"The last thing on your mind is what you drag under your shoes." With these words, two specialists warned of the dangers of entering homes with outdoor shoes. The scientists are Mark Patrick Taylor, a chief environmental scientist at the Environmental Protection Authority in Victoria, Australia, and Gabriel Filippelli, a professor of Earth Sciences at Indiana University. They have spent nearly 10 years researching pollutants in indoor environments. They noted in their article that science tends to advocate for taking off shoes and "leaving dirt outside the door," despite the debate over entering homes with shoes or the necessity of removing them, according to CNN.
Through air or shoe soles
They also concluded that about one-third of pollutants from outside come either through the air or via the soles of shoes. They found that some microorganisms present on shoes and floors are drug-resistant pathogens, like germs coming from hospitals that are difficult to treat. Shoes also carry carcinogenic toxins, which come from residues of asphalt roads and chemicals in weeds that disrupt endocrine functions.
Most notably lead
In their previous studies, the scientists measured levels of toxic metals like arsenic, cadmium, and lead inside homes in 35 countries, realizing that many pollutants, the most significant being lead, are odorless and colorless; therefore, one may not know if they are exposed to them. There is also a very strong relationship between the lead in the home and that in the soil of the backyard, according to science, with dirt falling from the yard, shoes, or pets aiding its entry into the home.
Fundamental preventive activity
Regardless of the debate on the subject, the scientists emphasized that it is easier to remove shoes at the door, stating: "Leaving your shoes at the door also leaves harmful pathogens there. We all know that prevention is much better than treatment, and removing shoes at the door is a basic and easy preventive activity for many of us." They also pointed out that if there is a need to wear supportive footwear indoors, one should only use indoor shoes but never wear them outside.
