MySneakers smell like a thousand dead 'possum

That is a colorful description.

A friend of mine swears by using those denture cleaner tablets that you dissolve in water. I haven't tried it, but she says it takes the stink out of her shoes AND makes them smell minty fresh. 

Wash and scrub in the laundry tub -- air dry or use a hair dryer.

Or fill an old sock with baking soda and leave that in the shoes to absorb odors.

Looks like it's time to call in Winston 'The Wolf' Wolfe!

If it is as bad as you describe then by all means dispose of them. Preferably on a moonless night in a remote location that won't affect the water table.

Thebigb nailed it. Put them in a ziplock bag and then stick them in the freezer overnight. The cold kills the bacteria that create the smell.

Wash them in warm (not hot, don't want to mess with the sole glue) water in the washing machine with white distilled vinegar, baking soda, and a bit of regular laundry soap. Let the machine fill up with water and let it run through a minute or two of the cycle to get everything all fizzy, then stop it (open the top) and let everything just soak for 10 minutes. Finish the entire cycle, then put the stuff outside if it is dry enough, to dry.

Sports wash that hunters use.  I use my hunting wash when my shoes get so smelly they could gag a maggot.  Works every time! This is the stuff I used most recently and worked like a charm : http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sport-Wash-Biodegradable-Laundry-Detergent/19212212

http://www.freshwaveworks.com/store/pc/Athletic-d5.htm

Not sure what to do now but throw away.  EVERY time I finish a ride or run I always put shoe powder in.  Makes all the difference in the world.  It also helps that I keep 3 pair of running shoes in rotation.

Duane 

I recommend putting them in the washing machine. I take out the insoles so they can be washed, but seperately, and also the laces.  Since I have started washing my shoes regularly they last LONGER, no lie.

Bike shoes, on the other hand, are almost hopeless.  I do machine wash my insoles and put little sports balls-of-scent from Dick's in the shoes.  That's the best combo I have found.  I am sometimes tempted to throw them in the machine, but I am not sure which I would worry about more - the shoes or the machine, which I love so much.  Some day maybe I'll try the laundromat with an almost-finished pair.

I will try.  But you are refilling my freezer if the odor melts the plastic bags.