With warmer weather on the horizon, it’s time to consider what your sandals and flip-flops may be doing for your toe health.
Wearing sandals or flip-flop daily can make you more vulnerable to toe fungus. Your feet are more exposed to dirt and bacteria while wearing open shoes. Plus, without clean, dry socks to absorb dirt and sweat, many of those elements are absorbed by the soles of your shoes. This gives bacteria an ample place to grow.
Many people wear their shoes, including their sandals, past their prime. When those shoes are sandals that are exposed to the elements so often, it exposes your feet to germs far worse than most people might expect.
Is it time to throw out your sandals? Here are a few warning sings:
- Do you wear your sandals 3 or 4 days a week for a year or more?
- Is the sole starting to look lopsided?
- Can you see a permanent footprint in the sole?
These signs likely indicate it’s time to upgrade your shoes to a new pair. At the very least, you should disinfect your sandals regularly, especially after days of heaving walking on city streets.
Want proof of just what kind of bacteria your shoes could pick up? Think about this: Two New York Daily News reporters wore rubber flip flops around New York City for four days and tested the shoes afterward. The results were staggering. Their shoes picked up more than 18,000 kinds of bacteria, including staph. Other studies have found that most flip-flops get contaminated with fecal bacteria and many of them have E. coli.
With all that open-toed exposure, it’s important to keep your feet clean and your sandals clean, too.
Concerned about toenail fungus that needs to be removed? Call Clear Toes Clinic today for a free consultation at (713) 570-6157.
