How to deodorize golf shoes starts with one rule most golfers ignore: odor is usually a moisture problem before it becomes a smell problem. After a hot walking round, a wet morning round, or 18 holes through dewy fairways, sweat and dampness get trapped inside the shoe. Once the insoles, lining, and toe box stay wet too long, odor-causing bacteria have the perfect place to grow.
The good news is that most stinky golf shoes can be improved without throwing them away. The best approach is to dry them correctly, remove the insoles, use odor absorbers like baking soda or tea bags, rotate shoes when possible, and upgrade to cedar shoe trees or a UV shoe sanitizer if the smell keeps coming back.
Our recommendation is simple: if your golf shoes smell only slightly bad, start with the low-cost household methods. If the odor comes back after every round, add cedar shoe trees and a proper drying routine. If the smell is deep, recurring, or connected to sweat-heavy walking rounds, a UV shoe sanitizer or shoe dryer becomes the more serious solution.
Quick Verdict: Best Way to Deodorize Golf Shoes
The best way to deodorize golf shoes is to remove the insoles after every round, dry the shoes fully, and use cedar shoe trees or odor absorbers overnight. For stronger smells, use a shoe deodorizer spray or a UV shoe sanitizer. For deep, old odor, you may need to replace the insoles because they often hold more smell than the shoe upper itself.
If you only do one thing, stop storing damp golf shoes in the trunk, garage, or closed shoe bag. That is how a normal post-round smell turns into the kind of odor that survives sprays, powders, and cleaning.
| Odor Problem | Best Method | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Light post-round smell | Remove insoles and air dry | Stops moisture from staying trapped inside the shoe |
| Wet grass or dew smell | Cedar shoe trees | Helps absorb moisture while preserving shoe shape |
| Budget odor fix | Baking soda or dry tea bags overnight | Absorbs odor and moisture without expensive products |
| Recurring sweaty odor | Shoe deodorizer spray plus drying routine | Targets odor while improving prevention |
| Deep bacteria-driven smell | UV shoe sanitizer | Higher-level option for recurring odor inside shoes |
| Old insoles smell bad | Replace insoles | Removes the part that often holds the most odor |
Why Golf Shoes Smell So Bad
Golf shoes smell because moisture, sweat, heat, and bacteria get trapped inside the shoe. Golf makes the problem worse because your shoes deal with more than normal walking. They collect wet grass, morning dew, bunker sand, mud, sweat, and sometimes rain. Waterproof golf shoes can protect your feet from outside moisture, but they can also trap heat and sweat inside if they are not dried correctly after the round.
The insole is often the worst part. It sits directly under your foot, absorbs sweat, and stays damp longer than the outer shoe. If you leave the insoles inside the shoes after every round, the shoe may look dry on the outside while the inside still smells.
This is why sprays alone rarely solve the problem. A deodorizer can help, but if the shoe stays damp, the smell comes back. Dryness is the foundation of odor control.
If your golf shoes also need traction maintenance, see our guides on golf spike replacement charts, how to remove rusted golf spikes, best golf spike wrenches, and golf shoe spike removal tools.
Method 1: Remove the Insoles and Dry the Shoes After Every Round
Best for: Every golfer, especially walkers, sweaty-foot golfers, and players in humid climates.
This is the most important method because it prevents odor before it becomes permanent. After every round, take the shoes out of your golf bag or trunk, remove the insoles, loosen the laces, open the tongue, and let everything dry in a ventilated area.
Do not leave damp golf shoes zipped inside a travel bag, shoe pouch, trunk, locker, or garage corner. That trapped moisture is exactly what makes the odor worse. Even if the shoes do not smell terrible right away, the next round can reactivate the smell once your feet warm them up again.
- Step 1: Remove the shoes from your golf bag or car as soon as possible.
- Step 2: Pull out the insoles and set them upright to air dry.
- Step 3: Open the shoe tongue and loosen the laces.
- Step 4: Dry the shoes at room temperature with airflow.
- Step 5: Do not put insoles back in until both the shoe and insole are fully dry.
Buy it if: You want the free habit that prevents most golf shoe odor.
Avoid it if: You are looking for a one-time fix for shoes that already smell deeply. You may need to combine this with baking soda, cedar, spray, or UV treatment.
Method 2: Use Cedar Shoe Trees After Every Round
Best for: Leather golf shoes, premium golf shoes, wet-weather shoes, and golfers who want odor prevention plus shape protection.
Cedar shoe trees are one of the best long-term golf shoe odor solutions because they do more than mask smell. Cedar helps absorb moisture, adds a natural clean scent, and helps the shoe keep its shape after walking, twisting, and sweating through a round.
This method is especially useful for traditional leather-style golf shoes or any pair you want to keep looking better longer. Golf shoes take a lot of stress during the swing. A shoe tree helps the upper recover its shape while the inside dries.
The key is timing. Do not insert shoe trees into soaking-wet shoes immediately and forget about them. First remove excess mud, wipe the shoe, pull out the insoles, and give the shoe some air. Once it is no longer wet inside, cedar shoe trees can help finish the drying and deodorizing process.
- Pros: Absorbs moisture, helps control odor, preserves shoe shape, reusable, great for premium shoes.
- Cons: Costs more than household hacks, not ideal as the only solution for already-soaked shoes, and sizing must fit the shoe.
Buy it if: You own premium golf shoes or want the best daily odor-prevention habit after each round.
Avoid it if: Your shoes are still soaking wet inside. Air dry first, then use cedar to help finish the job.
Method 3: Use Baking Soda Overnight
Best for: Low-cost odor absorption, light to moderate smell, and golfers who want a simple household fix.
Baking soda is the easiest household hack for smelly golf shoes because it absorbs odor and moisture. Instead of dumping loose powder directly into the shoe, we prefer the cleaner sock method: put baking soda inside an old clean sock, tie it off, and place one sock bundle inside each golf shoe overnight.
This keeps powder from getting stuck in the shoe lining, around the toe box, or under the insole. It also makes cleanup easier before your next round.
For stronger odor, leave the baking soda bundles in the shoes for 24 hours. If the smell improves but does not disappear, repeat the process after another drying session.
- Remove the insoles and dry them separately.
- Add baking soda to two clean socks or breathable cloth bags.
- Place one bundle inside each shoe overnight.
- Remove the bundles before wearing the shoes.
- Repeat weekly during hot or humid golf season.
- Pros: Cheap, easy, widely available, good for absorbing odor, low-risk when contained in a sock.
- Cons: Does not clean dirt, may not fully solve deep bacteria-driven odor, and loose powder can be messy if poured directly into shoes.
Buy it if: You want the lowest-cost method to deodorize golf shoes overnight.
Avoid it if: Your shoes are wet, muddy, or deeply contaminated. Dry and clean them first.
Method 4: Try Dry Tea Bags for a Simple Odor Absorber
Best for: Golfers who want a clean, low-cost moisture and odor absorber without loose powder.
Dry tea bags are another easy household option. The idea is simple: place unused dry tea bags inside the shoes overnight so they can help absorb moisture and reduce odor. Black tea bags are the most common choice, but the main benefit is that they are dry, easy to remove, and less messy than loose powder.
Use dry, unused tea bags rather than wet brewed ones. Used tea bags can add moisture back into the shoe if they are not fully dried, which defeats the purpose. If your shoes already smell strongly, tea bags may help, but they are usually better as a light maintenance trick than a deep odor treatment.
- Remove the insoles and dry the shoes first.
- Place two to four dry tea bags inside each shoe.
- Leave them overnight.
- Remove the tea bags before wearing the shoes.
- Repeat after sweaty or damp rounds.
- Pros: Cheap, clean, easy to remove, good for mild odor, less messy than loose baking soda.
- Cons: Not as strong as a dedicated deodorizer, and it will not sanitize the shoe interior.
Buy it if: You want a simple household hack for light golf shoe smell.
Avoid it if: Your shoes smell deeply sour, musty, or bacteria-heavy. Use stronger methods instead.
Method 5: Use a UV Shoe Sanitizer for Recurring Odor
Best for: Golfers with recurring shoe odor, sweaty feet, humid climates, and shoes that smell again shortly after cleaning.
A UV shoe sanitizer is the “pro-level” solution when odor keeps coming back. These devices are designed to sanitize the inside of shoes using UV light, targeting bacteria and microbes that contribute to odor. This makes the most sense for golfers who walk often, sweat heavily, or rotate through the same pair of shoes several times per week.
UV treatment should not replace basic drying. If your shoes are wet, dry them first. A UV sanitizer works best as part of a routine: clean the shoe, remove the insole, dry the shoe, then sanitize the interior.
For golfers with recurring odor, this is often a better long-term investment than repeatedly spraying fragrance into damp shoes. Sprays can cover smell. UV treatment is aimed at the source of the problem inside the shoe.
- Pros: Strong option for recurring odor, useful for sweaty golfers, reusable, more serious than household hacks.
- Cons: Costs more, still requires drying first, and you must follow the device instructions carefully.
Buy it if: Your golf shoes smell bad again even after drying, baking soda, and sprays.
Avoid it if: You only have mild odor that can be fixed with drying and cedar shoe trees.
Best Products to Keep Golf Shoes Fresh
The best product depends on the odor level. For prevention, cedar shoe trees are the best daily tool. For low-cost odor absorption, baking soda bags are hard to beat. For recurring odor, a UV sanitizer or shoe dryer becomes more useful.
1. Cedar Shoe Trees — Best Daily Odor Prevention Tool
Best for: Golfers who want to keep shoes dry, fresh, and properly shaped after every round.
Cedar shoe trees are the first product we would buy for premium golf shoes. They help absorb moisture, reduce odor, and keep the shoe upper from collapsing after use. They are especially useful for leather-style golf shoes and any pair you want to last more than one season.
The practical advantage is consistency. You can use cedar shoe trees after every round, not only when the shoes already smell bad. That makes them more of a prevention tool than a rescue product.
- Pros: Reusable, natural cedar scent, moisture absorption, shape support, excellent for premium shoes.
- Cons: Requires correct sizing and is less effective if shoes are soaked and not air-dried first.
Buy it if: You want the best daily routine for fresh golf shoes.
Avoid it if: You only want a cheap one-time fix for an old pair you may replace soon.
2. UV Shoe Sanitizer — Best for Recurring Golf Shoe Odor
Best for: Golfers whose shoes smell again shortly after drying or deodorizing.
A UV shoe sanitizer is the better upgrade when odor keeps returning. This is especially useful for golfers who sweat heavily, walk 18 holes often, or play in high humidity where shoes never seem to dry fully between rounds.
Use it as part of a full system. Remove the insoles, dry the shoes, then sanitize. Do not expect a UV device to fix mud, wet insoles, or shoes stored in a closed trunk after every round.
- Pros: Stronger solution for recurring odor, reusable, useful for multiple shoes, better than masking smell with fragrance.
- Cons: More expensive and not necessary for mild odor.
Buy it if: Your shoes smell bad again even after normal deodorizing methods.
Avoid it if: You have only occasional light odor after hot rounds.
3. Boot and Shoe Dryer — Best for Wet Morning Rounds
Best for: Golfers who play in dew, rain, wet rough, or humid climates.
A shoe dryer is a smart investment if your golf shoes are often wet after a round. Odor gets worse when shoes stay damp, so faster drying can prevent the smell from developing in the first place. This is especially useful for waterproof golf shoes because they can trap moisture inside even when the outside looks fine.
Choose gentle drying rather than high heat. Excessive heat can damage adhesives, synthetic materials, leather, and shoe shape. A controlled shoe dryer is safer than placing golf shoes near a heater or in direct extreme sun.
- Pros: Great for wet shoes, helps prevent odor, useful for golf, work boots, running shoes, and winter footwear.
- Cons: Takes storage space and may be unnecessary if your shoes rarely get wet.
Buy it if: Your shoes often stay damp overnight after golf.
Avoid it if: Your problem is mainly light odor in already-dry shoes.
4. Activated Charcoal Shoe Deodorizer Bags — Best No-Mess Odor Absorber
Best for: Golfers who want a reusable, cleaner alternative to loose powder.
Activated charcoal shoe deodorizer bags are useful because they are simple, clean, and reusable. You place them inside dry golf shoes after a round, let them absorb odor, and then refresh them according to the product instructions. They are less messy than baking soda and easier to use consistently.
This is a good option for golfers who keep shoes in a closet, locker, or garage and want something low-maintenance. They are not a replacement for drying wet shoes, but they work well as part of a fresh-shoe routine.
- Pros: No powder mess, reusable, easy to store, good for mild to moderate odor.
- Cons: Does not sanitize, and heavy odor may need stronger treatment.
Buy it if: You want a simple odor absorber you can leave in your shoes between rounds.
Avoid it if: Your shoes are wet or deeply contaminated. Dry and clean them first.
5. Replacement Golf Shoe Insoles — Best for Deep Odor Inside the Footbed
Best for: Golf shoes where the upper is fine but the insole smells bad.
Sometimes the shoe is not the main problem. The insole is. If the footbed has absorbed sweat for months, sprays and powders may only improve the smell temporarily. Replacing the insoles can remove the worst odor source and make the shoe feel fresher immediately.
Choose insoles that fit your golf shoes without raising your foot too high. A thick insole can change how the shoe fits, especially in the heel. If your shoes already feel snug, choose a low-profile replacement insole.
- Pros: Removes one of the biggest odor sources, can improve comfort, useful for older shoes.
- Cons: Wrong thickness can affect shoe fit, and it will not fix a shoe upper that is deeply contaminated.
Buy it if: The insole smells worse than the shoe itself or feels permanently damp and worn.
Avoid it if: The shoe lining and upper are the main odor source and the insole is still clean.
What Not to Do When Golf Shoes Smell Bad
The wrong cleaning method can damage golf shoes or make the smell worse. Golf shoes are not always built like basic sneakers. They may include leather, waterproof membranes, glued soles, spike receptacles, synthetic overlays, and structured midsoles.
- Do not use high heat: Avoid dryers, heaters, and extreme direct heat because they can damage adhesives and materials.
- Do not store shoes wet: A closed trunk or shoe bag traps the moisture that feeds odor.
- Do not rely only on fragrance spray: A nice scent can cover odor without fixing the moisture problem.
- Do not soak leather shoes carelessly: Too much water can damage leather and structure.
- Do not ignore insoles: The insole may hold more odor than the shoe itself.
A Simple Weekly Golf Shoe Freshness Routine
If you play once or twice a week, use this simple routine to keep golf shoes fresh all season:
- After every round: Remove insoles, loosen laces, and air dry the shoes.
- After wet rounds: Wipe mud and grass off the outsole and upper before drying.
- Overnight: Use cedar shoe trees, charcoal bags, baking soda bags, or dry tea bags.
- Once per week: Check insoles for smell and dampness.
- Once per month: Deep clean the outsole and inspect spikes or traction.
- When odor returns quickly: Use a UV sanitizer or consider replacing the insoles.
If you walk often, sock choice also matters. Moisture-wicking socks can help prevent shoe odor from building quickly. For sock-related comfort, see our guide to merino wool vs synthetic golf socks.
How to Keep Golf Shoes from Smelling in Humid Weather
Humidity makes golf shoe odor harder to control because shoes dry more slowly. In humid climates, you need airflow and rotation. If possible, avoid wearing the same pair for back-to-back rounds. Rotate shoes so each pair has enough time to dry fully.
After a humid round, remove the insoles immediately. Use a fan, shoe dryer, or open-air drying space. Once the shoes are dry, use cedar shoe trees or charcoal deodorizer bags. If you store the shoes while they are still damp, odor will return no matter what spray you use.
Should You Wash Golf Shoes to Remove Smell?
You can clean golf shoes, but washing depends on the shoe material. Many golf shoes should not be thrown into a washing machine, especially leather shoes, waterproof shoes, or shoes with delicate materials. Instead, wipe the upper with a damp cloth, clean the outsole with a brush, remove the insoles, and dry everything separately.
If the manufacturer allows machine washing for a specific shoe, follow those instructions exactly. Otherwise, hand cleaning is safer. The goal is to remove dirt and sweat without damaging waterproof layers, glue, structure, or spike receptacles.
Common Mistakes That Keep Golf Shoes Smelly
- Leaving shoes in the car: Heat and trapped moisture make odor worse.
- Never removing insoles: Insoles need air just as much as the shoes do.
- Using spray on wet shoes: Deodorizer works better after the shoe is dry and clean.
- Wearing cotton socks in hot weather: Damp cotton can hold sweat and increase odor.
- Only treating odor after it becomes strong: Prevention after each round works better than rescue cleaning once per season.
Hidden Costs: When Deodorizing Is Not Enough
Sometimes the cheapest fix is not deodorizing. If the shoes are old, the insoles are destroyed, the lining smells permanently sour, or the waterproof upper traps odor no matter what you do, replacing the insoles or the shoes may be the better decision.
Before replacing the shoes, try this order: dry routine, baking soda or charcoal, cedar shoe trees, deodorizer spray, UV sanitizer, then replacement insoles. If the shoes still smell bad after that, the odor may be too deep in the lining.
Who Should Use a UV Shoe Sanitizer?
A UV shoe sanitizer makes the most sense for golfers who walk frequently, sweat heavily, play in humid climates, or own shoes that smell again shortly after drying. It is also useful if multiple people in the house have athletic shoes, work shoes, running shoes, or golf shoes that need odor control.
It is not necessary for every golfer. If your shoes only smell slightly after a hot round, a good drying routine plus cedar or baking soda may be enough.
Final Recommendation
The best way to deodorize golf shoes is to attack moisture first. Remove the insoles, open the shoes, dry them fully, and stop storing them in closed spaces while damp. For daily prevention, cedar shoe trees are the best upgrade. For a cheap overnight fix, use baking soda or dry tea bags. For recurring odor, use a UV shoe sanitizer or shoe dryer.
If you want your golf shoes to stay fresh all season, do not wait until they stink. Treat odor prevention like spike maintenance or grip cleaning: a small habit after every round saves you from a bigger problem later.
FAQs About Deodorizing Golf Shoes
How do you deodorize golf shoes fast?
Remove the insoles, air out the shoes, and place baking soda bags, charcoal deodorizer bags, or dry tea bags inside overnight. If the odor is strong, use a shoe deodorizer spray after the shoes are dry.
Why do my golf shoes smell so bad?
Golf shoes smell because sweat, moisture, heat, and bacteria get trapped inside the shoe. Wet grass, morning dew, waterproof uppers, and damp insoles can make the problem worse.
Can baking soda remove golf shoe odor?
Yes. Baking soda can help absorb odor and moisture. For less mess, put baking soda inside a clean sock or small breathable bag, then place it inside each golf shoe overnight.
Do cedar shoe trees help with golf shoe odor?
Yes. Cedar shoe trees can help absorb moisture, reduce odor, and preserve shoe shape. They work best after the shoes have been wiped clean and allowed to air out first.
Are UV shoe sanitizers worth it for golf shoes?
UV shoe sanitizers can be worth it if your golf shoes have recurring odor that comes back after normal drying and deodorizing. They are most useful for sweaty golfers, frequent walkers, and humid climates.
Should I remove golf shoe insoles after every round?
Yes. Removing the insoles helps them dry faster and prevents odor from getting trapped under the footbed. This is one of the simplest ways to keep golf shoes fresh.
Can I put golf shoes in the washing machine?
Only if the manufacturer says it is safe for that exact shoe. Many golf shoes should be hand cleaned instead, especially leather, waterproof, or structured shoes.
What is the best product for stinky golf shoes?
For prevention, cedar shoe trees are the best daily product. For recurring odor, a UV shoe sanitizer or shoe dryer is the stronger upgrade. For a cheap fix, baking soda bags or charcoal bags work well.