Athlete's Foot

Athlete's foot, or Tinea Pedis, is a parasitic fungal infection of the outside skin. Athlete's foot is caused by a number of different common fungi, and is most commonly found between the toes and on the sides or bottom of the feet. It results in dry, itchy, and pale cracked skin, as well as possible blistering.

Causes

As humans, bacteria and fungi live all over our bodies. During exercise and warmer times of the year, feet tend to stay warm and moist, creating the perfect environment for fungi to multiply rapidly. This can easily lead to athlete's foot or a number of other common fungal infections of the epidermis, or outer layer of skin.

Treatment

Aside from ALWAYS wearing socks when you have shoes on, you need to keep your feet dry at all times (see our special SmoothToe Sock. It's specifically designed to help wick moisture away from the feet!) There are many over-the-counter treatments to treat athlete's foot. Keep in mind that good hygiene alone will help improve 30-40% of all athlete's foot cases. After strenuous exercise, always remember to wash your feet with warm water and soap, and dry them thoroughly, particularly between the toes. However, the use of medication designed to treat Athlete's Foot will significantly improve the condition much faster than good hygiene alone.

Remember, always wear shoes in the locker room at the gym, public shower, pool, or anywhere there are warm and moist surfaces, as walking around barefoot in these places is the easiest way to get tinea pedis! note: This is referred to as athlete's foot because it's most common with athletes (duh). So make sure after sports practices and games, that you wash your feet with warm water and soap.