PebHmong Discussion Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: theking on May 11, 2026, 11:57:07 PM
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...feet even with just socks...
Should you walk around the house in outside shoes? Doctors weigh in
I'm a proud member of team "shoes off at the door," and apparently, doctors are too.
Shoes on or off: what’s the verdict?
The risks you take when wearing your outdoor shoes indoors
Going barefoot isn’t the answer
Keep your home protected from the nasty outdoor germs
This, right here, is my biggest pet peeve. (Halyna Romaniv via Getty Images)
There are only three major rules in my house: keep the toilet seat down, don’t use the right side of the kitchen sink and (most importantly) shoes come off at the front door. Just the thought of my family tracking in dirt and all those icky outdoor germs onto my freshly cleaned floors makes me shudder.
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But not everyone feels as strongly about the “no shoes in the house” rules as I do. I’ve been to friends’ homes where trekking about in work boots or public pool flip-flops is perfectly acceptable — they even put those nasty shoes up on the furniture. So, to settle the debate once and for all, I asked doctors what they really think about wearing outdoor shoes inside.
Shoes on or off: what’s the verdict?
We already know which team I’m going up to bat for, but what do the doctors say? “My vote is for shoes off in the house, especially if any small children or immunocompromi sed individuals are living in the home,” Dr. Olivia Tomasco, a primary care physician at Houston Methodist West Hospital, told Yahoo. She says that many infectious pathogens can enter the home simply by wearing outdoor shoes indoors, including C. diff spores, which are a “bacterium that can cause serious colitis and life-threatening infections,” Tomasco warns.
Things get even grosser in homes where babies and toddlers crawl all over the floor. And since little kids also tend to put their fingers in their mouths, that can pose a big health risk, according to Dr. Daniel Blatt, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Norton Children's Hospital. “Any time someone is touching the floor, they are touching everything those shoes have touched,” he says. Do that kid a favor and just take your shoes off at the door.
The risks you take when wearing your outdoor shoes indoors
You’re tracking in so much more than dirt after that long day at the park. Lawn chemicals from the grass and automotive residue from the parking lot are a couple of examples of the types of icky gunk that can stick to your shoes. And do we really need to talk about all the germs hitching a ride on the bottom of your shoe from your trip to the public bathroom?
“Your shoes remember everywhere you've been,” Blatt says. “They can harbor bacteria that cause infections such as E. coli or C. diff, which can lead to gastrointestin al illness and other serious problems.” Blatt also warns of potential fungal concerns. Organisms that are responsible for athlete’s foot and toenail infections can easily transfer from pools and locker rooms right onto the floors in your home. Plus, there’s also all the dirt and debris that builds up in your carpets and rugs over time.
Going barefoot isn’t the answer
I’m sorry to say that all the “walking inside barefoot” fans out there are also on the losing team. Dr. Mikel Daniels, a podiatrist and founder of WeTreatFeet Podiatry, says that he’s on team “shoes off at the door,” but he still doesn’t recommend walking around your home with unprotected feet. “In my world, walking barefoot is one of those habits that seems harmless until you’ve actually seen what it does to real people’s feet,” he says.
Daniels says that most of the cuts, splinters, nail punctures, cracked heels and fungal infections that he’s treated on patients’ feet could have easily been avoided had they simply been covering their feet with something. “It’s a long list, and a lot of it starts with 'I was just walking barefoot at home,’” he says.
Socks are better than nothing, but the best solution is simply to slip on a pair of house shoes. These are shoes worn only indoors and can range from slippers to sneakers. The only rule is that they never set foot outside, even for a quick walk to the mailbox.