Sweaty feet (palmoplantar hyperhidrosis) means excessive sweating and usually causes smelly feet. Because the foot has around 250,000 sweat glands, feet tend to sweat more than other parts of the body and it is estimated that each foot produces about 300 to 600mL of sweat per day.

The sweat glands keep the skin moist which acts as a thermostat, to help regulate your body temperature. When it’s hot outside or you exercise, the thermostat kicks in to make sure your body temperature stays in check and therefore the glands secrete sweat. However, feet are a bit different than other parts of the body, in that the glands constantly secrete sweat and this is usually unnoticeable as you are wearing shoes. Even though it seems to be more prominent in the hotter months, it happens any time of the year.

Sweaty feet typically happen with both feet rather than just one. The exact cause has not been fully discovered, but overactive sweat glands and genetics seem to play a role. Smelly feet happen when bacteria on the skin break down the sweat as it comes from the pores, and, usually, a cheesy smell is released as the sweat decomposes. Other causes can be related to daily stress, an injury due to some structural issue in the foot area, standing on your feet all day, wearing the same shoes daily without allowing them to dry, poor personal hygiene, hormonal changes in the body (teens, pregnancy) and fungal infections (athlete’s foot).