What percentage of preteen boys experience foot odor due to puberty?

1. Why many articles link foot odor to puberty: sweat, bacteria and glands

Reporting from pediatric and health sites explains that foot odor arises when sweat (feet have a high density of sweat glands) combines with resident skin bacteria and fungi; puberty enlarges and activates sweat glands, so body-odor issues—including foot odor—often begin or intensify as children enter adolescence ^{[4] [1] [2]}. Several pieces note puberty can begin earlier or later across individuals (average around 9–14 depending on sex), which helps explain why some preteens start to smell more than others ^{[3] [2]}.

2. No hard percentage in the sources — what the reporting does provide instead

None of the provided sources supply a numerical percentage describing what fraction of preteen boys experience foot odor due to puberty; they offer clinical explanations, practical advice, and qualitative statements such as “common,” “not unusual,” or “more common in teenage boys” but stop short of epidemiology or prevalence figures (available sources do not mention a percent) ^{[1] [5] [4]}.

3. Multiple contributing causes beyond puberty — hygiene, footwear, infection, heredity

The literature repeatedly emphasizes that increased sweat and bacteria from puberty are only part of the story; poor foot hygiene, damp shoes and socks (especially synthetic materials), fungal infections such as athlete’s foot, and conditions like hyperhidrosis can produce or amplify foot odor independent of—or alongside—pubertal changes ^{[1] [6] [7]}. Parent forums and podiatry posts also stress that shoe choice (e.g., Crocs without socks) and unwashed footwear often make problems worse ^{[8] [9]}.

4. Sex differences reported — why boys are often described as worse off

Several sources state that teenage boys are more likely than girls to develop stronger or more persistent foot odor, attributing this to larger or more active sweat glands and behavioral factors (footwear, hygiene and activity levels) rather than an exclusively biological mechanism ^{[4] [2]}. Reporting frames this as a tendency rather than an absolute rule; no source supplies a study directly measuring sex-specific prevalence in preteens ^{[4] [2]}.

5. Practical implications: what parents and clinicians recommend

Across pediatric and podiatry sources the prescribed steps are pragmatic: daily foot washing with soap, thorough drying between toes, changing socks daily (preferably cotton or wool rather than nylon), rotating shoes so they dry, using powders or odor-fighting insoles, and seeking medical advice if odor is persistent or severe ^{[10] [1] [9]}. Several sources also mention that severe or intractable odor might prompt podiatric evaluation for fungal disease or hyperhidrosis ^{[7] [6]}.

6. What is missing in the reporting — gaps that matter for a precise answer

The available reporting lacks population-based studies, age-stratified prevalence data, and research isolating puberty’s direct contribution to foot odor versus hygiene or infection. Because no epidemiologic numbers are cited, it is impossible from these sources to state a percentage of preteen boys affected by puberty-driven foot odor (available sources do not mention a percent) ^{[1] [2] [4]}.

7. Bottom line for readers: informed caution and practical next steps

Journalistic synthesis of the sources: foot odor in children is common and often increases around puberty because of sweat-gland changes combined with bacteria or fungi, and boys are described as more likely to have stronger odor; but the literature you provided does not quantify that risk numerically, so any specific percentage claim is unsupported by these sources ^{[1] [2] [4]}. If a parent is concerned, follow hygiene and footwear measures and consult pediatric or podiatric care for persistent or severe cases ^{[10] [9] [7]}.