Athlete's Foot: 6 Tips to Prevent this Common Summer Bummer

Summer’s here, and with it comes one of the most common but frustrating foot conditions our patients experience. Athlete’s foot affects up to 70% of adults at some point in their lives. The warm, sweaty conditions that come with summer activities create a perfect storm for this fungal infection.

Albert Nejat,  DPM, FACFAS, and our team at the Podiatry Institute of Southern California in Culver City, California, see the same pattern every year. Once temperatures climb, so do cases of that itchy, burning rash between your toes. The fungus spreads easily through shared surfaces and thrives in exactly the kind of environment summer activities create.

You probably think you already know how to prevent athlete’s foot, but then why does it keep coming back? Unfortunately, over-the-counter (OTC) fungal creams don’t always work for this persistent condition. Here are six tips to keep your feet fungus-free all summer long.

1. Change your socks before they feel wet

Most people wait until their socks feel damp to switch them out, but that’s already too late. The dermatophyte fungus starts multiplying right away once it finds warm, moist conditions. Your feet start sweating the moment you put shoes on.

You need to think ahead instead of reacting to moisture. Consider keeping extra pairs of socks in your car, gym bag, or desk just in case you need to change them quickly.

2. Invest in sweat-wicking socks 

Cotton feels comfortable, but it holds moisture against your skin once it gets wet. Materials like acrylic, bamboo, and merino wool actually pull sweat away from your feet and move it to the outer part of the sock where it can evaporate.

Look for socks that come up higher on your leg, too. The extra fabric gives moisture more space to spread out and disappear. These materials also dry faster between wears, which matters more than you might think for preventing reinfection.

3. Give your shoes ample time to dry out

Switching between two pairs of shoes daily gives them time to actually become dry. Shoes might feel dry on the outside while the inside still has enough humidity for fungal spores to survive.

The materials inside your shoes — padding, adhesives, fabric linings — hold moisture much longer than what you can feel from outside. Fungal spores can live in slightly damp conditions for weeks. A full day or two of drying time gets humidity levels low enough that fungi can’t survive.

If you only have one pair of athletic shoes, getting a second pair is worth the investment for your foot health.

4. Use antifungal powder in the right spots

Putting powder all over your feet isn’t as effective as targeting where moisture actually collects.

Focus on the areas that actually need it:

• Between all your toes, not just the tight spaces
• Under your toes where they meet the ball of your foot
• Inside your shoes, especially the toe area and heel
• On your feet before putting socks on

The powder keeps working all day, absorbing moisture and creating conditions that fungi hate.

5. Dry your feet more carefully

The skin between your toes has folds and creases that trap water even when you think you’re dry. This takes more attention than most people give it. You should always:

• Use a clean part of the towel for each foot
• Pull your toes apart to reach hidden spots
• Dry under your toes where they touch the ball of your foot
• Pay extra attention between your fourth and fifth toes

This might seem excessive, but those hidden wet spots are exactly where infections start.

6. Know your personal risk factors

Certain factors put people at higher risk for developing athlete’s foot. Understanding where you fall on this spectrum helps determine how aggressive your prevention strategy needs to be.

Groups that face higher infection rates due to lifestyle factors and exposure patterns include:

• Men 
• People with physically demanding jobs requiring work boots
• Regular users of shared gym locker rooms and public showers
• Athletes spending significant time in damp gear
• People with naturally sweaty feet or moisture-trapping foot structure

Dr. Nejat and our team can help you figure out which prevention strategies will work best for your specific situation. 

If you’re experiencing recurring foot problems or want personalized prevention advice, call the Podiatry Institute of Southern California at 310-204-2300, or schedule an appointment online.