How To Get Rid of Smell in Flip Flops

Flip-flop odour comes from bacteria and fungi feeding on sweat and dead skin trapped inside the footbed. The fix is to stop that moisture from sitting there: clean the pair after every wear, let it dry out fully between uses, and switch to a breathable flip-flops material like natural rubber instead of one that seals your foot in. Do those three things consistently and the smell stops coming back. The rest of this guide covers exactly how.

Why flip-flops start to smell

Your foot sweats even when it's exposed to air, and in a flip-flop that sweat has nowhere to go - it sits on the footbed instead of evaporating. That damp layer is exactly what a few common microbes need to grow:

• Staphylococcus epidermidis - a skin bacterium that breaks down sweat and oils and produces a sour smell as a byproduct.
• Micrococcus sedentarius - breaks down fatty acids on the skin, which is where a lot of the sharper "cheesy" foot odour comes from.
• Candida albicans - a yeast that thrives in warm, moist environments and carries its own pungent smell.
• Aspergillus niger - a mould that shows up in damp, dark storage and adds a musty note on top of the bacterial smell.

None of these need much to get started. A single humid day is often enough, which is why the smell can show up even on a fairly new pair.

1. Clean them after every wear

Wipe the footbed down with a damp cloth once you take them off, especially after a sweaty day. If they've picked up real dirt or grime, hand-wash with soap and water. Rubber and EVA soles can usually take a gentle scrub with an old toothbrush; check the care label before machine-washing anything with a fabric strap.

2. Let them dry completely before wearing again

This is the step most people skip. A quick wipe-down doesn't matter if the pair goes straight back into a damp shoe rack. Pull out any removable footbed or insert and leave both pieces in an open, ventilated spot until they're bone dry — not just dry to the touch on the surface.

3. Use foot powder or an odour-absorbing spray

A powder with baking soda or activated charcoal pulls moisture away from the skin before it has a chance to soak into the footbed. Sprinkle a small amount across the whole sole, not just where you sweat most, and reapply through the day if you're on your feet a lot. A spray version works the same way: spritz the inside, let it air out for a few minutes, then wear as normal.

4. Wear socks when it's practical

Socks absorb sweat before it reaches the footbed, which is the main reason athletic sandals and slides get away with less odour build-up than a bare flip-flop worn all day. If regular socks look off with an open-toe design, toe socks solve the same problem without the visual mismatch.

5. Rotate between at least two pairs

Wearing the same pair two days running doesn't give it enough time to dry out between uses, so moisture builds up faster than it can escape. Alternating two or three pairs means each one gets a full day or more to air out, and they'll last longer for the same reason — less prolonged dampness means less wear on the material.

6. Choose a breathable material - natural rubber holds up best

Materials that seal moisture against the skin (some synthetics, certain foams) trap sweat the same way a damp shoe rack does. Natural rubber is naturally resistant to bacterial and fungal growth, which is part of why NoStrain builds its slippers on rubber soles rather than sealed synthetic ones. If you're shopping for a new pair specifically to avoid this problem, material is the single biggest lever you have.

7. Store them somewhere dry and ventilated

A damp, dark cupboard is close to ideal conditions for the mould and bacteria covered above. Keep flip-flops in an open shoe rack or a spot with airflow rather than a closed box, particularly during humid months.

8. Watch the design, not just the material

A flip-flop with high side walls and a deep footbed feels more supportive but holds more sweat against the skin than a flatter, more open design. Grooves and channels near the toe post help air and water move through instead of pooling. If odour keeps coming back despite everything above, the shape of the sole itself may be the reason.

A limitation worth knowing

None of this fixes odour caused by a foot condition rather than the footwear — persistent fungal infections like athlete's foot will keep producing smell regardless of how well you maintain the flip-flops, and that needs treating separately before the steps above will show much difference.

Fit matters here too

A flip-flop that's slightly too small pushes the foot forward with each step, which means more friction and more sweat than a properly sized pair. If you've been through every step above and the smell still comes back fast, check your size against NoStrain's slipper size chart before assuming the material or routine is at fault.

FAQ

Why do brand-new flip-flops already smell after a few wears? New rubber and EVA can carry a faint manufacturing smell on their own, but if the odour is sour rather than chemical, it's already bacterial — sweat starts feeding microbes within the first few wears, not after months of use.

Does baking soda actually get rid of the smell, or just mask it? It absorbs moisture and some of the acidic compounds bacteria produce, so it addresses part of the cause rather than covering it up. It won't do much against an established fungal problem on its own.

How often should rubber slippers be washed? Once a week for regular use is a reasonable baseline; wash sooner if they've been worn barefoot in heavy heat or after a workout.

Do NoStrain slippers need the same odour-prevention steps? Yes — natural rubber resists bacterial growth better than sealed synthetics, but it isn't odour-proof. The same cleaning and drying routine still applies; it just means less frequent intervention.

Looking for a pair built around this? NoStrain's Arch Slippers and Angular Slippers are both made on natural rubber soles, and the wider flip-flops range covers the flatter, open-groove designs mentioned in point 8.

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