old shoes and fungus

[keepingthedreamalive]

Hi all!

I’m re-posting this as I think I posted it in the wrong section. Sorry for being a noob, still learning proper forum etiquette.

We know there are many old shoe sellers here and we know they are great at bringing them back to life. Any concerns about foot fungus, though? Not sure if there is any way to stop it other than bleach.

Thanks in advance for your helpful advice.
Meg

[AdventureE]

There are some great resources online about ways to deal with old shoes and warding off foot fungus. Are you looking for advice from experienced sellers only or general topic information?

[keepingthedreamalive]

Perhaps both. Not sure where to begin but know there are plenty of great, sellers (and scavengers) here. Thank you.

[sonia]

This is probably not what you’re looking for, but I’ve been selling old shoes for 2 years now and have never even thought about the potential issue of foot fungus.

[AdventureE]

I only have surface level knowledge about selling and disinfecting shoes.

This is what I have found so far.

1. lysol wipes might be an option – depending on the type of shoe

2. https://healthyliving.azcentral.com/how-to-disinfect-used-shoes-12126476.html.

3. Check YouTube for videos about this – there are several

[s]

Just listed my first 12 pairs of shoes yesterday, while I thought it a good idea to clean the outsides so they looked nice it never crossed my mind to do anything to the inside of them. They all seemed pretty clean and didn’t smell, but it’s something to keep in mind going forward. Also, shoes can sell fast and for much more money then it occurred to me that might sell for.

[keepingthedreamalive]

Thanks for the info so far, Scavenger Lifers. I only think about fungal fears ’cause my hubby was a micro & molecular biological researcher in a “past life.” So, I’m constantly dealing with [someone else’s] OCD’s, which include cross-contamination, diseases and the overabundance of fungal spores.

Of course, his feelings are funghi are EVERYWHERE and the only solution is strong bleach or something called an “autoclave.” I’m looking for a more practical approach and am typically leary of the random info I’ve been seeing as a result of internet searches.

Also, I don’t feel right about leaving is as “buyer beware” situation. I prefer the philosophy of not selling items I wouldn’t buy myself.

Cheers!
Meg

[Jay]

I find that some sellers cant imagine selling old shoes. Like your husband, they assume all shoes are just gross.

In our experience, most shoes that are donated havent been worn in a long time. They were bought, worn a couple times, and thrown in a closet. Sometimes they may even be 30+ years old! The fungus is long gone.

We never buy or sell any clothing or shoes that is actively gross. Just common sense. But thinking that anything old is full of smelly germs is incorrect.

[Terri]

I wipe insoles with lysol-type wipes, but not sure if that would truly kill any fungus among us.

Like Jay said, it’s either something you worry about, or not. If it’s a great concern, personally, I’d just stay away from selling used shoes.

[Ryanne]

fungus in general like warm, moist places. shoes stored in a closet or a goodwill, are more likely dry and cool, so no worries about foot fungus. you could always spray them with something after you buy them, but in the thousands of shoes we’ve sold, we’ve never had an issue.

[Retro Treasures WV]

As has already been stated multiple times, most goodwill donations have been in a closet unused for a long time. A large percentage are like new. I bet you have at least one pair of shoes in your closet you maybe wore once and just didn’t like, and likely don’t ever plan on wearing again. That is the type of shoe most of us go for.
Some people donate trashed, worn out shoes. They shouldn’t but they do. And yes, I will occasionally buy these trashed shoes if they are high end enough.

Foot fungus? Not an issue.

For shoes my wife or kids call dibs on, I will thoroughly wipe down the insides with a bleach wipe a couple times. Not that it needs it, but it gives my wife peace of mind.

[Author]

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