If your socks get soggy and smelly during workouts or you find yourself sliding around in sandals—if you’ve got sweaty feet, is what I’m saying—you’re in good company. They tend to be one of the swampier parts of the human body: Each foot contains nearly 250,000 sweat glands, most of which are located on your soles.
Things like warm temps, stress, exercise, pregnancy, menopause, or even having a health condition like hyperthyroidism can all factor into how wet things get. While some people have a disorder called hyperhidrosis that causes them to sweat excessively, for the most part, a little extra perspiration is perfectly normal. After all, it’s just your body’s way of trying to keep you cool.
Natural or not, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who is thrilled about trekking around on a sweltering summer day in squishy shoes. And lots of sweat can sometimes lead to blisters (if that wetness causes friction), fungal infections, and funky odors. Here are some ways to keep your toes cool and dry this summer.
1. Wear breathable footwear.
You have to be strategic about what you put on your feet if you want to keep them (relatively) dry, Divya Shokeen, MD, FAAD, a Los Angeles–based dermatologist, tells SELF. She says that starts with shoes that allow for a lot of airflow (think: open-toed sandals, mesh sneakers, or slip-ons with plenty of holes or spaces).“Breathable shoes enhance the circulation of air and reduce the chances of heat and perspiration,” she notes. James McGuire, DPM, the director of the Leonard Abrams Center for Advanced Wound Healing at the Temple School of Podiatric Medicine, tells SELF that people should look for pairs made from certain materials—like tricot (a knit that can be either natural or synthetic), bamboo fibers, cork, or leather. The Allbirds Tree Loungers (made from eucalyptus tree fiber) and ECCO Flowt LX Wedge Sandal (made from leather) are two options that SELF previously recommended.
Still, shoes can be made with “good” materials and be crafted in a less-than-perforated way (say, the stitching is extra-tight), Dr. McGuire notes. Here’s a tip from him on how to tell if yours are *literally* breathable: Hold your shoe up to your mouth and blow through it—if you can feel your breath on the other side of the fabric, it’s well-ventilated and should help keep your feet feeling fresh.
Alternatively, avoid footwear made primarily with plastic, rubber, and synthetic leather, as they are more likely to trap moisture, Dr. McGuire notes.
2. Step up your sock game.
You also want to think about the type of socks you’re working with. As a general guide: Look for pairs made with merino wool or synthetic fabrics, such as polyester or nylon, explains Dr. McGuire. While it may seem counterintuitive to wear wool socks in hot weather, those materials are actually better at absorbing and evaporating moisture, he says, which will “keep your foot dryer and cooler.” (SELF previously recommended the Bombas Running Ankle Sock and Saucony Inferno Cushioned No Show Tab 3-Pack Socks as two great options.) Cotton, on the other hand, tends to suck up sweat but does a relatively crummy job of wicking it away, he adds. If you saturate your socks when you’re out and about, bring a couple of backup pairs to change into.
3. Try a foot powder.
Bacteria and fungi thrive in moist, warm environments, which makes clammy feet an ideal home. Foot powders help “absorb some of the moisture, and they keep the fungus growth down, which helps with odor,” says Dr. McGuire, so it might be worth it to sprinkle some into your socks—daily if need be. He recommends using a cornstarch-based or antifungal one with either miconazole nitrate or tolnaftate. Comfort Zone Miconazorb Antifungal Powder (which contains miconazole nitrate) and Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Foot Powder (derived from cornstarch) are two good options.
4. Embrace antiperspirants.
According to Dr. McGuire (and lots of people on Reddit!), antiperspirant can be a game-changer for this issue. “Most people don’t think about that,” he explains, “they put it under their arms all the time, but they don’t put it on their feet.” Dr. Shokeen recommends buying one that contains 10 to 15% aluminum chloride, which is a chemical that blocks sweat glands. As for the type, you’ve got lots of options: There are sprays, creams, wipes, gels, and roll-ons, including Certain Dri Prescription Strength Clinical Antiperspirant Roll-On Deodorant and Maxim Clinical Strength Antiperspirant (both of which have 15% aluminum chloride). Prescription ones with higher levels of aluminum chloride (around 20%) are an option if you feel like over-the-counter ones don’t work well.
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You can apply antiperspirants whenever your feet feel soupy, but the best time to use them is at night, per Dr. Shokeen. That’s because “your sweat glands are a lot less active when you sleep,” she notes, which allows the aluminum chloride to better seep into your skin instead of being wiped away with sweat.
5. Wash—or soak—your feet.
About that odor: Dr. McGuire says a lot of people who deal with sweaty feet also notice an unpleasant funk. “When you perspire a lot, you foster the growth of bacteria and fungi more,” he says. (And bacteria don’t exactly smell like perfume.)
To combat this, Dr. McGuire recommends giving your toes a good soak at least once a week. Here’s how he suggests doing it: Submerge them in a tub of water, then toss in a quarter cup of Epsom salt, like Amazon Basics Epsom Salt Soaking Aid or Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Soak, along with a quarter cup of something acidic, like distilled white vinegar or lemon juice. Soak for 10 to 15 minutes. The salt is thought to dry out your skin and the acid inhibits bacterial growth, Dr. McGuire notes.
You can also give your feet some extra TLC in the shower. Grab a bar of soap or body wash, Dr. McGuire says, and scrub between your toes, around your arch, over your heel, and around the top of your foot. Dry off with a towel and apply your antiperspirant per the instructions on the label, and take your fresh feet out for a ride.
6. Talk to a dermatologist if things are getting seriously swampy.
If you’re still struggling, a doctor can recommend a few other treatments, depending on how sweaty it’s getting. Neurotoxin injections (specifically, botulinum type A injections) can be administered into your foot to quiet the nerve and muscle activity behind all the sweating. They’re also usually pretty strong, Dr. Shokeen says. “Most of the time, neurotoxins last three to four months,” says Dr. Shokeen—so one shot may keep your feet in good shape all summer.
A derm may also recommend a more heavy-duty treatment like iontophoresis, a procedure in which mild electrical currents move through water and into your skin to quiet sweat glands. They might also suggest anticholinergics, a prescription medication that blocks the production of a chemical (acetylcholine) that activates perspiration. There’s also an endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy, a procedure that cuts the nerve that controls sweating in your feet. It can cause some side effects—for example, it can make other parts of your body even sweatier—so it’s mainly used as a last-ditch effort.
Sure, you’ve got roughly 500,000 sweat glands working against you, but that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to have swampy feet forever. Cool, dry toes are within reach: Give these tips a try so you can get out there without having to worry about your shoes turning into a rainforest.
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