Thrift Shoes & the Wee Leggity Beasties

Share your Thrift Store SHOE experiences!

I find that 99% of the shoes I find at thrift stores,
have 'stuff' trapped in the toe area.

Sock fibres, dust, etc all trapped in there, and along the side of the footbed.

Here are the Wee Leggity Beasties that live in this dust...
http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en...h+Images&gbv=2


When I get a pair of thrited shoes, this is my procedure:
1)
I vacuum out the shoes.

2)
I always take a terry cloth white sock, turned inside-out,
and wet it with Vodka, and get in there to kill whatever is left living in the shoes.

3)
Clean the outsides with a damp cloth (WATER..not alcohol)

4)
Leather Lotion...let dry...polish...then into the shoe trees.


Despite my cleaning of the insides,
I am getting bitten by the Dust Mite Beasties.
Little dark 'dots' under my toes, where the toe attaches to the foot.
I won't post pictures...many of you may be eating while reading these threads...

I have to literally scrape them off (painful)
and apply Rubbing Alcohol (even more painful) at least 5-6 times before my foot is ok again.


Does anyone have a better way?
I am getting to the point where comprimising my health for a Thrift Store find,
is just not worth it.

At least the shirts are far easier to clean.
But the Shoe Beasties are getting the better of me.

Suggestions?

I am in awe of your dedication.

Regards.

One other reason not to purchase used stuff,especially shoes.

Dude that's gross. I think you just some foot fungus.

Originally Posted by Nexus6

Click to expand...

Share your Thrift Store SHOE experiences!

I find that 99% of the shoes I find at thrift stores,
have 'stuff' trapped in the toe area.

Sock fibres, dust, etc all trapped in there, and along the side of the footbed.

Here are the Wee Leggity Beasties that live in this dust...
http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en...h+Images&gbv=2


When I get a pair of thrited shoes, this is my procedure:
1)
I vacuum out the shoes.

2)
I always take a terry cloth white sock, turned inside-out,
and wet it with Vodka, and get in there to kill whatever is left living in the shoes.

3)
Clean the outsides with a damp cloth (WATER..not alcohol)

4)
Leather Lotion...let dry...polish...then into the shoe trees.


Despite my cleaning of the insides,
I am getting bitten by the Dust Mite Beasties.
Little dark 'dots' under my toes, where the toe attaches to the foot.
I won't post pictures...many of you may be eating while reading these threads...

I have to literally scrape them off (painful)
and apply Rubbing Alcohol (even more painful) at least 5-6 times before my foot is ok again.


Does anyone have a better way?
I am getting to the point where comprimising my health for a Thrift Store find,
is just not worth it.

At least the shirts are far easier to clean.
But the Shoe Beasties are getting the better of me.

Suggestions?
?! I'd suggest cleaning your feet better and using clean socks... I've worn plenty of used shoes (though maybe not to the disgusting degree of used you're describing) and have never had this happen. Gross.

This is just to clarify,
addressing the concern of my feet,
I am a very clean person, to a fault.

It's possible I have contracted some fungus,
but it must have come from one of the Thrift shoe finds;
possibly from the shoes' previous owner.

I have never had a problem like this before too, only recently.

Yes I wash my feet lol
and I wear 100% cotton socks that are, for the record, clean.

I even change my socks sometimes twice per day.
100% this problem has come from shoes.

I also keep my home ultra clean to the point where friends think I am a freak about cleanliness.

I even remove all clothing and I go straight to the shower after a Thrift Store outing.
Those clothes are not worn again until they are washed.

If I should buy dress jackets, suits, or coats,
they all get isolated from my other clothes, until they have passed inspection
and rigorous cleaning/ironing.

I don't buy 'grungy' shoes.
never.

I've had a number of pre-owned shoes. I'm not nearly as dedicated as you are to their cleaning, and I've never had any problem at all.

Bad news ... It appears that the critters you have indwelling your shoes are Russian valenki-trilobite-ticks. Vodka only invigorates and empowers them! They reason they are biting your toes, is not because they are somehow interested in you, they want more Vodka!

These ones you kill by establishing (or merely suggesting) free government and eliminating obscure national holidays. Only THEN will they accuse you of sabotaging the established order and move to Belorussia to bite the toes of Lukoshenko until he feeds them Vodka or better yet, proper Belorussian samogon.

Never had this happen to me! Maybe use a stronger sanitizer on the inside of those shoes.
I didnt really worry about this.wonder how could this happen, all the shoes in the whole thriftstore were contaminated you think?

This is why I refuse to thrift.

Originally Posted by Marcus Brody

Click to expand...

I've had a number of pre-owned shoes. I'm not nearly as dedicated as you are to their cleaning, and I've never had any problem at all.

+1

If you really think this is the problem, try a little spritz of spray Lysol.

Originally Posted by Nexus6

Click to expand...

2)
I always take a terry cloth white sock, turned inside-out,
and wet it with Vodka, and get in there to kill whatever is left living in the shoes.

There's the reason you are getting bitten right there, you got the dust mites drunk and they are out of control, getting into fights over mite-ettes, biting whatever is around.

Seriously, I've never, ever seen a problem like this with anyone. Are you sure this is where your problem is coming from? I know plenty of thrifters and nobody has ever mentioned this problem.

Usually, I take a rag and dampen it with alcohol or bleach and give the inside a good wipe.

Originally Posted by gregaz

Click to expand...

Bad news ... It appears that the critters you have indwelling your shoes are Russian valenki-trilobite-ticks. Vodka only invigorates and empowers them! They reason they are biting your toes, is not because they are somehow interested in you, they want more Vodka!

These ones you kill by establishing (or merely suggesting) free government and eliminating obscure national holidays. Only THEN will they accuse you of sabotaging the established order and move to Belorussia to bite the toes of Lukoshenko until he feeds them Vodka or better yet, proper Belorussian samogon.


You have traumatized me.
I don't speak russian,
but will reverse previous strategum.
The Vodka is for me, the Lysol is for the shoes.

my goodness

I dont think dust mites eat humans.
I do think they eat dead skin cells. Pretty sure they are not capable of biting you, nor do they have the equipment to pierce your skin.
Most people react to the dust mites because of their feces.
THEY DO NOT BITE. They are also pretty much microscopic so you cant really see them.