In many countries and cultures, it is unacceptable behavior to trounce about the house in your sneakers, but in the USA, it’s a lot more common than some would think. However, there are plenty of reasons to lose the kicks at the front door. If you don’t have a no-shoes policy in your house, the following reasons might make you think about beginning one.
Bacteria
Potentially harmful bacteria can survive on your shoes for weeks at a time. A study conducted by The University of Arizona found nine different strains of bacteria on the shoes they tested, and an average of 421,000 bacteria per shoe—gross.
Dirt
Shoes spend the majority of the day on our feet, tromping through dirty environments. Your kids drag in mud from the park or sand from the baseball diamond. You track in soil from tending your garden or from mowing the lawn. Who wants all that dirt inside the house? Aside from instituting a no-shoes policy, consider investing in some floor mats to help get some of that dirt off you and your guests’ shoes before entering your home.
Toxins
Shoes also carry toxins that can pollute the air in your home. Shoes pick up whatever they step in, it seems, and these days, they can step in a lot of icky stuff. Rainwater carries oil and gasoline that can absorb into your shoes, asphalt is coated in toxins that rub off on your sneakers, and even grass that is treated with chemicals can have you dragging in more than you bargained for.
E. Coli
Of all the bacteria that might be on your shoes, perhaps the grossest one is E. coli, which grows in fecal matter. As you walk around the world, doing day-to-day activities, you are going to step in poop from time to time. You may not even know it when you do. Bird and animal droppings are all over the soil outside, and public restrooms are known to be filled with various nasties.
Save Your Floors
Shoes are much harder on your floors than socks, slippers, or bare feet. Whether you have hardwood floors, tiles, or carpets, you can ensure a longer life for your floors by simply leaving your shoes at the door.
Foot Health
Wearing shoes all the time can lead to severe foot pain, while going barefoot, especially while at home, can exercise long-dormant muscles in the feet and legs and help improve blood flow. Free your feet while you’re inside for fewer aches and pains and more relaxation.
Relaxation
When you take your shoes off after a long day at work, you are letting your brain know that it’s time to relax and enjoy winding down at the end of your day. So take off that footwear and kick up your feet—you’ve earned it.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why the Japanese and other cultures may have adopted a policy of leaving shoes at the door, or why so many others have made the switch. It may be a bit awkward asking your guests to remove their shoes before entering your home, but with these seven reasons at hand, they’re sure to understand why you’re so insistent.
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[Source: ABCNews, ExperienceLife, GoodHousekeeping, HuffingtonPost, Men’sHealth, TheSun ]
