I don't know how much this applies to climbing shoes, but I've had hiking shoes that had "one bad day" where they got "the funk", and nothing ever completely killed it. 2nd pair of the exact same shoe never had that problem at all.

My personal climbing shoes, I make it a point to ALWAYS air them out rather than stuff them in a bag. Occasional Lysol fumigation. so far so good.

Interesting the Evolv's seem to be universally reviled as smelly. Wonder how our gym manages to use Evolvs as the rentals. yuck

Why would you subject your buddy to a used pair of stinky shoes!? Do you actually like him!!?

Evolv smells bad. I love mine when climbing, hate them when I have to take them off. Only way I have "some" success is soap them with the Mirazyme and then wash them into a washer. Not sure if the rubbers will get damaged permanently, but so far I've been lucky!

Stink comes from bacteria that are living off your sweat. They wind up living on synthetic fibers that don't absorb water. There are some reasons why wool and other natural materials deter them, which is why, for example, polypropylene long underwear gets stinkier than wool socks, and polypro retains stink worse than the newer polyester/capilene. Synthetic running and cycling wear can also retain odor. It seems to help deter odor if you wash the sweat off the clothes right away, so the bacteria have nothing to eat, and then let them dry thoroughly. Tossing wet clothes or shoes in a nice dark warm bag after use will promote smell.

Misha wrote:Why would you subject your buddy to a used pair of stinky shoes!? Do you actually like him!!?

I doubt he'll notice. even if I got rid of the smell, he would have them super-nasty in about a week. Its free to him so buyer beware. I'm sure he'll get some *nice* shoes if he takes to climbing.

you should see some of his sandals... talk about a science experiment...

I can tell you what helps sometimes.
First wash the shoes in warm water and some mild detergent (or soap) and rinse them properly with some clear water. If that doesn't help much you need to find a good shoe repair shop that has a special machine to sanitize your footwear. Most ski rental shops have such deodorizing machines too. Or find a local hockey club and ask for help cause they have the same problem often
This should definitely help.

Warm soapy water + old toothbrush.

Also improves climbing ability significantly when you're toes aren't slipping on the inside of the shoe....