Panasonic Has A Clever Device To De-Stink Smelly Shoes

Great shoes can be ruined by bad odors, but Panasonic says it has the solution. The company has introduced a new shoe deodorizing gadget that it says can remove smells from shoes in a few hours, restoring them to their non-smelly state. The model, MS-DS100, utilizes "nanoe X" and other technology to strip away the odors.

Panasonic isn't the first company to tackle shoe odors, but most solutions involve simple deodorizers that are inserted into the shoes, where they work passively to absorb the issue. These aren't always effective, though, particularly for strong odors that can be present in gym and sports shoes.

The MS-DS100 is an electronic device that produces ion particles via Panasonic's nanoe X technology to eliminate these odors. The device sits on top of the each shoe's opening, where it then generates the particles and disperses them within the shoes. This happens "to every corner of the shoes," according to Panasonic.

It's not exactly a fast process, requiring between five and seven hours depending on the severity of the odor. Five hours is the device's normal mode, but seven hours can be triggered for severe cases. The device operates off both AC power (meaning it can be plugged into a wall) and via rechargeable batteries.

This makes the MS-DS100 suitable for travelers who may want to use the device in locations where an outlet isn't available. Each use is said to be inexpensive at around a dollar, making it cheaper than buying new shoes prematurely due to odor. There's one big downside, though — Panasonic is only selling the device in Japan, so you'll have to import it if you're located elsewhere.

SOURCE: BusinessWire