Last Updated on February 8, 2024 by Azad Asf
Sweating is entirely natural. Your feet are covered in sweat glands, which serve the goal of regulating temperature, avoiding heatstrokes, and so on.
Even if you change your work boots regularly, your feet will still sweat and smell if you don’t take the required procedures to wick away moisture from your feet and keep them dry.
The problem is that there is a lot of conflicting advice on the internet regarding how to keep your feet dry while wearing work boots, which may confuse you. I mean, hell, it baffles me!
This is why I decided to do proper research and write a little post about how to keep your feet dry in work boots.
How To Keep Feet Dry In Work Boots
I selected a couple of tips that I find essential for any worker to wear work boots and avoid sweating like crazy at the same time.
Choose Breathable Work Boots
Increasing the ventilation of the feet by wearing breathable work boots is a very efficient way to minimize the natural process of sweating.
Given their many safety features, work boots tend to be a bit bulky and the main reason why the feet sweat a lot when exposed to hot and humid conditions.
There are, however, some work boots available with mesh linings that optimize breathability, allowing your feet to stop sweating and wick moisture away for ultimate comfort.
We made an article about this exact type of work boot. I hope it helps!
Use Feet Powder and/or Deodorant
Just because you’re wearing breathable work boots doesn’t mean your feet will be fully dry. In fact, you may need additional help at times to ensure that your feet do not sweat.
Using foot powder or deodorant in your feet before putting on your work boots is a great way to accomplish this.
This will aid in sweat reduction while keeping your feet smelling fresh due to its properties that moisturize the skin and open its pores.
Wear Moisture Wicking Socks and Insoles
Accessories that help to wick away moisture produced by your feet are optimal to ensure your feet do not sweat excessively and remain dry and fresh-smelling.
In that case, I suggest that people wear moisture-wicking socks and insoles because they will be in constant contact with the feet and will keep them dry by wicking moisture away. This, of course, is critical to avoiding odor buildup during the workday.
If you’re looking for moisture-wicking socks, then I’d recommend these ones:
WORN Work Boot Socks
These wool socks have excellent cushioning and a fully wrapped arch support, allowing you to stand all day on hard surfaces.
They are designed to enhance breathability and wick moisture away from the feet when exposed to hot and humid conditions, making them the ideal sock for workers who want to keep their feet dry and odor-free.
Finally, the socks are manufactured using a proprietary “Arrowool” knit strengthened with Merino wool, which is not only highly durable but also comfortable and breathable.
Keep Your Feet Free of Bacteria
A key issue when your feet sweat is that their skin pores are clogged by dirt most of the time. This keeps the pores from breathing, which is why they begin to sweat when exposed to hot temperatures.
Furthermore, as your feet sweat, the dirt that blocks the skin pores begins to emit a foul odor, making your feet stink.
To avoid this, I recommend that you undertake a thorough washing of your feet. This will unclog the skin pores of the feet, allowing them to breathe easily and reducing the likelihood of excessive perspiration.
Here’s is a quick video that goes about a step by step process on how to do a deep cleaning of your feet:
Dry Up Your Work Boots
You can’t keep your feet dry while wearing wet work boots; there’s no getting around it. The liquids (mainly sweat) embedded in the interior of the boots will not only come into touch with your feet but will also obstruct air flow through the boots, causing your feet to sweat even more.
So, how do you keep your work boots dry?
Simply insert a dry, tiny towel into the boot opening, pushing it down and forward until it fills the space where the foot goes. Then, put the boots somewhere dry and warm (preferably under the sun). Allow the boots to dry for a few hours, and you’re done!
Clean Your Work Boots
When your work boots are dirty, they not only look and smell bad but also clog the pores of the leather, which makes it really hard for the air to flow freely. This means that when you wear these dirty work boots, your feet will surely sweat and smell very fast.
To prevent this from happening, it’s required from you to clean your leather work boots properly.
Luckily for you, I’m going to share my personal process I follow to clean my leather work boots easily:
- Dust off the boots with a brush (for 5 min)
- Wash and rinse the boots with saddle soap and water until all the dirt is gone (for about 10 mins)
- Let the boots dry for about an hour or two
- (Optional) You can apply a thin layer of leather conditioner to nourish the boots and remove excess conditioner with a towel
- Buff the boots with a brush and done!
You can watch this video that shows this same process in real life:
The Best Breathable Work Boot for Men
KEEN Utility Lansing Mid Steel Toe Breathable Work Boot
Breathable work boots that maximize airflow to keep your feet dry in humid situations are hard to come by nowadays.
Fortunately, I discovered these Keen Utility Lansing work boots made with a moisture-wicking textile that allows air to circulate freely through the boots, keeping the feet dry and smelling fresh all day.
They also excel due to their many protective features, such as:
They also excel due to their many protective features, such as:
- Steel toe caps for maximum toe protection
- Oil and slip resistant nonmarking outsoles for superior traction
- Waterproofing membrane that maintains the feet dry
Regarding comfort, the boots have cushioned footbeds and shock-absorbing midsoles that make these lightweight work boots essential in avoiding foot fatigue.
Pros
- Asymmetrical steel toe caps that provide superior impact and compression resistance to de the box area
- Oil and slip resistant nonmarking rubber outsoles that provide superior traction on slippery surfaces
- KEEN.DRY waterproofing membrane
- Breathable moisture-wicking textile that keeps the feet dry at all times
- Electrical hazard protection
Cons
- Some complain about their laces. They seem fine to me
The Best Breathable Work Boot for Women
KEEN Utility Women’s Flint 2 Mid Steel Toe Breathable Work Boots
When you wear thick work boots with no breathability, your feet’ skin naturally sweats.
Fortunately, that won’t happen with these Keen Utility Flint 2 work boots, which have a mesh lining and textile to keep female workers’ feet dry.
Protection-wise, the boots have steel toe caps and oil and slip-resistant outsoles that offer the user the guarantee they won’t have to deal with nasty injuries.
Finally, they are designed with compression-resistant midsoles and cushioned footbeds to provide workers with complete comfort when walking on rough and rocky surfaces.
Pros
- Mesh lining and mesh textile allow for maximum breathability to keep the feet dry when exposed to hot and humid temperatures
- Keen.Dry waterproofind membrane is responsible for keeping all liquids out of your boots
- Steel toe caps that provide total toe protection
- Manufactured with reflective webbing for additional security
- Oil and slip resistant nonmarking rubber outsoles
- Compression-resisting midsole and cushioned footbeds
Cons
- They run about a half size too large
Dickies socks exceed expectations when it involves foot covering. I daresay they may even be the simplest socks available as far as regular socks go. it is a nice and notable improvement from the baseline in terms of comfort and quality. The thickness actually adds to the comfort of the boots without really compromising on warmth.
Thanks for nice tips. I also spray antifungal spray to get rid of any bacteria and clean combat boots smell.
Choosing a pair of boots with well-ventilated mesh linings can keep feet dry in shoes. They allow sweat to evaporate quickly, preventing odors and bacteria. Never pick shoes made from 100% synthetic materials, as these won’t provide enough air for your feet.