Warm weather can make it tempting to slip off your shoes for a stroll outside. While walking around barefoot might seem like a good idea, in reality it increases the risk of foot injuries from outdoor hazards. At East Ocean Podiatry, our doctors recommend that patients always wear shoes for outdoor activities.
With the recent popularity of ‘barefoot’ running, many people are considering shoes an optional accessory. However, ‘barefoot’ running still uses light and ultralight shoes for foot protection. Outside, feet are exposed to a wide variety of injury causing hazards. In order to avoid potential foot injuries, it’s important to always wear shoes or similar types of footwear. Included below are some of the top reasons to wear shoes outdoors:
Avoid Outdoor Dangers
One of the main benefits of wearing shoes outside is protection from outdoor hazards. When broken glass, rusty nails, and rocks are hiding in a field of grass, it’s better to discover these dangerous items while wearing shoes. Footwear helps people avoid foot injuries from outdoor animals, garbage, and litter.
Regulate Foot Temperature
Burning hot sand and warm asphalt are two characteristic parts of a Florida summer. People who walk outside without shoes have no protection from surfaces, like asphalt and sand, with extreme temperatures. Wearing shoes makes it easy to walk across a hot Boca Raton parking lot and avoid burns, or other foot injuries.
Prevent Exposure to Disease
While the natural world is full of beauty, there are also disease-ridden items hiding in grass and sand. Stepping in human or animal fluids with bare feet has the possibility to spread disease. Shoes provide feet with a protective barrier to keep feet away from disease-carrying substances.
Keep Feet Clean
As a protective barrier, shoes keep feet clean. Walking around barefoot not only exposes people to foot injuries, but it also covers feet with mud, dirt, and sand. Shoes provide an easy to clean surface that keeps feet safe from outdoor dirt.
Our highly skilled podiatrists at East Ocean Podiatry recommend that patients of all ages wear shoes for outdoor activities. Even children and toddlers should use footwear when playing outside to prevent foot injuries. Shoes provide feet with an additional layer of protection to keep them safe from potential hazards.
If you experience a foot injury when walking outside barefoot, contact the doctors at East Ocean Podiatry for an appointment. Our Boca Raton podiatry office is available at 954-828-2601 for all your foot injury concerns. East Ocean Podiatry patients come from Boca Raton, Coral Springs, Deerfield Beach, Margate, Del Pay Beach, and surrounding Florida communities.