Originally Posted by peachfront
I just take off my shoes every time and don't worry about it. I feel it is a superstition to say that people might catch some rare fungus or disease through a good pair of socks. To me, this is about as likely as those tin foiler types who say you could get mad cow disease from a chicken because
Some time in 2002-2003 I picked up a virus on one of my feet that took over a year and a half to get rid of, part of that time under Dr. supervision. I don't frequent a gym or public showers, and I haven't lived in a dorm environment or with roommates since 1999. I strongly suspect I picked it up, through my socks, at an airport checkpoint.
Since late 2003 I carry thin shower shoes ($0.99 value, all plastic, 0.33" sole) and wear them through all TSA checkpoints. I have never been asked to take them off. (Though one screener gave me an obviously retaliatory secondary for having them by accusing me of "scooting" and not lifting my feet high enough going through the WTMD.)
I hear there are shoe carnivals that would make me take these shower shoes off. Should I encounter one of them, I will call for a LEO and spend a substantial amount of time writing up a police report and a complaint form, both of which will probably be endorsed by my Dr.