Rinse beach shoes with fresh water right away.

Yes. The best way is to rinse them with fresh water and let them dry fully in the sun before you even think about putting them in a bag or closet.

Salt and sand trap moisture and bacteria all day. If you let that dry into the fabric, the smell starts immediately and never really leaves. A quick rinse at an outdoor shower or with a bottle of fresh water washes out the salt, sand, and sweat that cause the stink.

Then let them bake in the sun for an hour or two. UV light kills bacteria, and heat dries them completely. Do not shove wet shoes into a car trunk or gym bag. That’s how you get a permanent funk.

If you can’t rinse immediately, at least shake out the sand and store them in a mesh bag until you can wash them. But the rinse-first method is the difference between shoes that last two seasons and shoes that smell like a dead fish after two weeks.