If you've been anywhere near men's style for the past couple years, you've definitely seen dudes sporting their favorite hard-bottom shoes sans socks. It's the perfect summertime trend—you don't want to wear mandals, and it looks way cooler than wearing awkward "no-show" socks that everyone can definitely see. But there's danger lurking in the depths of sweated-up, leather kicks: germs, more specifically, the ones that cause fungal infections and athlete's foot.
In fact, Daily Mail is reporting that there has been a 10 percent increase in the purchase of anti-fungal and athlete's foot medications since the sockless trend swept the Internet.
"While traditionally we always see a spike in sales as the summer foot ware season begins, the latest fashions often affect demand for certain treatments," pharmacist Omar El-Gohary told the British newspaper.
But if you're like most of us, and you just can't convince yourself to wear any sort of socks once the weather cranks above 60 degrees, El-Gohary gives solid advice to avoid funky infections. "Try alternating between different shoes daily to ensure that they have ample time to dry off in between use," El-Gohary recommended.
So if you're going to let your feet hang commando this summer, have a couple handy pairs of shoes on deck—not just the same rotation of boat shoes and Chucks.
[via Daily Mail]
