The BEST Shoes for Sweaty Feet
Struggling to find shoes for your plantar hyperhidrosis?
Let me tell you the best styles to wear.
You won't have smelly shoes anymore. Or worry about the shoes disintegrating...
I've worn all these footwear styles and they work well between seasons.
As someone with sweaty feet I always wear socks with my shoes.
This is a crucial element for managing your comfort, IMO.
So rest assured, all of these styles look awesome with socks!
There's one thing that separates 'shoes' from the BEST shoes for sweaty feet.
It's the material they're made from.
The material impacts the shoe's quality and performance with plantar hyperhidrosis.
Anything synthetic or plastic is not what you want. They don't allow your feet to breathe and become hotter than natural ones.
Leather is what you need. Canvas is passable.
I only buy leather shoes these days but have worn canvas in the past (Converse, of course).
To clarify, when I say leather shoes I’m talking about leather on the exterior and interior of the shoe. Leather exterior and synthetic interior won’t function the same.
What's so good about leather??
- It doesn’t smell bad after sweating.
- It is a natural, breathable material.
- Moulds to your feet making it super comfortable.
- Great longevity.
Canvas is also a natural and breathable material. But it can absorb too much sweat and create discolouration.
I owned a pair of magenta coloured Converse and the inside of the foot became a pale pink from the sweat, and it had an outline. It was a good shoe, but not what I’d choose to wear now.
Let's get to it.
After I tell you what the best shoes are, you can find a list of brand suggestions.
These brands stock quality leather shoes in all the styles that work best for sweat.
I've owned shoes from each of these brands. Their lifespan checks out. You'll enjoy wearing them for years.
So here are the BEST shoes for sweaty feet:
- Sneakers
- Boots
- Loafers
- Mary-Janes
Read to the end for my recommendations of leather shoe brands!
1. Sneakers
This is obvious. Sneakers are a staple everywhere and they’re easy to style with any outfit.
This is a sensible option for everyday use, anytime of year.
One thing to consider is that sneakers can be quite hot in summer, particularly with consistent sweating. There’s not as much ventilation compared to sandals or other shoes that don’t cover your entire foot.
If I’m feeling too hot in sneakers, I find it useful to change socks during the day, or to wear another type of footwear.
While some fashion sneakers have a leather exterior, the leather interior is what’s important. Synthetic interiors are hot and don’t have the breathable and odourless qualities of leather.
In 2018 I owned a pair of Adidas Stan Smiths because they were all the rage, but I disliked how they would smell after wearing them.
I currently own a pair of leather barefoot sneakers from Origo. These don’t smell bad after wearing for a whole day, and they’re comfortable. The design doesn’t look to be breathable with the absence of ventilation holes. But the exterior and interior are leather. This makes them cooler than traditional synthetic padded sneakers.
My feet can feel heated if it’s a crazy summer day. Although it’s nothing too uncomfortable. I would still rather wear these sneakers over any other synthetic ones.
(Pictured: Origo sneakers, Bonds quarter crew socks)
2. Boots
Like sneakers, a great choice! Wear with socks, no problem. Perfect for winter.
I always shop around for boots because so many have a cushioned synthetic inside, but that makes it way too warm.
Living in Queensland, Australia, the winter season is quite short. I currently only have one good pair of boots because the opportunity to wear them is limited before it gets warm again. The pair I have are from Midas, and the leather has moulded beautifully to my feet, making them extremely comfortable.
(Pictured: Midas boots, Sock Daily quarter socks)
3. Loafers
I love the casual-chic look, particularly with socks. This was my signature look for a couple of years. I wore all kinds of coloured and patterned socks with them to change up the look.
I find loafers to be slightly more breathable than sneakers because the shoe doesn't cover your entire foot. Owning loafers is probably why I have so many crew length socks...
(Pictured: Jo Mercer loafers, crew socks)
4. Mary-Janes
This style of shoe has become my favourite because you can wear them with socks and it looks CUTE.
Loafers used to be my number one favourite. But after branching out into more sandal and sock looks, I discovered that Mary-Janes are really what I love because of their extra breathable functionality.
The cut-outs often seen in Mary-Jane styles make them airy and perfect for the summertime and plantar hyperhidrosis.
Mary-Janes come in flats, heels, and everything in between
I currently own a pair of patent leather Mary-Jane heels from Jonak, which I wear with black crew socks. They are chic, breathable, and look like boots from a distance.
(Pictured: Jonak Mary-Jane heels, & Other Stories glitter socks)
I also own a pair of Mary-Jane sandals from Edward Meller. Now these are super comfortable.
Because of the big cut-outs in both the Jonak and Edward Meller Mary-Janes, I choose to wear black socks with them. Unlike wearing coloured and printed socks with loafers.
This is to disguise the sweat marks that appear on the inside of my foot. If I wore coloured socks the sweat would be visible.
(Pictured: Edward Meller Mary-Jane sandals, Bonds modal crew socks)
My most recent purchase is from a brand called Selo in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Their shoes are beautiful and comfortable.
On some styles the heel interior isn’t a finished leather. I raised this with the sales lady and she said they could make a pair of shoes for me exactly the way I wanted – with the heel in a finished leather.
I happily accepted, and because they were making a batch of shoes in that week they were ready in a week and a half!
Unfortunately, there is some colour bleed from the interior leather onto my socks. To prevent sock stains I am currently wearing black socks until that goes away.
On light coloured leather this issue is less likely to occur.
(Pictured: Selo Mary-Jane sandals, crew socks)
From Me To You, With Love
I am passionate about my footwear for hyperhidrosis. So please enjoy this list of brands that make quality leather shoes.
Leather Shoe Brand Recommendations:
What leather shoe brands do you love?
Let me know in the comments so I can check them out!
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Alex
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