Science has spoken: Never go without socks when wearing trainers

We’ve all been guilty of not wearing socks with trainers whether it’s down to making a fashion statement or simply forgetting to pack a matching pair before hitting the gym. But it turns out, going barefoot isn’t doing you any good.

Trainer giant Size? recently conducted an experiment to find out if there are health risks with ditching socks and the retailer’s findings are sure to make you squirm.

The study looked at different colourways and materials of popular trainer brands – including the likes of Nike and Adidas – worn in various locations such as the gym.

Researchers swabbed the upper area of the shoe, the sole and insoles before placing the bacteria into petri dishes for a five-day stint.

Findings indicated that wearing canvas shoes without socks will result in three times more bacteria – particularly in the insole and sole areas. Whereas if you team trainers such as Converse high tops with a sock, bacteria is far less likely to flourish.

Leather trainers are far more likely to gather bacteria in comparison to canvas shoes, the study also revealed.

When it comes to choosing a new pair of trainers, you may also want to carefully consider the colour scheme – and not just for Instagram likes.

Despite the growing trend to don box-fresh black trainers, the study indicated that they are far dirtier than white ones – despite the risk of tough mud showing up on the latter.

The research team examined a pair of both black and white Air Force 1s, discovering that the black pair proved a breeding ground for more bacteria.

In a surprising turn of events, the study also uncovered that wearing trainers such as Adidas’ £75 Munchen sneakers on a night out will breed more bacteria than a pair of lace-ups worn at the gym for the same period of time.

If heels are a serious no-go when hitting the club, then you might want to consider avoiding suede trainers altogether as results also indicated that more bacteria gathered on the upper part of the trainer in comparison to other canvas shoes.

So next time you slip on a pair of trainers before your work commute, you might want to make sure you’re wearing a pair of laundry-fresh socks – even if they don’t match.

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