The science behind smelly socks
Most of us are familiar with smelly items of clothing and body parts, and that sweat is somehow involved, but to effectively keep all parts fresh it helps to know a bit of the science behind it. So read on while we get our feet dirty and look at the reasons why socks get smelly and how we can prevent it.
Where does the smell come from?
It starts with sweat. Sweat itself is odourless, however in those areas of the body where sweat dries less quickly (think armpits, groin, and shoe-shod feet) it allows the bacteria that are present on our skin to flourish, and these bacteria in turn create the characteristic odour when interacting with the sweat and body oils.
This is what happens with your feet in shoes. As your feet get sweaty, the lack of air flow causes the build up of bacteria, and the smelly mixture of sweat and bacteria gets absorbed by the fabric of your socks.
How to prevent your feet from developing odours
As air flow is a key factor, wearing breathable socks (i.e. an open, low gauge knit) goes a long way in preventing the build up of the smell in the first place. A breathable knit wicks away moisture and allows air to flow, thus keeping the skin surface dry and preventing the growth of bacteria.
Does it matter which fabric you wear?
It sure does, as some fabrics have characteristics that do more to prevent bacterial growth than others.
Take wool for instance; in wear tests it comes out as least smelly when compared to cotton and polyester1,2, although contrary to popular belief this isn't because wool is inherently antibacterial1, but rather it has to do with its fibre structure.
The ability of wool to ‘repel’ odours comes from its fibre structure: the exterior of the fibre is hydrophobic, which repels water while the interior of the fibre is hygroscopic, which absorbs water. This gives wool the ability to absorb moisture and transport it away from the body leaving your skin dry and comfortable, and so reducing bacterial growth (and the odours that come with it).
Cotton doesn’t have the same fibre characteristics as wool, however it is more breathable than synthetic fabrics and so keeps your skin dryer and less prone to odour development.
Fabric made from hemp is lightweight and breathable, which allows for good air circulation and prevents the buildup of sweat. It absorbs water well3,4, keeping your skin dry and further preventing sweat from lingering. As hemp fibre is naturally anti-fungal and antibacterial3,4,5, socks from hemp keep the feet odour-free by preventing the buildup of bacteria6.
Less breathable fabrics such as many synthetics have the highest perceived intensity of odour2. This is likely because they allow for less air flow and will cause the wearer’s skin to become warm and moist, encouraging bacterial growth and odour development.
How to choose the freshest pair of socks
So armed with this knowledge, we can take a few simple steps to keep our feet (and socks!) feeling and smelling fresh. Foremost among these is the need to keep your feet (and socks and shoes) dry. As we’ve seen, the socks you wear play a large part in this.
When choosing your next pair of socks:
- Look for breathable socks that wick away moisture and allow air flow
- Choose natural fabrics over synthetic ones
We have a wide selection of low gauge socks available, which are highly breathable thanks to their open knit. Find out more about low gauge socks here, or have a browse through our wool socks, hemp socks and cotton socks.
- Wool in Human Health and Well-being. - R. Laing, P. Swan, Conference paper for the 2nd International Conference on Natural Fibers, 2016↵
- Odor Intensity in Apparel Fabrics and the Link with Bacterial Populations. - R.H. McQueen, R.M. Laing, H.J.L. Brooks, B.E. Niven, Textile Research Journal, 2007↵
- Quality of Chemically Modified Hemp Fibers. - M. Kostic, B. Pejic, P. Skundric, Textile Engineering Department, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, 2006↵
- Development of Fabric Knitted by Hemp/Cotton Yarn. - Y. Liu, R.C. Xu, Y.P. Zhang, Advanced Materials Research, 2011↵
- Antibacterial Cannabinoids from Cannabis Sativa : A Structure−Activity Study. - G. Appendino, S. Gibbons, A. Giana, et al., Journal of natural products, 2008↵
- Study on the characteristics of hemp and its applications - X.Y. Sun, Y.T. Guan, G.Q. Wen, B.Y. Zhu, Journal of Textile Research, 2001↵