Preparing to visit a "shoes off" home

I received this e-mail from a reader: I cannot tell you how many nasty sock sightings I have been subjected to when (boys especially), come into my apt. and take off their shoes at the door. What may even be worse is when they remove their embarrassingly ragged socks and let their naked feet loose! This kind of nudity is unacceptable! And the smells that accompany this seemingly polite action--oh my!

Do you fear revealing the ragged condition of your socks? Do you fear emitting foul odors from your feet? Are your shoes an unsightly mess? You need not be controlled by your fears, dear reader. There is a solution! Prepare your feet for exposure prior to leaving your home in three simple steps. Step 1: Wash your feet. Step 2: Put on clean socks. Step 3: Put on a pair of presentable shoes just before stepping out the door. When you arrive at your destination, remove your shoes, but please leave your socks on unless you brought a pair of indoor shoes or slippers with you.*

If you are often out and about and know not whether you will encounter a sanitary, shoe-free home in your daily travels, this may require developing foot care habits. Take the following advice from WebMD: "Keep your feet dry and clean. Things such as foot odor, fungal nails, or athlete's foot arise from having sweaty feet. The drier your feet the less you are at risk for these problems." Wear shoes and clean socks that breathe. Wash your feet regularly. There are products readily available on the market for controlling shoe and foot odor, as well. Ragged socks and over-worn shoes should be replaced for the health of your feet. Clean, dry feet are happy feet. You will not need to fear removing your shoes and those you live with will thank you.

*The writer recognizes that sandals and other sock-free foot fashions pose additional problems that will likely be addressed in a future post.