Turns Out, Walking Barefoot At Home Is A Bad Idea

Lex Gabrielle
barefeet on the couch
Unsplash | Misha Gord

Many people have rules about things in the household, especially with shoes and whether or not you can wear them inside. Some people prefer that when someone comes into their home, they take their shoes off and leave them at the door.

If you're in sandals or slides, this means that you're left to be barefoot inside, which many people don't see as a big issue.

Going barefoot at home is pretty normal for everyone.

barefoot inside of home with toddler
Unsplash | Sharon McCutcheon

When we get home, taking off our shoes and our socks after a long day is pretty normal behavior for everyone. Going around our home without anything on our feet—well, most people do it without even thinking.

While it's normal behavior, it happens to be something that we may want to think twice about.

barefoot against art
Unsplash | Vidar Nordli-Mathisen

Despite feeling comfortable in our own home and knowing how "clean" or not clean things can be, going barefoot at home can have some rather unpleasant consequences for our feet and our health.

One reason is that your floor may have harmful bacteria.

barefoot inside on hardwood floors
Unsplash | Srinivas Reddy

Cleaning your floors isn't always going to take care of all the issues that stem from bacteria and germs. Experts say that dust accumulates on all areas of your floor and this bacteria can get inside of your feet, including the skin and the toenails.

When the dust gets inside, your toenails can get yellow and brittle.

toenails and hands
Unsplash | Femme Spirit

Getting bacteria inside of your skin and toenails can cause some issues with your feet, especially your toenails, which can become yellow and brittle due to the build-up of bacteria inside.

Hard floors can also hurt your feet.

hardwood floors inside of home
Unsplash | Hal Gatewood

Stepping on soft surfaces barefoot is one thing, but if you have hardwood or tile floors in your home, the hard surfaces can leave lasting impacts on your feet. The hard surfaces can lead to pain and stress on your feet, and even higher on your legs.

Being barefoot can also hurt your back.

barefeet of family in bed
Unsplash | Simon Berger

Walking around barefoot can also lead to some issues with your back and joints. When you're barefoot, your weight is unevenly distributed, which can make your feet have lumps, bumps, and other deformities. This can impact your back, especially your lower back.

You're prone to injuries, too.

barefeet in bed
Unsplash | DANNY G

Being barefoot at home can lead to issues like slipping or falling. If there is anything spilled on the floor, like water or oil from cooking, you're more likely to slip and fall down and hurt yourself when you have bare feet.

Or, when you stub your toe.

foot on the floor
Unsplash | Klara Kulikova

Stubbing your toe on something can be the most hurtful and painful thing in the world. If you're barefoot, the pain can be 10x worse than if you are not wearing anything to protect your feet or toes.

Being barefoot can cause some stinky feet, too.

black and white bare feet
Unsplash | How-Soon Ngu

When you are barefoot, the bacteria and germs can get into your skin and penetrate the layers of your feet which can not only cause infections but lead to some smelly odors, too. No one wants to be the person with smelly feet!

Ways to prevent these issues are simple.

house shoes with striped socks
Unsplash | Philippe Jausions

Investing in a good pair of houseshoes is a great thing. While many people don't like shoes inside on their floors because of the outside germs and dirt, if you have one solid pair of shoes to wear indoors, you can always make sure you're protected.

Or, get slippers with grips on the bottom.

slippers with grips on bottom
Unsplash | mahabis footwear

Slippers can be amazing to use at home, but make sure there are some rubber grips on the bottom of them, so you can be sure you won't slip and fall and hurt yourself. The last thing you want is to have slippery situations!