Let's face it: feet stink. No matter who you are or how good your hygiene is, at the end of a long day or after a particularly strenuous workout, you can't avoid the dreaded foot stench.
Unfortunately, like acne and cellulite, smelly feet are just a part of life, and we just have to deal with it.
I've never given much thought to my foot odor, but when I learned of a company claiming to make "the world's best odorless socks," I was intrigued. Could odorless socks really work, and if so, could they be the solution to my foot-odor woes?
Between running around all day and going to the gym after work, I am constantly on my feet. Because of that, I was pretty skeptical about the validity of a truly odorless sock.
However, I am willing to try anything once, and so I decided to wear the odorless socks for five days in a row to put their purported magic to the test.
What Are Odorless Socks?
According to their website, MP Magic Socks get their "magical" qualities from an infusion of silver, copper, and zinc. These metals work to kill bacteria that accrues during the day and prevent it from creating foot odor.
"Silver is a great antibacterial metal, copper kills bacteria and is a key component of many enzymes, and zinc reduces the bacteria that contributes to odor," the website reads.
By comparison, normal socks aren't infused with any metals and lack the antibacterial effects that the odorless socks tout.
The Experiment
Day 1
8:45 a.m.: I arrive at work and switch into my odorless socks. I would have put them on at home, but I accidentally left them in my drawer at work the Friday before, so I had to change into them instead. The socks feel thicker than what I usually wear, but they're comfortable and are a good length for the shoes I typically wear.
5:45 p.m.: I was at my desk for almost the entire day. After work, I walk about a mile to the doctor's office, and then afterwards, I walk another mile or so to the subway to head home for the night.
7:30 p.m.: Once I'm home and ready to retire for the night, I take my socks off and do my first sniff test. Though the final few hours of my day were exercise-heavy, I can't smell even the slightest stink in my socks. To my surprise, my socks smell the same as they did when I first put them on, and they are completely sweat-free. So far, these odorless socks seem to be working!
Day 2
8:10 a.m.: Feeling a tiny bit gross, I set off on my morning commute wearing my "dirty" socks. The socks look and smell perfectly clean, but I know I wore them yesterday, and that's enough to psyche me out a little.
8:20 a.m.: The subway is crowded from door to door (no surprise there), and my layers of clothing make me sweat throughout my commute — despite the frigid temperature outside. By the time I sit down at my desk, I am in desperate need of a cold glass of water and a burst of air from my fan.
6:00pm: Today was a pretty uneventful workday. I get up a few times to use the bathroom and refill my water cup, but otherwise I am at my desk all day working. After work, I head home to change and make my way to the gym a few blocks from my apartment.
7:00 p.m.: After a solid 45 minutes at the gym doing arms and abs, I return home to shower and make dinner. When I strip my socks off, there is a slight stink to them, but they definitely aren't as bad as a typical pair would be under the same conditions.
I leave my socks to dry out overnight and head to the shower to rid myself of the heebie-jeebies I feel after wearing the same socks for two days in a row.
Day 3
8:00 a.m.: I am a total neat freak, so the thought of wearing the same socks all week is starting to stress me out. The only saving grace is that somehow, the socks seem to have lost their smell overnight, and now they just look and smell like any other clear pair of socks.
8:20 a.m.: I decide to get off at the subway stop a bit further from my office to get in some morning exercise. The area around my office is extremely congested with pedestrians, but the fresh air helps me wake up.
8:45 a.m.: I'm at my desk and settled in for the day. As you've probably gathered by now, my job doesn't require a lot of moving around, which is good when you're wearing the same pair of socks all week. I'm going to the gym again later, so hopefully the socks will hold up against two workouts.
7:00 p.m.: I arrive at the gym for a brutal workout with my trainer. He doesn't comment on any foul odors, which eases my nagging worries that people can smell me from a mile away.
8:10 p.m.: I peel the socks off to assess the stink situation. Though the socks do have a slight stench, they don't smell any worse than they did last night, despite another full day of wear.
Day 4
8:50 a.m.: Someone gets sick on the subway, making my commute an absolute nightmare. I spent more time underground than usual, which meant that by the time I got to work, I was a sweaty, disgusting mess. Not a great way to start the day.
12:00 p.m.: I take a walk to Penn Station to grab something for lunch. Penn Station isn't far from my office, so this isn't an overexertion on my part by any means, but it is more activity than I've gotten at work the past few days.
5:45 p.m.: Work is over, so I head home and change for the gym. I like to follow a schedule, so my weekdays usually consist of just work, the gym, and the occasional trip to my boyfriend's apartment in New Jersey. After a long day at work, it's just easier to go home and pass out.
7:30 p.m.: I come home from the gym and give my socks their nightly sniff test. I wouldn't quite call the smell pleasant — at this point, I've worked out in them three times and have worn them for four straight days — but compared to a typical sock, it's not abhorrent.
Day 5
8:00 a.m.: My last day! Even though the socks don't smell nearly as bad as I imagined they would, I can't wait to return to wearing fresh socks every day.
9:00 a.m.: I grab my tea and sit down at my desk. As soon as I get home, I am taking these socks off and throwing them in the laundry.
12:00 p.m.: The most amount of exercise I get during the day is running to the kitchen to get my lunch!
5:45 p.m.: Finally, it's time to go. Before I can start my weekend, though, I trek over to the other side of the city for a doctor's appointment. This requires quite a bit of walking on my part, and my feet are pretty sweaty by the time I make it to the doctor's office.
7:00 p.m.: My doctor's appointment is over, and it's time to head home. I walk another mile or so to the subway and arrive at my beloved apartment. The socks come off, and the Netflix comes on.
I do one final sniff test on the socks and determine that they're more than ready for the wash. The smell isn't unbearable, but it's not exactly roses, either.
These socks have an incredible ability to dry up sweat and absorb odors overnight, but after five days, even odorless socks need a trip to the washing machine.
Final Thoughts
Do odorless socks work? These socks definitely repel odor better than the average sock, but that isn't to say that they don't need to be washed, too. What's incredible about these socks is their ability to absorb odor overnight, resulting in a seemingly fresh and clean sock the next morning.
Would you recommend these socks to a friend? I would! These are the perfect socks to wear on a long plane ride or even on a short overnight, because they won't accumulate a significant smell in just a few days. I don't recommend wearing these socks for five days — then again, who would realistically? — but they can definitely hold up for two or three days without a problem.
Do you know someone who travels a lot? Make sure to SHARE these miracle socks with them on Facebook!
