Everybody is familiar with this. Most of us have a friend or family member who can clear out a room when they kick off their shoes. And even the sweetest smelling person can do a decent job stinking up a pair of shoes by running a few miles in them.
So what’s going on here? Why do your feet have a stronger odor than the rest of you does?
If taking off your shoes can clear a room, you may have bromhidrosis, or extreme foot odor. The main reason some people’s feet (or more precisely, their socks and shoes) smell worse than other people’s is that some people sweat more than other people.
Additional common causes of foot odor include:
– Excessive anxiety
– Various skin conditions
These causes of foot odor are not dangerous to your health, but do create an environment for the growth of micro-organisms, such as bacteria and fungus. Infections such as athlete’s foot or toenail fungus may soon follow.