Your stuff & the locker room floor... (Page 2)

Concerned about shower floors, but yet will swim in a public pool or lake...Hrm. I don't use those toilet seat protector sheets either. [gcarlin]Make the imune system strong and swim in the hudson river. [/gcarlin]

I wear flipflops for safety and protection from athlete's foot at the pool or in the shower. I just put them wet in the bottom of my gym bag and then put a protective layer of zoomers or sweaty clothes over them. I always air dry them quickly, and they seem to not get too gross for years. If they do, it's time to send $8 to China for another pair.

I too worry about germs in the pool getting into my mouth, which is why I drink scotch occassionally to kill any that stay in my system. Really, it's medicinal.

I don't like it when I drop clean clothes on the wet lockerroom floor, as much for germs/fungi as for putting on wet clothes. I just try to be careful.

Edited by eberulf 2008-02-13 11:35 AM

People are way too obsessive-compulsive about germs. Unless you have a wound on your foot, your skin is perfectly capable of guarding your body against germs. I've spent years at gyms, summer camps, etc., going barefoot and have never had any problems. And on some surfaces, flip-flops can be more slippery than bare feet.

But I guess if I HAD to have shower sandals, I would get a carabiner and hook my shoes to the outside of my gym bag somehow, so they could air-dry.

For starters I don't get namby pamby about whether I have my flip flops or not.  If I do, great.  If not, oh well.  If I have them, then after the shower they go straight to the gym bag, after I've taken out my clothes.  Wet shampoo bottles, scrub brush go in an end pocket, back brush goes in the main compartment.  No big whoop.

You don't have to rub it in, it was 18 degrees here yesterday for my morning run

Edited by Bossman 2008-02-13 12:38 PM

I wear flip flops so I don't slip in the shower (plus, my gym requires them in the pool area), but I've never had a problem with them getting gross. If it's warm out I just wear my flip flops home. If not, I have a carabiner attached to one of the handles of my gym bag, and I clip my sandals to it -- that way they can try out in the air, and I don't worry about them getting gross in the bag or getting my clothes wet.

I'm more in the barefoot camp, but I was curious as to whether there were any studies looking at whether there is any benefit from shower shoes. I couldn't find a definite answer, but I did find an interesting article http://www.acfaom.org/athletes.shtml from the American College of Foot & Ankle Orthopedics & Medicine (ACFAOM) on prevention of athletes foot. An excerpt:

What causes it?
Everyone has probably heard that athlete's foot is caused by walking around barefoot in locker rooms and shower facilities, such as those found in health clubs, public pools, dormitories and so forth - hence, the name athlete's foot. And to a certain extent, that's true. Bare feet can, and do, come into contact with the culprit fungus in these areas. Fungus loves a warm, moist environment, and the constant humidity and dampness of a shower or locker room provides a great medium on which it can lurk. However, athlete's foot is not as contagious as it's made out to be, and in many cases, an infected family member can use showers, bathrooms and more, and never infect others living in the same household. In fact, many instances of athlete's foot have nothing to do with showers, rest rooms, pools or the like; instead, they can be caused by fungus that develops and/or spreads due to:

-Not washing and drying feet thoroughly after athletic activity, or not washing/drying at all after feet become wet in any situation (being caught in a rainstorm, or after any activity that makes feet sweat, such as a long walk, or standing for a long period of time) - also, continuing to wear the same shoes and socks after they have gotten wet, regardless of having washed and dried the feet.
-Wearing athletic shoes (or any shoes) that have become too worn; shoes that are regularly exposed to sweat will become a breeding ground for mold spores.
-Not rotating shoes (athletic, dress or casual) between wearings; rotation allows shoes to dry and inhibits the growth of mold spores within the shoe
-Wearing others' shoes or socks
-Not changing socks when changing shoes
-Using the same shoes for athletic and casual wear
-Wearing heavy shoes and socks that make feet sweat
-Wearing socks and/or shoes made of man-made (not breathable) fibers which do not allow for air circulation
-Not wearing stockings, socks or some sort of foot covering when trying on shoes in a shoe store

How can it be prevented?
Preventing athlete's foot is as easy as following a few simple precautions and using common sense. Fungus loves a warm, dark, damp environment, so promote dryness, light and air circulation instead. Keep feet clean and dry at all times. Dust an anti-fungal powder into shoes and/or socks (follow the directions on the container) to inhibit growth of spores. This is particularly effective in the summer, but can be done all year round.

Walking barefoot around the house, wearing sandals whenever possible, and at other times, wearing shoes made out of leather or canvas - that "breathe" - will also increase air circulation and inhibit mold growth. Choose socks that wick perspiration away from your skin.

Do not work out in a pair of shoes and then wear them for the rest of the day, or even over the next several hours. It's an invitation to infection. Instead, carry an extra pair of shoes and socks with you. Even better, keep a spare pair of each at work and in your car. That way, should your shoes and socks become wet at any time (rainstorms, etc), slip them off, clean and dry your feet thoroughly, and change to a dry pair of shoes and socks. Don't leave shoes that have become wet, damp or sweaty in your gym bag, your locker, your trunk, or anywhere they will not dry thoroughly and receive good air circulation.

Athletes, health club members, students and others who use public facilities can minimize their risk of infection (or re-infection) by wearing foot protection (flip-flops or other quick-drying sandals that provide separation between feet and the shower/locker room/rest room floor), and by discarding heavily used sports shoes which may have a high density of fungal spores. Remember - even expensive running or workout shoes (and even dress shoes or casual footwear) can harbor fungus if they aren't changed often enough. Your podiatrist can advise you on how often various types of shoes should be discarded and new ones purchased.

When shoe-shopping, wear or bring along the kind of socks or hose you intend to be wearing with that shoe, and make sure you wear them while trying on the shoe. Avoid putting your bare foot into a tester shoe that other people have worn.

Finally, while it may be the ultimate tribute to friendship that two people can borrow each other's clothes, the same generosity should NOT extend to footwear. Never wear someone else's socks and/or shoes. It's inviting athlete's foot trouble. Why seek out problems?

I wear shower sandles.. and dry them off with an extra towel .. I belong to equinox and they are pretty good about towels per person.. i do have a phobia about germs in a lockeroom.. as a youth I caught athete's foot from somewhere.. and still wigs me out.. not everyone is has the same hygene habits as me.. and I'd rather be safe than sorry ..

I've worn flip flops in the gym showers for years and am completely disgusted when I forget them (about twice in the past 10 years).

As for a prior post on gyms being cleaner than a Navy ship, the last gym I belonged to there was a guy who somehow brought it up in conversation about peeing in the shower. Along the lines of "everybody does it." I told him I didn't and he acted like I was lying. When I convinced him I wasn't then he was incredulous as to why I didn't.......

That's one of the reasons I wear the sandals, I don't like to shower in someone else's toilet.

As for the grossness of flip flops, I haven't ever noticed them to be gross. I never touch the bottoms and use one of my gym provided towels to dry the part my feet touch. I have a pouch on the side of my gym bag that I put the sandals in (I put them together with the soles touching each other) along with my wet gear.

I came down with athletes foot a few years back and I've worn flip flops ever since.   When I pack them in the gym bag I first wrap them in a towel (I bring a small towel just for this purpose) and when i get home I'll drop the towel in the laundry and let the flip flops drip dry. 

So I went to the Y today to swim and noticed that the other day when I was transferring stuff between my car & locker, in my haste (and in the dark) I accidentally grabbed 2 flip flops from different pairs, and they were both left. So I went barefoot today.

That reminds me of one time a few years ago, at my old gym........... I lifted weights for a half hour or so, and then I was on the elliptical when I finally noticed that I was wearing a white running shoe on one foot, and an olive green Vans on the other.

I would NEVER go barefoot in a locker room or public shower.

I use a Y towel to dry the flip flops and then use the hair dryer on them before tossing them in my bag. I always open the bag and take them out when I get home so they can air out. If just left in the bag after a few days it will start to smell musty. This post has made me think I need to upgrade my bag to one that has outside pockets.

i always wear flip flops at the gym post swim.  i guess it's a throwback to college.  no way i was walking around the bathroom there barefoot.  and my gym has a ton of little kids that are there with their parents and they have accidents.  i've seen all kinds of products be squirted in the floor by a zealous toddler and another naked toddler say mommy i gotta pee then yell oops and looked over to see pee.  so yeah..i'll keep the flip flops on

Take a MicroBiology course just to cure you of your Phobias, you will swab everything you can think of and see that everything is nasty, so you can live in a plastic bag if you want to, in the end it's just mental.


I barefoot it, definatly wore sandals in the Navy, but the gyms are cleaned more often than your house, and I bet a he!! of a lot more bleach goes onto the nastiest gym locker room floor than your countertops or bathroom floor.

Don't tell them about door knobs. They can't handle it, yet...

HAH!! Pee in the ship board shower is the least of your worries. Of course it helps that they get cleaned 6 days a week and it is almost mandatory to wear flip flops. Funny thing is, the same people that are worried about being barefoot in the shower will go out by their bunks (mind you we usually sleep in bunks that are 3 high) strip butt naked, including their feet, put their bare feet on the floor that people with dirty shoes stand on, and then get dressed instead of drieing their feet and putting them directly into socks after they are dry.
I have 3 daughters (young), grew up on a farm in Nebraska that raised animals (see cleaning nasty pens), and grew crops (see nasty herbacides and insecticides before the whole "organically grown" thing started), and I have been on liberty (see vacation while at work) in countries that you have to get shots and take pills prior to and after being there (see Vanuatu). They haven't killed or infected me yet, I WILL NEVER DIE!!**

** Disclaimer-- This is not an invitation to the sick bastard that wants to prove me wrong and run me over with a boat while swimming, hit me with a car while riding my bike, or prove that a bullet moves faster than I can run!!

Edited by NavyTRIChief 2008-02-14 6:59 AM

As I re-read my earlier post I realized I must have sounded like the gym locker room would be worse than a Navy Ship when my intent was to show a gym shower can be nasty too.

As many have pointed out I guess it's really all relevant to what a person sees and experiences.

Ewwww! Go barefoot in the locker room? Heck, I'd rather jump in a lake where you can't see your hand in the water and splash around for an hour. In fact, I'll pay good money for the opportunity.

Personally I'd go barefoot all day long if society (and my boss) would let me. As long as there is no open wounds on my feet I think that there is minimal risk for the nasty's to bother me.

I wear my shower shoes at all times except while swimming or hopping on the other foot trying to put on pants. I leave them on the floor in my car (not the driver's area) and change into my "real" shoes when I get where I'm going.