This cat has most definitely just peed in your football boots
Football boots smelling of cat pee might seem like a slightly strange topic to be answering. Sure, football boots smell. It’s perfectly normal. But add cat pee into the equation and you’re probably wondering how your life got to this point.
But don’t worry, this is actually one of the most common questions that we get asked! Unluckily for us (but luckily for you) we have first-hand experience of cat-pee-gate.
**CHECK OUT OUR FAVOURITE, CHEAP BOOTS**
My experience with football boots smelling like cat pee
My personal experience starts in 2008. I’m 16 years olds and old enough to earn our own money to buy football boots. What a great moment! What to buy? Nike Mercurial Vapors? Blue and purple, white swoosh, beautiful. Do they fit properly? No. Are they comfy? No. Do they look great? Absolutely. Decision made.
The first couple of times wearing my Nikes there’s nothing stinky, other than my performance. After each match, I always made sure to properly clean my boots until they were spotless. But alas, after a few games they started to smell bad. Really bad. The first person to notice the stench was Mum (obviously), next was Dad, and finally both my brothers. When two teenage boys have started to notice that your football boots smell, they must really smell horrific.
I never found out why my Nike Vapor IX smelt specifically of cat pee and instead put it down to our cat having an unfortunate accident. For years I happily played in my boots with a lovely aroma of cat pee following me everywhere.
I’m here to save you that embarrassment. So without further ado let’s dive into the ins and outs of why football boots stink of cat urine, which boots have this problem, and how you can get rid of the smell.
Why do some football boots smell of cat pee?
Nike Mercurial Vapor 4 football boots look nice but smell like cat pee
The reason certain footy boots smell of cat pee is due to a manufacturing defect. Nike used to use a Teijin microfiber in the upper of their boots which starts to rot when exposed to water. The water in question could literally be anything from sweat, rain and even clean water used during cleaning. So obviously this was super smart to make a football boot with. It’s this rotting process that smells eerily similar to cat urine.
Nike admitted there was a problem with their manufacturing materials and they accept returns due to the bad smell. Now when we think of rotting material we think soft, damaged, useless, and needs replacing. Surprisingly, even with the rotting material, the boots still performed exactly as expected and there was no impact on the boot in any way other than smell. So Nike happily accepted returns of completely usable boots purely due to the horrible smell. That’s how bad it was!
Is it just Nike football boots that smell of cat pee?
Nike T90 football boots look nice but smell like cat pee
Yes. Since the cat pee smell is from the specific material Nike use in their boots it’s only the Nike boots that use this material that are affected.
There are a couple of boots that suffered from the same cat pee smell problem. Nike used the Teijin material in the Vapor 4 since then, all the way up to the Nike Mercurial Vapor 11 which was the last Vapor to feature the Teijin synthetic.
Nike’s Mercurial Vapor 4 and T90 are the main culprits and evidence of this can be found all over the internet. If it’s either of these boots that you’re worried about then you know why they smell. It’s not your fault. It’s also not your cats fault. Sorry Louis Panagiotis, we didn’t mean to blame you for all these years, may your soul now rest in peace.
Just imagine Rooney and Ronaldo at Manchester United training in their Nike boots. Wayne in the T90s and Ronny in the Vapors. Rio Ferdinand and Vidic up against them, pure roasting them for smelling so bad. “Oi Cristiano, we would expect it from Wayne but a well-groomed man like you shouldn’t smell of cat wee!”. We’re sure it went something like that anyway but don’t sue us Coleen Rooney!
Nike has now switched to Flyknit uppers for their Vapor line so there’s no more cat pee smell issues. So the Vapors are safe to buy again if you’re looking for a fantastic football boot without the odour of urine. I personally think the Nike Mercurial Vapor 13s are the best boot I’ve ever worn. Click through to read our Vapor 13 review.
Why do my football boots still smell?
Your football boots still smell and this cat has nothing to do with it!
What if you’ve read this article and you’re looking at your Adidas Predators noticing that they distinctly aren’t Nikes. So why do they smell so bad? Well, we’ve got some bad news for you. Only the Nike boots with the Teijin microfiber have a specific reason to smell of cat pee.
The simple reason your other boots smell is because of the build-up of sweat and dirt. I don’t want to say it’s because you smell, because I’m sure you don’t, but your sweaty feet might smell a little bit. And look, there’s no shame in that! We smell. Our football boots aren’t allowed in the house to dry after we’ve used them because they smell so bad. Its sweat and sweat smells. Old sweat, in particular, smells extra bad (apparently like cat wee).
Top 5 ways to stop my football boots smelling
We recommend the Sof Sole Sneaker Balls to help keep your football boots smelling fresh
Luckily we’ve written a handy guide that shows you exactly how to properly clean your football boots to make them last longer. This will help to keep your boots clean after each match and reduce the smell.
If you’re on top of cleaning your boots, here are our top 5 ways to stop your football boots from smelling.
- 5 – Newspaper
- 4 – Teabags
- 3 – Freezer
- 2 – Bicarbonate of Soda
- 1 – Sof Sole Sneaker Balls
Newspaper
A simple trick is to take some newspaper, scrunch it up and stuff it inside your boots. This will absorb a lot of the moisture which is causing your boots to smell, however, it’s not a long-term fix. Bacteria could still grow. So, if you want to quickly stop your boots smelling a little overnight, newspaper could be your option. But anything longer-term and more permanent will need something more industrial.
Teabags
If you have any teabags, and let’s face it, if you’re English you’ve got teabags, these can also be a cheap and simple solution. Take two or three bags and put them inside your boots. After 24 hours, the teabags will have removed the odor, but similarly to the newspaper solution, this is not a long-term fix and won’t kill bacteria.
Freezer
Ice cold on the pitch? How about off it as well? Bang your boots in the freezer and it will help them to not smell as bad. Why? Well we’ve banged on about bacteria, but freezing temperatures means bacteria cannot live and consequently, the foul odor should dissipate. **WARNING** If your boots are leather or plastic, freezing them often could cause long-lasting damage and is not recommended.
Bicarbonate of Soda
Bicarbonate of soda (or baking soda) is another great fix. What we liked most about this method was the speed at which it works. Sprinkling the insides of your boots so that the sole is covered and then leaving them for 15 minutes is all you need to do. Once you go back to them, BAM, like magic the smell is gone. Be careful, though, don’t do this often as it could damage your boots. Once in a while is absolutely fine.
Sof Sole Sneaker Balls
We love the Sof Sole Sneaker Balls. You simply pop these bad boys inside your shoes or bag and they’ll remove foot odour and other odour-causing bacteria. Simple and effective!
Finally, don’t let your cat pee in your boots!
Check out our other useful articles:
