So I left my gym bag in my trunk on Thursday (which was an especially good running day... meaning I had a GREAT sweat), then I carpooled to the gym with my brother Friday and yesterday and just went in my workout clothes, forgetting all about my bag in the trunk and when I went finally found it today, my running shoes were smelling particularly funky... not that they ever really smelled GOOD, but being left in a bag in a trunk certainly didn't help.

These are relatively new shoes and usually, when shoes get to smell this "nice" I toss em (usually takes quite a long time). Now I'm pretty hesitant to wear them at all, for fear of making the smell worse and, worse yet, spreading the smell around to other shoes and my carpet, etc.

Any tips/products that you guys use to keep this under control? I'm sure I can't be the only person with this problem, seeing as how we're all here to sweat...

There's a Dr. Scholl's powder you can put directly in your shoes. This works great for mine (I am very unladylike in the sweat dept). Also, take the insoles out of your shoes and wash them out. You can wash insoles without problems.

I've even washed whole shoes, but I guess that breaks some things down or gets them out of whack, particularly if there is leather on the shoe. I didn't seem to have any ill effects, but not washing your shoes seems to be the accepted rule. I don't view it any differently than running in the rain and sloshing through puddles, which I've done many times.

Anyway, let your shoes and insoles bake in the sun if you can. It just seems to help freshen things up and kills any molds that are sure to have taken root while in that trunk of yours.

I switch between a couple pair of shoes on my workouts too. This lets one pair really dry out while I wear the other.

I don't run every day and I only wear my running shoes for running days and that had done a good job of keeping them from smelling particularly foul until now... I'll pull out the insoles and give those a good scrub down though, hopefully that helps...

I spray some shoe spray from Kiwi. They come in blue bottles. I also used to use sneaker balls in the past. They emit nice smelling stuff and the balls last for a few months. When I don't wear them, I like to air them by the window.

I put dryer sheets in my shoes. Smells great. Used to do it only when I had to pack up my shoes in a suitcase for a trip, but it works so well, I do it quite a bit now.

I've heard of people keeping funky runners in the freezer between runs, but that just seems so ewwwwwwwwwwww...

On the reverse end of the scale, and in keeping with the above post, what about tossing them in the air dryer and giving them a long, hot tumble with a few dryer sheets?

Maybe pick up some antibacterialized insoles, (like a 6-pack) and change them with each run for the next while too.

I really like these cedar shoe inserts over sneaker balls - they're really light weight and after a workout I stuff them in my sneakers to absorb sneaker wetness and funk.

http://www.woodlore.com/products_shoe_trees/shoe_f resh.html

I also try to air them out whenever I can but I find these are real funk killers! Hope that helps!