You have to tell them. Yeah, it is a delicate issue, but that person can't be allowed to stink up everyone's workspace for fear of hurt feelings. Person needs to know their feet stink.

I've mentioned it before, politely, but now I guess I need to up the stakes.

Print this out and leave it at his desk when he's not looking.

You've addressed it directly, and politely? How about a pointed "What smells so BAD? Does anyone else smell that?"

Are you in a cube farm? When person is not in direct sight, yell out "Hey, guys, can you smell that? Does [hated coworker] have his shoes off again?"

I can't help it. I have a cold. I can't smell nuthin'.

Go over and say:

"Put your shoes back on. Your feet stink."

If they get huffy at all, say:

"You should know better than that."

Or, say, "Dude. Your feet stink. You have GOT to put your shoes back on or I'll puke on your head. Seriously. You're killing me."

Easy for me to say. I don't think I could actually say that facqe to face with someone. But damn if you've said it politely before, then he/she deserves it bluntly.

do you want me to email them? just send along their email address and a PERFECT STRANGER can tell them for you.

Oh gosh, don't be so passive-aggressive about it. Just ask them to put their shoes back on. Maybe do it in a whispery-confidential tone, "I don't know if you're aware, but your feet are smelly. Would you put your shoes back on?" Then you're not making it public, not causing more embarassment.

And sometimes I know I smell less than fresh, but am not sure how far away the smell can reach.

Tevas make feet smelly. I wore my Tevas today, my feet are sort of unfresh, and I removed my Tevas. And, do we work together? Do you dislike me? Me, not just my stinky feet? Cause, I know I have been cranky, but my life is quite stressful right now. Sorry. Can I buy you a cookie?

I have a hard time even telling my man he's got the stinky-toe after working hard all day sockless in trainers. (oh yeah, it happens to me too, trainers kill! Socks save!) I've been known to ignore it until I can't handle it anymore and that's when I throw a pillow on him and yell at him to go wash his feet right now or sleep on the couch. My subtle helping hand was dragging him kicking and screaming into a show sale the other week where he scored three pairs of nice fresh new trainers for like no money at all. He was happy and the old ones have been cremated. Some shoes just make things so much worse, if you tell your co-worker, they might learn which shoes to avoid.

shoe sale. Man why is w so close to e?