Fighting Bacteria and Fungi In Your Shoes

PRLog (Press Release) – Jul 07, 2009 – Ever wonder why shoes smell so bad?  Well, you can blame it on the millions of bacteria and fungi that have set up house in your shoes.  Shoes provide the perfect environment for these little critters: dark, damp and inhabited by your (more often than not) dirty feet.
Foot odor may be embarrassing, but it’s the least of your problems when it comes to managing the massive bacterial or fungal colony that’s sprung to life in your favorite footwear.  
Athlete’s foot (which is a fungal infection) can cause your skin to become itchy and flaky.  Bacterial infections can lead to pus and swelling.  Fungal toenail infections are notoriously difficult to get rid of and tend to reoccur throughout your life.  While these may seem like minor annoyances to some, to others they pose serious health risks.  Diabetics, for example, need to keep their feet and shoes dry, cool and clean to prevent infections from forming in the feet and then spreading to the lower limbs.  People with foot deformities such as bunions or hammertoes are at greater risk for foot ulcers and will want to make sure their shoes are bacteria and fungal free so that an infection does not develop in the event that the deformed area of the foot becomes irritated.  
There are some things you can do on your own to prevent your shoes from attracting these obnoxious microbes.  Purchase multiple pairs of shoes so that you’re not wearing the same pair everyday.  Dry your shoes after wearing them.  Purchase shoes with removable insoles so that you can be sure you’re drying them thoroughly. The bad news is that some of us are simply predisposed to attracting bacteria and fungi.  The good news is that there is plenty of new technology that can help us in the fight!
Silver, for example, is a natural anti-microbial agent and so several major shoe companies have lined their athletic shoes with the precious metal using a fiber called X-Static®.  This fiber will not only eliminate bacteria and fungi in your shoes, it will also eliminate foul foot odor that is a byproduct of these microbes.  Other anti-microbial agents are also on the market such as an inorganic zinc-based thermoplastic resin popular in hiking boots.  Athletic shoes can also be lined with fabric designed to wick away moisture.  These fabrics may not fight microbes directly, but they do help to eliminate the sweaty environment that attracts them in the first place.