Is It Better to Wear Shoes or Walk Bare Feet on Carpet?

Many people believe walking on a carpet barefoot is better than wearing shoes! Some believe it could cause injuries, carpet staining, and health issues, while others think it's warmer and more comfortable.

Let's explore this contradictory topic: Is wearing shoes or walking bare feet on carpets better?

Walking on the carpet bare feet feels flexible and comfortable. Some professional cleaners suggest walking on the carpet barefoot is better. Dirty feet could make carpets dirty if you've not bathed because sweat glands release oils and moisture.

Walking on the carpet with shoes isn't good either because they could carry soil, dirt, debris, and bacteria from outside to inside, making the carpet dirty.

A dirty carpet makes your feet dirty when you walk on it barefoot. What's the best way forward: wear shoes or stay bare feet on the carpet?

Find out below.

Shoes or Bare Feet on Carpets?

Let's look at the upsides and downsides of wearing shoes and walking barefoot on carpet:

Upsides of Walking on Carpet Bare Feet

Comfort: For people who wear shoes (and socks) for long hours due to their line of duty, walking barefoot on the carpet allows the toes to move freely naturally.

Healthy: Walking barefoot strengthens the feet, resulting in flow-on effects to other body parts such as the back, ankles, hips, and calves.

Downsides of Walking on Carpet Bare Feet

It makes it difficult to clean carpets without professional help: The sole of your feet has sweat glands, which naturally release oils and moisture into the carpet. The oils and moisture attract dirt and dust, making it challenging to clean the carpets without hiring professional carpet cleaners. Moisturizers also have oils that attract dirt, grime, and dust, making carpets dirty more frequently than usual.

Allergens: Failure to clean carpets regularly causes allergens, dust, and dirt to hide within the fibers. Your feet collect these allergens, bacteria, and germs from the carpet. This could be a health threat, especially for homes with kids who play on the floor.

Soil buildup: Constantly walking on a carpet with bare feet after walking on a dusty road causes soil buildup on your carpet. Such carpets require frequent cleaning and could incur an extra cost annually based on the level of foot traffic.

Cold feet: Carpets installed in or near wet places could make your feet feel cold, exposing you to health issues such as colds and flu.

The Upsides of Walking on a Carpet With Shoes or Slippers

Safety: Wearing indoor shoes or slippers on carpets could protect your feet from being hurt by sharp objects on the carpet. If you have a foot problem, shoes support and cushion your feet.

Warm: During winter or if the carpet is cold, shoes keep your feet warm.

Downsides of Walking on Carpet With Shoes

Soiling: Shoes carry oils, gums, liquids, and paint from outside, and they stain your carpet when you step on it with your shoes. Avoid walking with outdoor shoes on your carpet; if you must wear shoes, wear indoor shoes or slippers that are always clean.

Carpet wear and tear: Shoes with hard soles wear and tear on carpets over time.

Restricts your natural foot movement: Wearing shoes denies the feet room for natural movement. Over time, restricting and denying your feet the natural movement causes back, knee, and hip problems. Avoid wearing shoes when walking on the carpet to give your feet freedom of natural movement.

Bacteria growth: Wearing shoes for an extended time, especially during summer, causes your feet to sweat, encouraging bacteria growth. After arriving home on a hot day, remove the shoes, shower, and walk on the carpet barefoot to allow the feet to breathe and relax.

Do Bare Feet Ruin Carpets?

Bare feet damage carpets, but not always! Several factors contribute to bare feet ruining carpets.

For example, dirty feet could transfer dust, stains, gum, liquid, dirt, allergens, and bacteria to carpets.

Like the rest of the body, your feet release oils and sweat and transfer it to your carpet, leaving traces of stains on it.

These stains, especially when they build up, could be challenging to fix based on your carpet type.

To avoid ruining your carpet, wash your feet after arriving home. Wear rubber-soled slippers or clean socks (avoid extremely tight ones to allow your feet to relax).

Socks are not hard on carpet fibers. They protect the carpet from body oils and sweat. Avoid walking barefoot on wet carpets after cleaning, and wear socks to prevent staining.

If you've only installed carpets in some areas, walking on hardwood floors could make your feet black due to the floors' dark pigment sealer. If you walk on the carpet with black feet, you'll transfer the stains to your carpeting and ruin it.

Is It Okay to Walk Bare Feet on New Carpet?

Walking on new carpet barefoot is okay, but you'll notice footprints. Footprints are shading marks you and your pets leave when they walk across a new carpet.

Footprints are more noticeable on smooth and deep-pile new carpets and can last a few minutes to several days.

New carpets, especially Berber type, feel hard and stiff when new. This could cause your feet to hurt after walking on them for several hours or a couple of days.

Wearing socks could help protect your feet from hurting, or you can wear indoor rubber-sole slippers or shoes for about three months until the fibers soften.

The Best Carpet for Bare Feet

Cut pile carpet is the best for barefoot walking due to its luxurious feel and softness. It is great for bedrooms and other rooms where people prefer to walk barefoot.

Manufacturers trim the fibers of cut-pile carpets to create a plush texture, which makes them comfortable, elegant, dense, and good for keeping feet relaxed.

There are various cut pile carpets, such as velvet (plush) carpets, which are the most preferred for families who love to walk barefoot, or bedrooms where people like to walk barefoot. Other varieties of cut pile carpets are Saxony and frieze.

A Phobia of Bare Feet on Carpet

Some people have a phobia of walking barefoot on the carpet because they don't want people to see their socks or feet.

Phobia of bare feet on carpet could also be due to blackening of the feet, bullying by other people, or being scared of stepping on the fibers.

Some people fear stepping on contaminants such as allergens if they're unsure how often you wash your carpet. Others get anxious about showing their feet despite having no foot problems.

It's important to have guest shoes at the entrance so guests can wear them before entering the house and feel comfortable.

Why Does Berber Carpet Hurt My Bare Feet?

Barber carpets hurt your bare feet because they're low-pile and hard. You can add carpet padding to make your Berber carpet more bare-foot-friendly, but cotton, Velvex, or wool carpets will be more comfortable.

Zerorez® Professional Carpet Services

Soft-soled shoes or slippers protect carpets from soiling, allergens, debris, bacteria, and other contaminants. That does not mean your carpet will never attract debris, dust, allergens, or bacteria from outside; it will, but not as much as it could when you walk on it with dirty shoes, socks, or feet.

Use a carpet sweeper to do light cleaning jobs twice or thrice a week and vacuum clean the carpet weekly or bi-weekly. Contact professionals skilled at thoroughly cleaning the carpet without excessive water use for deep cleaning.

Hiring a professional service provider to deep clean your carpet and wearing socks or clean indoor shoes are the best ways to keep it free of dirt, stains, allergens, bacteria, and other contaminants.

Carpet manufacturers recommend professionally cleaning your carpet every 12 to 18 months. You could deep clean carpets thrice annually for high-foot-traffic homes or homes with pets.

Contact any Zerorez locations to give your carpet a memorable touch and (most likely) become our repeat customers due to our incredible services and professional customer care representatives.

Call us at 866-937-6739 to discuss your cleaning needs and strike a deal we're all comfortable with.