Why Do People Wear Shoes In The House?

Imagine getting through a long shift at work and being excited to take your shoes off. But you notice your partner or roommate doesn’t remove their shoes.

You start to wonder, why do people wear shoes in the house? People wear shoes when they’re home for many reasons.

Read on to learn some common reasons why you may want to wear shoes inside and how to choose the right pair.

Why People Wear Shoes in the House

People wear shoes in the house for multiple reasons. Some people enjoy how shoes feel, and they prefer to stand or walk in them than to be barefoot.

However, others have more specific reasons for wearing shoes inside. Consider the following benefits of not walking around your house barefoot.

Support Your Feet

Your feet may start to collapse if you walk too much on bare feet, especially if you have hardwood flooring. When your feet collapse, that can change the weight distribution as you walk.

The imbalance can lead to foot problems, such as hammertoes or bunions. You may also start to experience severe pain in your arches or heels.

Unfortunately, these changes can also lead to other problems for your body. You could experience shin splints or pain throughout your legs or back. Consider wearing shoes if you tend to walk around the house a lot.

Protect Your Feet

There’s nothing worse than walking normally and bumping your pinky toe on the leg of a chair or table. The pain may go away fast, but it can be unbearable in the moment. If you walk around barefoot, you may bump your feet into things more often.

However, wearing shoes can protect your feet from those small injuries. You may still feel some pain if you bump your foot into something. The right shoes should minimize the pain, so you can get back to what you were doing.

Wearing shoes can also protect your feet from anything you happen to drop. That could include anything from hot oil spills in the kitchen to dropping a utensil at the dining table.

Minimal Cushioning as You Age

As you get older, you may notice the padding in the ball of your foot starts to go away. When you have less cushioning, you’re at a higher risk of hurting your feet and other body parts.

Walking barefoot as an older adult could even increase the chances of you falling. A good pair of protective shoes can keep you upright and healthy.

The shoes can add some cushion to the ball of your foot. Then, you can walk around and live independently as you age without as much of a health risk.

Avoid Warts and Athlete’s Foot

Another reason people wear shoes in the house is to avoid germs. If you walk around barefoot, you could come into contact with plantar warts, athlete’s foot, and other problems.

The bacteria or fungi can get into your nails or any cracks on the skin of your feet. Then, you could develop warts or a fungal infection. If the problem is severe, it could make you even sicker and affect other parts of your legs and body.

You never know what could be on the floor of your home, especially if you have pets or kids. If you wear shoes, you can limit the risk of developing certain health conditions.

Keep Your Feet Warm

If you struggle with keeping your feet warm, wearing shoes is an easy solution. You can find a good combination of shoes and socks that will warm your feet throughout the day.

Whether you have Raynaud’s disease or not, your feet can get cold. Maybe you’ve been outside in the rain or snow.

While you can warm your feet with a nice massage or a foot bath, that can only work for so long. You can wear wool socks, slippers, or house shoes to keep your feet warm all day.

Not a Huge Health Risk

Another argument in favor of wearing shoes in the house is that doing so isn’t an enormous risk to your health. Of course, wearing your outside shoes indoors can cause problems if you ever need to go barefoot.

You could step in dirt or germs that you’ve tracked inside. However, if you keep your indoor and outdoor shoes separate, wearing shoes in your house won’t be much of a problem.

Germs can get onto indoor shoes, but your immune system is usually pretty good about fighting off infections. As long as you have a good pair of shoes to wear inside, there’s no reason not to see if you like wearing shoes all of the time.

How To Choose Indoor Shoes

If you want to try wearing shoes inside the house, make sure you choose the right pair. You have a few factors to keep in mind, and you don’t even have to stick to the women’s or men’s section.

Think about the following aspects when choosing your next pair of house shoes.

Firm Sole

One of the most crucial parts of indoor shoes is a firm sole. The sole can help with shock absorption as you walk, and that can help support and protect your feet.

A firm sole can also help keep you from slipping on a smooth surface or if you spill something. You can even look specifically for non-slip shoes to wear in your home.

Getting shoes with a firm sole also gives you a better chance of them having a long lifespan. Then, you can get the most use out of them and get your money’s worth.

Arch Support

Before you buy a pair of indoor shoes, make sure they have arch support. An easy way to test for this is to try and bend the shoe in half. If you can do so, that means there’s not enough support for your feet.

Good arch support is particularly important if you have high arches. It’s also helpful if you have plantar fasciitis or a history of the condition.

You’ll want to walk around in the shoes you want to buy before you purchase them. Consider how your feet feel and if there’s enough support for you.

Breathable Materials

If you want to wear shoes in the house, odds are you’ll wear shoes all day. Because of that, you want to buy shoes with breathable materials. That way, your feet won’t get too hot, which could attract bacteria or other germs.

You can buy any type of shoe you like, such as sneakers or slippers. If you want to purchase sneakers, look for a pair with a mesh lining. That can allow air to move in and out of the shoe and protect your feet.

Not only should you choose breathable shoes, but you also need good socks. Look for cotton socks since those can help minimize moisture.

Easy To Clean

As you wear your shoes around the house, they may get dirty. Sometimes, the change is only on the outside, and your shoes may still be clean and fine to wear.

However, dirt and germs could get inside the shoe. If that happens, you won’t enjoy the benefits of minimizing your health risks. Fortunately, you can find shoes that are easy to clean, either by hand washing them or putting them in the washing machine.

Then, you can get rid of any smells and remove dirt. Cleaning your shoes can help extend their lifespan, saving you money.

Indoor Only

Regardless of the other factors, make sure you purchase shoes just to wear inside. If you wear the same shoes everywhere, you can track dirt or mud into your home. You can also bring germs in from the outdoors.

If you track germs inside, that may not seem like a big deal. You wear shoes all of the time, so your feet should be fine.

However, you may have pets or kids, or other household members who don’t wear shoes all of the time. They could contract athlete’s foot or plantar warts when they walk barefoot all over the house.

Why You Should Not Wear Shoes in the House

While many people wear shoes inside, there are a few drawbacks. As mentioned, you can bring germs into your environment, and you or your family members can get sick.

Walking around in shoes can also damage your floors. You may scuff your wood flooring, and you could wear down the carpeting in your home. If your shoes are slightly dirty, you could also dirty the carpet, and it could be almost impossible to clean.

Even if you have shoes you only wear at home, you could still make your floors dirtier. For example, maybe you step into a spill in the kitchen. You may not know that, so you could track the liquid around the room.

Also, despite the problems with going barefoot, there can be some benefits. One study found that going barefoot at home could reduce inflammation and pain. It may even help with circulation and improve your sleep.

If you choose shoes that don’t fit right or don’t have enough support, you won’t enjoy all of their benefits.

Why People Wear Shoes In The House, Closing Thoughts

Many people wear shoes in the home to protect their feet from germs. Some also wear shoes to keep their feet warm or to provide more support.

However, wearing the wrong shoes can cause as many problems as they solve. Be sure you choose supportive shoes and only wear them inside.

That way, you can enjoy the benefits of wearing shoes in your house without the potential risks.