8 best shoe deodorisers to tackle sweaty, stinky trainers

It's hard to find fault with this zesty spray and it's easily the one we reach for most. Six essential oils (lemongrass, tea tree, orange, bergamot, geranium and lemon eucalyptus) combine to make a powerful antibacterial and antifungal deodoriser that smells amazing too.

The lemony scent is quite strong — which we liked — and lasts fairly well but is by no means overpowering. One spray offers good distribution and is all you need per shoe, so use sparingly. It also works instantly, nixing odours in seconds and drying fast. We gave it five minutes just to be safe but on a hot day it would take no time at all.

There are no chemically fumes, and as it's a basic spray rather than a pressurised aerosol you don't feel like you're wasting any product. Despite the small size (60ml) it lasts an impressive 18 months if using it weekly — though as we've taken to spritzing it in all the shoes we can find, we're not sure it will make it.

This nifty powder uses a combo of clay, sodium bicarb, arrowroot and essential oils to control bacteria and soak up excess moisture. Developed by a podiatrist, it's sensitive skin safe and as such can be used on feet too.

To use, place half to one level spoon in each shoe (there's a small spoon included), tap the heel and toe of the shoe against the floor to distribute, and voilà! You can use it immediately before and after wearing your shoes, as well as in-between for general maintenance. Just don't apply to sopping wet shoes.

The powder has a pleasant, clean tea tree scent which doesn't linger, and in just a few minutes after applying our shoes didn't smell of anything at all. Being powder it is messy to apply, particularly as the spoon comes embedded deep in the tub — but as the formula is all-natural this isn't a worry.

Were we initially drawn to these purely because of how ridiculous they look? Sure. But luckily these don't just look the part — and no, they don't smell of banana.

These were the most perfumed of the shoe deodorisers we tried, but that's not to say they're cloying — just a light reminder of the scent lingers in any shoes you treat.

While the fragrance (lightly floral but still fresh) may not be for everyone, the stink-busting prowess of these babies will be. We were seriously impressed by their abilities to neutralise odour in some pretty fruity footwear — no mean feat for pouch-style deodorisers. After leaving overnight there was no trace of odour whatsoever.

A carabiner hook keeps your bananas in a pair, but the standout feature is their gradual colour change over time. Just like real bananas, these slowly turn brown — but only as they're exposed to excess sweat, so you know how often you're using them with damp footwear. Don't worry, they still work when they're brown and only need to be replaced once you notice they're no longer deodorising.

Also available as a lighter option, ideal for travel/your gym bag.

This is basically one of those prescription-strength deodorants but for your shoes. It means serious business and gets the job done. In just half an hour this worked previously unknown levels of magic on some some truly foul football boots, but is also a brilliant maintenance spray for any footwear.

Effective against sweat, odour and bacteria, this can be used on both feet and shoes pre- and post-activity to ensure freshness mile after mile. As such it's ideal for those who sweat a lot or for long-distance events. Just spray inside shoes 2-3 seconds before and after wear.

The scent is faintly tea tree-ish but for the most part it just smells clean and leaves shoes that way too. The aerosol does feel a bit wasteful but you also get great coverage with this kind of spray.

Be careful where and how close you apply (aim for around 20cm), as you might end up with a white cast on your shoe's collar otherwise — if this does occur simply wipe it off.

These charcoal-based shoe deodorising pouches absorb moisture to leave your shoes smelling of absolutely nothing — the dream. The inserts themselves don't smell of anything either, so these are ideal for those with sensitive noses, plus they're nice and long so can extend the length of the sole.

That said, they didn't do much for a particularly stinky pair of football boots, but they took light odour out of some new-ish running shoes and kept them stink-free for the rest of their days (an impressive feat). Plus the beads inside aren't packed in, so you can mould the pouches to fit exactly where you want inside your shoes.

For best results leave them in shoes overnight or simply when you're not using them — it will help footwear retain its shape too — and recharge the pouches in the sun every couple of months to keep them fighting fit. And once they've stopped working you can compost them!

And if that wasn't enough, the brand have tossed in a free pair of nail clippers with every purchase so you can keep your foot health game strong.

We've long looked to SmellWell's handy little pouches for taking the funk out of gym bags, and they're ideal for sweaty shoes too. Naturally antibacterial and moisture-absorbing ingredients such as bamboo charcoal and specially selected minerals essentially eliminate the environment bacteria needs to thrive — clever stuff.

The scent is described as neutral but we thought it was more along clean, 'cotton fresh' lines — no issues there — but for the most part odour is simply absorbed and little scent lingers once you remove the pouches.

We used these in slightly damp shoes and while they probably would have dried naturally overnight anyway, these guaranteed we didn't get a whiff of that wet dog smell the next morning.

They are smaller than the Shoe Ninjas or Boot Bananas so if you want more coverage in your shoe you're probably better off going for those — that said, they do the job very well and the scent is quite pungent and clearly travels. Plus they're available in a range of other designs.

If you're among the whiter-than-white trainers tribe, you're likely familiar with Crep Protect. The brand's cult shoe protector spray keeps liquids, dirt and grime from building up on your footwear for an always-fresh look. But did you know they also make a brilliant shoe deodoriser?

These pleasingly-shaped 'pills' are a take on the ball deodoriser, but because of that extra length, the brand has been able to fit in a clever three-tier system, so you can activate the level of odour-control you require on any given day.

Sold in pairs, the Refresher Pills are quite small — about 8.5cm long — and expand as you unscrew them. You simply twist once, twice or three times, depending on what level of odour-busting you're in need of, then twist closed once you're done to preserve their freshness. There's even a fragrance indicator so you know how much life they have left.

The scent, described as 'fresh cotton,' is more reminiscent of factory-fresh trainers — a slightly artificial clean smell. It's not unpleasant, but unlike more natural, essential-oil based products.

Given the slightly gimmicky packaging we were sceptical of these, but they really surprised us; they brought several pairs of previously thought lost causes back to life, absorb moisture well and replace pong with the aforementioned 'box fresh' scent. We'd stick to sprays for truly stinky shoes, but these are great for middling cases and maintenance.

If you're after a do-all product you can chuck in with your adventure gear, this it it. Use it on shoes, helmets, gloves, shin pads, sleeping bags and even clothing between washes to keep things fresh when mother nature may not be on your side.

The instructions are fairly scant but we sprayed into shoes from around 10cm away and left them to dry — which did take a bit longer than with some other products. Results-wise we couldn't fault the effectiveness — all odours were untraceable by the next day and only a slight artificial scent lingered, but it's not like the smell will reach your nostrils anyway.

The formula is safe for both breathable membranes and water-repellent finishes so ideal for trail runners or outdoorsy folk in general. Also available in a larger 275ml size.