the best way to ELIMINATE the odor, not just mask it is to use efferdent or some other denture cleaner, soak them in it for about an our and then let them air dry overnight. these types of solutions actually kill the odor causing bacteria, yet do not harm the shoes, Vibram even recommends this. I have tried this and it works amazing!!

I have a pair of Treks and a pair of Sprints. I've been wearing them a lot; around the house, running errands, a couple of times to the office, while working at home, and walking for at least 1hr/day.

Suffice to say that I wear traditional shoes rarely at best anymore, and that the VFFs seem to work as advertised. My toes are splaying, my soles are toughening (Sprints on gravel roads are a great foot massage and may have to do with the tougher soles), and my feet feel different, somehow; stronger. I've also noticed that walking in VFFs reduces pain from a herniated spinal disc.

In terms of odour management, I wash them. Also, a couple of weeks ago I borrowed some nylon sockettes from my wife, stuffed them full of aromatic cedar shavings from a local pet store, and whenever I remove my VFFs I stuff a shaving-filled sockette into each. It makes a big difference in terms of odour.

Further to this, I've read that sticking them in the freezer for 24 hours also works. I'm trying this tonight with my Sprints, which were due for a wash.

Benefits: I'm convinced that my six-year battle with plantar fasciitis was conquered (in about 6 months) in equal parts due to Paleo (removing inflammatory agents) and going barefoot/VFFs (restoring proper biomechanics and strengthening the feet). My posture has improved. I can walk, stand, run without pain. The benefits are just too obvious to question. I never wear shoes if I can help it.

Odor management: the most effective solution I've found is reply #10 on this Crossfit forum thread

Basically,

1. Throw them in the wash (I sometimes skip this step if they are not really dirty)
2. Soak them in 1:3 distilled white vinegar:water solution overnight (you can use even more vinegar if necessary)
3. Air dry (I often skip this step and it seems to work fine)
4. Throw them in the wash again to remove vinegar smell
5. Air dry

My VFFs are fine for weeks, but they will smell pretty fast if I wear them in the rain. Baking soda helps but doesn't kill everything. The vinegar soak takes care of all odors, at least for me. It apparently kills the bacteria that cause the odors. Thanks to Kevin Thomas for the tip.

These Injinji socks (available at REI) are a perfect liner. I normally wear them with the VFFs. This greatly reduces the odor issues.

http://www.amazon.com/Injinji-Socks-Performance-Large-White/dp/B0019LF62G

I adore my Five Fingers! My feet, which used to give me agony every day (every time I tried to put my weight back on my feet after having them up off the floor? KILLED me) never hurt anymore and my feet, ankle and calf muscles are stronger like WOAH.

I get the odour issues too, so I wash them. It's mostly worked up til now, but it's starting to get worse and hang around longer. I'm going to give the baking soda thing a go. I mean, if it works for fridges, right? :)

I have a pair of Sprints and some Feelmax Osmas. I would definitely recommend minimal footwear for everyone.

Here's some notes:

• Your toes may hurt at first, in VFFs, as they begin to spread out and reform.
• Heel striking will cause joint pain if you do it too often. This should be the first thing you fix when walking in minimal shoes.
• Wearing sandals is fine as well, but make sure they're flat and not formed to the foot like tennis shoes.
• Get 2-3 pair of toe socks. Wash the previous pair in the shower with you and hang them to dry. This way you get continuous toe-socks without having to buy a ton of them.

I just bought some KSO's also and the salesperson told me to was with pet shampoo and really focus on the heal area, she also said a little baby powder before wearing them helps a ton too. FYI - I love mine so far!!!

I bought mine a couple of months ago and love them as well. They're basically the only shoes I wear now. My feet feel stronger and I can curl my toes more than I used to without getting a cramp.

If I wear mine too long without washing, I get the odor problem, too. So far washing has taken care of the issue. I wash mine about once a week.

I haven't been using soap on most of my body since the beginning of the year but started using soap to wash my feet recently to help curb any odor problems. The jury is still out on that. I've heard that putting some baking soda in occasionally can help. I'll try that if I run into any problems.

I wear mine to the gym 5 to 7 times a week. I don't - or rarely - use them as an all-day shoe since I haven't mastered the non-heel-strike method of walking gracefully, yet. Odor hasn't been a big problem (in my opinion!) though I have washed them once when they seemed to be headed that way.

Toe socks are easy to wash

I love Vibrams! I have two pairs; sprints and KSOs. I wear them everyday to work and at CrossFit/weight training. As far as improvements go, I have noticed my posture has improved and my ankle strength is much better. I seriously sprained my ankle a few years ago, and it had been giving me problems , however, it hardly hurts anymore and it is stronger than it has ever been.

I have worn almost nothing but vibrams for 11 months with occasional wearing of terra plana's vivo barefoots for more formal dress. I wash them once a week, air dry overnight. At night I put them in front of my air filter with ozone setting. Since going paleo, foot odor and body odor are minimal and I often don't use deodorant just a little soap and water and some of the alcohol based hand cleaner for arm pits. Does paleo really eliminate body and foot odor as well as freshen breath or does it simply inhibit sense of smell??