Sneakers are comfortable, timeless and, when styled correctly, match almost any outfit. However, if you can’t find a pair of socks that fit you, or if your heels often slip off when you wear them, it may happen that we don’t wear them at all and just slip into the bare shoe. feet. A study by British shoe retailer Size? however, I found out why you shouldn’t do it.
If you wear sneakers without socks, you run the risk of collecting bacteria and germs in your shoes. A British study found this out. Why it is, STYLEBOOK at the dermatologist Dr. Timm Golücke asked.
That’s why you shouldn’t wear sneakers without socks
Sneakers with or without socks? This is a question we often ask ourselves, especially in the summer. A study by British shoe retailer Size? discovered in a study why you shouldn’t do exactly this. For this purpose, trainers made of different materials and in different wearing situations were examined. For the study, both the outsole and insole were buffered and tested for germs and bacteria. The resulting cultures were then allowed to grow and thrive in the Petri dishes for five days. And the result is terrifying! In all tests, sneakers worn without socks showed significantly more germs than sneakers worn with socks.
Dr Timm Golücke also confirms this: “It’s not good to wear shoes without socks, because of course you don’t wash your shoes every day, but socks do. Furthermore, you sweat more without socks, because otherwise they absorb the sweat from your feet better. “
It depends on the material
Several materials were examined. Especially in the summer, many people wear canvas sneakers like Converse or Vans without socks. However, this situation may soon end, because in the study the bacteria in such shoes grow up to three times faster than when the same models were worn with socks. But even leather sneakers are no good when it comes to wearing shoes without socks. Again, models like the Nike Air Force worn without socks carried far more germs than sneakers worn with socks. What was interesting here was the observation that the black shoes had more bacteria than the white ones, but this is likely due to the fact that white sneakers are generally cleaned more often.
In sport and in everyday life
Now the question arises whether it matters in what situation you wear sneakers with or without socks. Does it make a difference if you go to sport or to work without socks? The surprising result shows that fewer bacteria accumulate in sports shoes worn at the gym or for jogging than in classic everyday trainers. This is probably due to the fact that sports shoes are more breathable and also come into contact with less dirt.
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This can happen if you wear sneakers without socks
According to Dr. Golücke have negative consequences: “Wearing sneakers without socks can lead to inflammation: athlete’s foot and bacterial inflammation.” However, as the dermatologist reveals, there is a very simple solution. “All of this is avoided if, ideally, you wear cotton socks and wash them every day. In this way, the number of germs can be significantly reduced.”
Also interesting: 6 tips against sweaty feet
Clean your sneakers regularly
Always wearing sneakers with socks in the future is half the battle in avoiding germs. The fact that bacteria nevertheless accumulate is unavoidable due to sweat production, but also due to environmental influences in everyday life. It is therefore worth cleaning our favorite shoes from time to time, especially those that we wear a lot. This is not only more hygienic, but also makes the sneakers look nice and fresh. After washing your shoes, you should also disinfect them with a common household antibacterial spray. This kills most of the remaining bacteria.
Also interesting: The STYLEBOOK editor tests how to flush the mandrels correctly
Sneaker socks for the “no-sock look”
If you like the no-sock look, you can resort to trainer socks or invisible socks. These often don’t go beyond the edge of the shoe and also have a practical heel reinforcement so they don’t slide down once worn. In addition, the fabric is generally breathable, which allows it to dry faster in heat and sweat – perfect for the gym or a stressful everyday life!
Sources
- with expert advice Dr. Timm Golückedermatologist from Munich
- Study shows why you should wear sneakers without socks GQ
