Why you should always leave your shoes outdoors (and it's not because of the smell)

If you go to Japan and you do not take away the shoes Before entering the house, it will be a great lack of respect and a gesture of bad manners. But they are not the only ones They leave them at the door: Canadians, Indians, Russians, Finns, Turks, Germans, Chinese, Indonesians or Saudis (among many others) do so too.

On the contrary, in our country, together with the United States, Australia, Italy, Latin America or a large part of Africa we do not have that habit. In fact, more than one will have received a quarrel at home for going barefoot listening "you're going to catch cold."

Why should you start being like the Japanese? Your health is at stake. Yes, even if you do not believe it, every time you go home with your shoes on, you're flooding it with millions of germs. Not only drag the dirt, you also carry traces of faecal bacteria that can cause many types of diseases. The statement is clear: your sneakers have more bacteria than a toilet.

Hygiene vs comfort

A 2008 study found an average of 421,000 germs on the outside of shoes analyzed and 2,887 inside. For the study, ten people wore new shoes for two weeks before they were sampled. Among the microbes they found was the E. coli, which can cause intestinal and urinary infections or diarrhea. Even Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona, who conducted research on the subject, was surprised.

The shoes also collect toxins, dust and chemicals that can worsen the air quality of our home

"I am started to empararize me, but we carry more faecal remains than we thought, "he explained." The rate of transfer of germs from your footwear to clean tiles was 90% to 99%. "However, the possibility of infection is low in these cases.

We come into contact with many more bacteria than we realize daily, especially when we walk on different surfaces. "Microbes exist around us and adhere to the surfaces they come in contact with," scientist Michael Loughlin tells The Independent.

Solution?

In the Nordic countries they have the habit of taking them off, basically, for a meteorological problem. They are areas where it rains a lot, and in the winter months snow is common. With this panorama, it does not seem very logical to enter the house with the boots that, at least, they will be full of mud and snow. What to do? Leave them at the door and replace them with a more comfortable footwear and help warm up.

It seems like a lie, but it's real: your shoes have a lot more bacteria and germs than the lid of a toilet

As if that was not enough, walking barefoot also has a lot of health benefits. It is very healthy for our back, corrects the imbalance of movements, helps strengthen muscles, bones of the feet and ankles … In addition, it also has psychological advantages, since walking without shoes stimulates some energy points beneficial for emotions (anxiety, depression …), without going into more subjective aspects such as the fact that, by taking them away, we are leaving behind the burden of the city and work to access our comfort zone.

Not only that, but the shoes also pick up toxins, dust and chemicals that can worsen the air quality of our home. It is much better for our feet to breathe freely, especially considering that we spend at least a third of the day wearing shoes. Walking barefoot at home helps the skin of the foot breathe and the muscles rest from the tension generated by the daily footwear.