Walking barefoot can boost your circulation, improve sleep quality and reduce inflammation, pain and tension, reflexologists say

T here’s an old African proverb that states: “When you leave your shoes at the doorstep, you leave your troubles behind.” And if you – like me – can’t stand the thought of people traipsing through your house with their filthy outside shoes, then you probably take this adage quite literally.

Well, if you’re tired of being shamed for being a stickler about these things, then I’ve got good news for you. A group of environmental chemists who study what kinds of contaminants people are exposed to in their own homes weighed in on the great shoe debate – and it turns out we were right: wearing your outside shoes inside won’t just mess up your carpet; it is, in fact, scientifically gross.

Shoes worn outside can be vectors for all kinds of dirt and microbes – we already know this – but just how dangerous is it? According to the experts, about one-third of the matter building up inside your home comes from outside, much of it being tracked in on the soles of our shoes. And on those shoes, they have found “a high prevalence of microbiological pathogens”.

Now let me stop here and say not all dirt is bad dirt. Some household germs can actually be useful in helping build up a child’s immune system, for example. But the real issue is that some of the disease-causing organisms found on our shoes and floors are drug-resistant, causing illnesses that are difficult to treat. “Add in cancer-causing toxins from asphalt road residue,” scientists say, “and endocrine-disrupting lawn chemicals, and you might view the filth on your shoes in a new light.”

In plain speak? “It is best to leave your filth outside the door.”

But did we really need professionals to tell us that? I mean think about just how much visible dirt we carry with us on the soles of our shoes – mud, dog poop, sand and gravel, debris from outdoor parks and all the other filthy places that our shoes end up in the course of a day. For many households, the pandemic has greatly reduced the number of places we go to. But even at that, all it takes is one walk down the street or a few minutes at the park to make you bring something nasty back home.

Germs and pathogens aside though, it’s important to note that not wearing shoes inside is more than just a hygiene thing. In many cultures around the world, leaving your shoes at the door is a sign of respect, a nod to superstition and it may even be in service of good health. Reflexologists say that walking around barefoot can help boost your circulation, improve your sleep quality and stimulate the reflexes on the soles of your feet, reducing inflammation, pain and tension.

But despite all the great reasons there are for you to be barefoot inside, there’s also some legitimate pushback around this topic. Some people don’t want to take off their shoes, because doing so means being completely barefoot in someone else’s home, which even I can agree is not the most appealing idea. Whether it’s fear of picking up dirt on your actual feet or just being shy about your toes, not everyone is eager to rip their shoes off in someone else’s home.

So what’s to be done? If you’ve already been wearing your shoes inside, chemical disinfectants are a great way to restore the cleanliness of your floors and carpets, and make you feel a bit better about the no-shoes-inside rule.

And after doing your part, it’s time to convince your friends to join in. Making your guests feel more comfortable with having their shoes off is a great first step toward ensuring they’re as committed to your new house rules as you are.

Give them indoor slippers so they don’t have to be completely barefoot, keep your floors visibly clean, and you can even try shoe covers for the people who are not quite ready for your new barefoot lifestyle. All of these can allay some of the squeamishness about walking around someone else’s house barefoot, and help you keep those nasty pathogens on the other side of your front door.

Tayo Bero is a Guardian US columnist