Many cultures across the world have strict rules against wearing shoes in the house, but new research has indicated that they might be on to something and there's a horrifying reason why you might want to leave your trainers or boots at the door.
For most it's a measure of politeness and comfort to change out of your shoes when entering either your own home or someone else's abode, and while some cultures change into slipper-like 'house shoes', the most important thing is for outside and inside to remain separate.
It makes sense at face value too, as often shoes worn outside can be dirty either from mud, rain, or dust, and bringing that into a clean and well-kept home is a big no — especially if there's things like carpet or rugs that can be easily stained.
As shared by the Independent, new scientific research has actually backed this cultural practice with hard evidence, noting it not just to be a smart or polite practice but one that's essential to protect us all from threats to our health.
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Where dirt might be a more obvious indicator of uncleanliness, it's actually the unseen elements that pose the biggest dangers, with shoes carrying frightening levels of bacteria, allergens, and toxic chemicals into your home.
Tests conducted by the University of Arizona discovered that around 96 percent of shoes contain elements of coliform bacteria, which is most commonly found in fecal matter, and this shouldn't come as a surprise considering what our feet touch every single day.
Even walking on the pavement exposes your seemingly clean shoes to an uncompromising number of disgusting germs, and that's not taking into account instances when you walk in and out of public toilets, or step in pesticide or chemically treated fields.
The same Arizona University study revealed that an alarming number of shoes contained dangerous germs like E. coli, Clostridium difficile, and Staphylococcus aureus, all of which have been linked to health conditions that are unpleasant at best and life threatening at worst.
There's also the risk that your shoes carry in harmful properties like lead – which pose a significant risk to young children and pets – and there are often carcinogenic compounds found in asphalt sealants that can make their way into your home via your shoes.
It might be a tricky habit to break from if you're used to doing it your whole life, but the risks definitely aren't worth the convenience of not having to take your shoes off.