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That's disgusting: not wearing socks

By Amy Johnson

Thursday, September 10, 2009

There are all kinds of excuses — it’s way past laundry day and there isn’t a clean sock in the drawer or on your floor; you don’t like the look of socks with your shoes; you were in a rush this morning and threw on the nearest pair of shoes and ran for the door. But the bottom line is that the sock was invented for a reason.

 Lawrence Gaston, Lawrence podiatrist, says the problem with not wearing socks is that our feet perspire throughout the day. The moisture from the perspiration (which is normally whisked away by our trusty socks) attracts organisms like bacteria, fungus and yeast. “Essentially you’re allowing those organisms to get into your shoes,” Gaston says. “Yeast, fungus, bacteria, viruses and plantar warts can live and grow inside the materials in your shoe.”

 This community of bacteria you create in your shoe also causes odor, in addition to the odor caused by the perspiration, officially making you the smelly kid in class.

 If you still insist on not wearing socks, Dr. Gaston recommends letting your shoes air out and get lots of sunlight in between use. He says throwing the shoes in a dark closet or underneath a bed creates a good environment for the organisms to grow. By putting the shoes in sunlight, you can dry the shoes out and possibly kill the bacteria.

 On the contrary, if you’ve been converted to a sock user, Dr. Gaston recommends investing in socks that can wick away moisture and breathe well, instead of a thick, heavy-duty pair.

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