Finding comfy, breathable shoes for sweaty feet is a pain. I know that from experience because I have a condition called hyperhidrosis that makes my feet sweat more than I should!
And of course, there are a few tricks that can help with sweaty feet, like wearing insoles, using powders, having moisture-wicking socks for sweaty feet etc. But ultimately, being comfortable in your shoes starts with… well, you guessed it, picking the right shoes!
I’ve put together selections of the best sandals for sweaty feet or the most comfortable wedges shoes before, but here I want to focus on sneakers.
Because, thanks goooood, shoes are no longer just for exercising these days! Now it’s OK to wear them every day!
Let’s look 2 types of breathable shoes: the sneakers that go with everything (jeans, dresses, etc.) and the shoes that are more sporty (for exercising, or walks around the neighborhood, etc.).
THE EVERYDAY SHOES FOR SWEATY FEET – ALL LEATHER
If you’d like a very classic pair of sneakers that you can wear with anything, then your best bet is to simply get a pair of white, low-cut, leather shoes.
You can pick a different color of course but black, white and metallic colors are easier to pair with most outfits. Also, keep in mind that other colors -like a bright red leather, or a beige suede– are more likely to show sweat stains! So when in doubt, just go with black and white!
Be strict about the fabric when you pick your everyday sneakers: you want to avoid cheap synthetic sneakers because they will make you sweat like hell. And it will smell… bad! So make sure you go for LEATHER – no exception!
The chic Cole Haan shoes
These are elegant and will go well with most outfits; you could even pull them with a cute dress.
Cole Haan Women’s Grand Crosscourt II Sneaker, Around $40 – $70 , Available on Amazon
The iconic Stan Smith shoes
The Stan Smith are a classic, you don’t see them as much in the US but everyone in Europe owns a pair! They’ll look great with a pair of jeans.
Adidas Originals Women’s Stan Smith Sneaker, Around $40 – $70 , Available on Amazon
THE SPORTY SHOES FOR SWEATY FEET – ALL TEXTILE
For more sporty-looking sneakers, the set of criteria for your research should change a little:
Because you are more likely to wear them when exercising -and thus sweat more- you may as well pick washable sneakers!
My feet sweat so much that I was ruining my pairs of shoes fast, and buying new pair of shoes that often quickly gets very expensive! So picking washable sneakers extends the shoes’ lifetime by a bit, plus the washing-machine is really the quickest and most efficient way to get rid of the sweat built-up bacteria and odors!
That means that in terms of fabrics, you’ll want to pick sneakers that are 100% made of textile, so you can throw them in the washing machine! (Place them in a mesh bag before you throw them in the machine).
Here’s my selection of machine-washable sneakers for sweaty feet:
The stretchy Adidas shoes
These classic grey sneakers can work great for both a walk in the city or a run.
Adidas Women’s Cloudfoam Pure Running Shoe, around $50 – $70, Available on Amazon
The soft Le Mouton shoes
‘Le mouton’ means the sheep in French, so it makes sense these are made of wool! J These are similar to Allbirds’ sneakers and can be an alternative if you’re looking for different colors for example.
LeMouton Classic Women’s Wool Shoe, around $95, Available on Amazon
The lightweight Sketcher sneakers
These simple sneakers come in different colors, are lightweight, and have a flexible soles:
Skechers Women’s Ultra Flex Statements Sneaker, around $40 – $60, Available on Amazon
The high-performance Reebok shoes
These ones are a more serious pair of sneakers, best for high-intensity exercise. They come in a bunch of colors.
Reebok Women’s Nano 9 Cross Trainer Shoes, Around $70 – $120, Available on Amazon
CONCLUSION
I hope you found that short and sweet selection of breathable sneakers for sweaty feet helpful! Which ones did you get?
One last thing: I realized over time that picking a half size up my usual size for sneakers helps me feel more comfortable when my feet get swollen, and that also helps me sweat less. If you give it a try, let me know how that worked for you in the comments section below!
Photo by taylor hernandez on Unsplash
