda is another great product that can be used to stop smells in your Hey Dude shoes.

Some people simply take out the insoles of their shoes and place them in a large plastic bag and add baking soda. Leave this for 24 hours to help neutralize any smells.

The following day remove your insoles from the bag and dust off any remaining baking soda. You should now have a pair of insoles that smell fresh.

Keep the Outside Of Your Shoes Clean

It is inevitable when you wear shoes that they are going to get dirt, dust, and debris landing on the outside of the shoes and even on the inside as well. If you go near a beach add sand to that list.

Try and keep your shoes clean by using a soft bristle brush to remove all the surface dust and dirt when you have finished wearing your shoes for the day.

Surface dust and dirt can become ingrained with sweat if left unchecked and that can contribute to smells. Keeping your shoes in good condition can make a difference in stopping bad smells.

Use Foot Powder Inside Your Shoes

Another really simple method to keep sweat in your shoes down to a minimum is by using foot powder inside your shoes. Foot powder is a great way of absorbing any sweat and keeping your feet dry so that odors can’t start.

If you don’t have any foot powder in the house use baby powder as that can work as well.

Just remember to sprinkle the right amount into the shoe and not go crazy otherwise clouds of powder will start to come out of your shoes as you walk.

Use White Vinegar

If you want to deodorize Hey Dude shoes then a great way of doing it is to use white vinegar to neutralize any bad smells.

All you need to do is get a spray bottle and fill it with two parts vinegar to one part water and then spritz the insoles and insides of your shoes.

Make sure you place your shoes something away from direct sunlight where they can air dry and the smalls should vanish.

Put Your Hey Dudes In The Freezer

Shoes start to smell because the moisture from sweat is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria to thrive. Kill the bacteria and the smells will vanish as well.

A really cheap way to do this is getting your Hey Dudes and placing them in a plastic bag. This then should be placed in the freezer for 24 hours. This does the job of killing the bacteria.

Take them out the following day and make sure they are well-defrosted before wearing them outside.

Change Your Hey Dude Insoles

Of course, wearing shoes regularly is going to impact the insoles of a shoe and over time they will wear out and smell.

Luckily Hey Dudes shoes have removable insoles which you can take out for either regular cleaning or to replace them.

New Hey Dude insoles are not particularly expensive so it makes sense to have a spare pair to slot inside your shoes when your old ones are starting to look grubby.

Wash the Shoes

Did you know that many Hey Dude shoes can be washed in order to get them smelling fresh and looking clean?

The good news is that you don’t even have to do this by hand for some of their styles as they can be put in the washing machine. This makes them a really great buy as being able to wash and clean your shoes makes them look better and last longer.

Read my article on how to clean Hey Dude shoes for instructions on how to wash your footwear without damaging your shoes.

Are You Supposed to Wear Socks in Hey Dudes?

Whilst we are debating do Hey Dudes make your feet stink or not it is worth discussing the question that everyone asks and that is whether you should be wearing socks with your shoes or going barefoot.

The fact is that it doesn’t matter whether you choose to wear socks with your shoes or not from an aesthetic point of view but it might matter when it comes to issues with foot odor.

The fact is that Hey Dude shoes are meant for casual wear and they are very much a spring or summer shoe because they are lightweight and are generally slip-on shoes. This means that most people tend to wear their shoes without socks on.

However, wearing socks with your Hey Dudes does mean that you are cutting down on sweaty feet which can lead to problems such as athlete’s foot.

Due to the nature of the design of Hey Dudes if you are going to wear socks then it makes sense to wear invisible no-show socks so that the look of the shoe isn’t compromised. To cut down on sweaty feet make sure you buy a pair in a breathable or moisture-wicking material.

Another ingenious hack you can use is putting a pair of ultra-low-cut socks on to the insole of the shoe itself. That way you are allowing any sweat to go into the sock and not the insole itself. When you have finished wearing them for the day take the sock out for washing and replace it with a new one.

Can You Scotchgard Hey Dudes

Another way to protect your Hey Dude shoes is to use Scotchgard or other sprays to create a barrier on your shoes to prevent staining and dirt from getting into the fabric.

Products such as Crep protect work well to protect your shoes and keep them looking like new.

Just make sure before you spray your shoes you take a look at the materials the spray is suitable for. As Hey Dudes come in different materials and fabrics you will need to find a spray that is suitable for the fabric that your shoes are made from.

Do Hey Dudes make your feet stink? Well yes, they can but if you buy a pair that are made from a breathable fabric, take care with foot hygiene and regularly use some of the tips above you will minimize the chances of any bad odors.

All footwear requires some minimal maintenance and cleaning but if you do this regularly you shouldn’t have to worry too much about smells.