Why do feet stink by the end of the day?

Keep those stinkers away! leungchopan/Shutterstock.com Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Why do feet stink by the end of the day? – Helen E., age 6, Somerville, Massachusetts When I was a kid, our family would end the day by relaxing in front of the TV after dinner. Everyone would have a seat, take off their shoes and put up their feet. Before long, a strange and unsavory aroma invaded our noses. Sometimes our feet smelled so bad that my dad would joke, “Who cut the cheese?” That seems like an odd thing to say, because cheese tastes good! But some cheeses, like Limburger cheese, smell nasty. When it is cut, many people hold their nose and run for the hills. But people running to escape the stench of Limburger cheese may be in for an unpleasant surprise when they take their sneakers off later. All that running would make their feet sweat, and sweaty feet often reek like smelly cheese. What’s the connection? It comes down to a type of bacteria called Brevibacterium linens. Bacteria are very tiny creatures that...