How to stop padel shoes smelling

In partnership with Dryello. Disclosure. Published October 23, 2026.

Image: Dryello (official product campaign image).

Key takeaways

• The smell is mostly sweat plus bacteria. The NHS says smelly feet are often caused by a build-up of sweat and bacteria, and fungal infections like athlete's foot can add to it.
• Drying time is the biggest lever. Both the NHS and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advise against wearing the same shoes two days in a row so they can dry out.
• Fix the feet, not just the shoes. Shoe sprays mask odor. Reducing sweat at the source and washing daily stops the shoe from getting soaked in the first place.
• Antiperspirant is not deodorant. The AAD notes that antiperspirants reduce sweating while deodorants only mask odor.
• Itchy and peeling is a different problem. Odor with itchy, flaky skin between the toes may be athlete's foot. Treat the skin with an antifungal.

Why padel shoes get smelly faster than your other trainers

A padel shoe is built for short sprints, hard lateral stops, and quick changes of direction on turf or hard courts. To survive that, most have a reinforced upper, a supportive heel counter, and a more enclosed fit than a running shoe. That structure is great for your ankles and not so great for airflow. Add a 90-minute match at an indoor or covered club, and your feet spend a long time warm and damp.

The NHS lists exercise, hot weather, and standing all day among the things that raise how much you sweat. Padel ticks the first two most weeks. The sweat itself has little smell. The odor comes when bacteria on the skin and in the shoe break it down, and the padded insole and heel lining are where most of that moisture ends up.

Then comes the part most players skip. After the match you zip the shoes into a padel bag with a damp towel and a racket cover, and the bag sits in the car or the hallway until the next session. The shoe never fully dries, so each session starts where the last one finished.

A post-match routine that actually stops the smell

Washing, drying, and replacing the shoes

Can you wash padel shoes?

Check the manufacturer's care instructions first. Many brands advise against machine washing, because heat and agitation can weaken the glue between upper and sole and distort the heel counter. A safer default is to brush off dirt and sand, hand-clean the upper with mild soap and a soft brush, and wash removable insoles separately by hand. Never put padel shoes on a radiator or in a tumble dryer. Stuff them loosely with newspaper, swap the paper when it gets damp, and let them dry at room temperature.

Insoles are cheap; smell is not

If one pair of shoes still smells after a proper clean and dry, replace the insoles before the shoes. A new insole in the right size gives you a fresh surface under the foot. The AAD also suggests insoles and foot powder that absorb wetness for people with very sweaty feet, and the NHS mentions medicated insoles as something a pharmacist can advise on.

When to give up on a pair

Replace shoes that stay damp or smelly no matter how you dry and clean them, or whose sole has worn smooth. Worn soles are a grip problem on a padel court long before they're an odor problem. Our guide to choosing padel shoes covers soles for turf and hard courts, and fit.

Fixing the feet: socks, washing, and antiperspirant

Shoe sprays and deodorizing inserts mask odor in the shoe. They don't reduce how much your feet sweat. For that, work on the feet.

• Wash daily. The NHS suggests washing your feet at least once a day, using an antibacterial soap if you can, and keeping toenails short and clean.
• Socks that wick. The AAD recommends socks labeled "moisture wicking", and notes that not every polyester or nylon sock wicks. Bring a spare pair to change into after the match.
• Slip your shoes off between sets if you can. The AAD says taking your shoes off when you can helps prevent odor, irritation, and skin infections.
• Use an antiperspirant made for feet. The NHS lists foot powder or an antiperspirant as a self-care step for smelly feet, and the AAD notes that antiperspirants reduce sweating while deodorants don't.

Our partner pick for sweaty padel feet

Dryello makes foot antiperspirants in a dry, glide-on stick: Foot Antiperspirant For Her (lighter scent) and Foot Antiperspirant For Him (light citrus scent). Both use aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly 6%, and the Drug Facts label on DailyMed lists one use: reduces sweat. Dryello's directions are to apply to clean, dry feet, including the soles and between the toes, then put on socks and shoes. The label warns not to use it on broken skin, to stop if a rash or irritation occurs, and to ask a doctor before use if you have kidney disease. Each 36g stick was listed at $14.50 on dryello.com on October 23, 2026.

Why a stick rather than a powder or spray? Powder ends up in your bag and on the changing-room floor, and sprays are easy to miss between the toes. A stick goes on dry, so socks and shoes go straight on. It also fits in a padel bag. Dryello explains the formula thinking in why feet need a softer antiperspirant. Other foot antiperspirants and powders exist, and the same rule applies to all of them: follow the label.

When the smell is a sign of athlete's foot

The NHS lists fungal infections like athlete's foot among the main causes of smelly feet. If the odor comes with itchy white patches between the toes, or sore, flaky, or cracked skin on the soles, treat the skin. An antiperspirant won't clear a fungal infection, and Dryello's antiperspirant shouldn't go on broken skin.

For athlete's foot, Dryello sells the Athlete's Foot Treatment Stick with tolnaftate 1%. Its Drug Facts label lists these uses: cures most athlete's foot (tinea pedis); relieves itching, burning, cracking, and scaling; and prevents recurrence of most athlete's foot with daily use. Directions are twice daily, morning and night, with special attention to the spaces between the toes, and the label also says to wear well-fitting, ventilated shoes and change shoes and socks at least once daily. The 2-stick pack was listed at $16.95 on October 23, 2026.

We cover the full picture in our padel foot care guide, and if it keeps returning, read why athlete's foot keeps coming back for padel players.

Common mistakes that keep shoes smelling

• Leaving shoes in the padel bag between sessions
• Drying shoes on a radiator or in a dryer, which damages them and still leaves the insole damp in the middle
• Wearing the same pair for back-to-back sessions
• Reusing the match socks for the drive home
• Spraying the shoes with fragrance and skipping the feet
• Treating itchy, peeling skin as an odor problem instead of a possible infection

When to see a doctor or podiatrist

The NHS suggests seeing a GP if smelly feet don't get better after treating them yourself or are affecting your daily life. Also get checked if your feet sweat so much that it soaks your socks most days even at rest (that can be hyperhidrosis, which has prescription treatments), if athlete's foot doesn't improve with a full labeled course of an OTC antifungal, if the skin is very red, hot, swollen, or painful, or if you have diabetes or a weakened immune system.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Always read and follow the product label.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• NHS. Smelly feet. Page last reviewed July 16, 2025.
• NHS. Athlete's foot. Page last reviewed April 29, 2024.
• American Academy of Dermatology. Hyperhidrosis: 6 tips dermatologists give their patients.
• American Academy of Dermatology. How to prevent athlete's foot.
• DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Dryello Antiperspirant Deodorant Foot Glide-On Stick drug label.
• DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Dryello Athlete's Foot Treatment Stick (tolnaftate 1%) drug label.