Smelly Old Trainers

Had the day off today, which is unusual, as I generally don't take bank holidays (we get them as floating days at work), however Mrs Monochrome had taken the day off (what with going on maternity leave later on in the year, she has loads of holidays left to take), so I thought I'd join her.

It's been a busy busy day, what with shopping and DIYing. I even managed to cut the grass. Above are my scabby old trainers that I wear when gardening/doing DIY etc. Although I am quite partial to a nice comfy pair of Shox, these ones were particularly dissappointing, not because they were uncomfortable, but because of the smell! Not long after I first washed them, I noticed a smell coming from them of what could only be decribed as cat wee. I washed them quite regularly after that, and the smell never really got any better. For a while, I thought that my foot odour must have been super-strong, that is, until my wife informed me of an item on Watchdog regarding the leather used in some Nike shoes. It seems that it is quite a common problem to do with the leather or treatment of the leather used, in that if it gets wet (even slightly damp), it starts to smell like cat piss. The fact that I bought them in the USA meant I couldn't return them, and they were quickly relegated to DIY use only and replaced with a nice comfy pair of Merrels, which, despite near constant use, remain relatively odour free.