Barefoot in the Park with Bacteria

Just in time for summer, the Times has brought the fear to the park, where an army of infectious organisms await anyone reckless enough to let the grass touch their bare feet. According to a number of very uptight dermatologists, taking off your shoes in the park is pretty much akin to soaking them in a bucket of bacteria.

Dermatologist Judith Hellman gave the paper ten good reasons why Richard Gere should have used a stunt double for his barefoot park scene in Pretty Woman. The risks include fire ants, bromhidrosi infection (“stinky feet”), and the tendency for plantar warts and athlete’s foot to spread from one bare foot to the next, via grass.

Moist grass is the biggest danger because bacteria thrives in water and strolling barefoot through it when wet can damage the skin’s natural barrier, allowing infectious organisms to sink in or take up residency in your shoes. Dermatologist Giuseppe Militello advises thoroughly drying your feet after walking on grass. Parks commissioner Adrian Benepe, on the other hand, seems to think these eggheads are overreacting: “Doctors are going to be cautious; that’s the nature of doctors.” He’s always allowed his children to go barefoot in the park, and they’re doing fine… so far.

Photo courtesy Urch.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on May 27, 2008 10:29 AM

Comments [rss]

interlard

But you can't wash *all* of the grass.

yomama

And remember to wash always with soap and water! A simple way to prevent plenty of infections.

yomama

As a practicing Infectious Disease specialist i'm always amused when there is a "breaking story" by the media about the emergence of some infection or other that has been around for ages. I remember when MRSA (resistant form of Staph infection) was being hyped as "deadly" recently in the news leading people to panic. It's one of the most common infections around.

Development of resistance by organisms is definitely an issue epidemiologically but It's important to keep in mind that bacteria/virus/fungi are around everywhere and our bodies do a pretty good job of protecting us.

Gwinny

eugenejen: spelling it "moran" is a fairly well-known internet joke.

sonyactivision

There's another "dermatologist" who runs a website devoted to "bare, succulent, naked feet swathed in thick,quivering, sensuous grass". So obviously, there's some disagreement about this among their peers.

Barbj8

Check out the New York Magazine piece on being barefoot (April 28/08); it poses an interesting take on ditching your shoes.

robingee

Heh, people died at 30, that's what they did!

eugenejen

To AntB,

Before we invented shoes, a lot of parasites such as hookworms get into human body through our own barefoot. That's why in ancient days, human has much shorter life spans. We just started to live much longer for most of us since 1950s.

Besides, don't forget before we invented shoes, our skin in our feet is callous to protect us. While your feet now spend most of its life in shoes, the skin is soft and easier to be penetrated by invaders.

Finally, it is morons, not morans

AntB

Whatever did people do for millions of years before we invented shoes?

Fucking morans.

lilsubwaycrybaby

Why would anyone walk barefoot on grass when there is so much pavement around?

JenChungsBaby

On a related note, how do chicks wear those tiny little open shoes all summer long where their feet are barely a quarter inch from the ground? I love sexy open heels on a hot chick as much as anyone, but by the end of the day you see a lot of dirty feet around the city.

amsci

Grazing in the grass is a gas, baby can you diiiiig it?

Gothamist_Cynic

People need to stop wearing sandals in the city.

Sinchy

Anywhere a dog might defecate is definitely a poor place to stroll barefoot, but barefoot in the grass is one of life's little pleasures.

cucarachita

I'll give you another reason not to walk barefoot in central park: the rats!!!! They're running around all over the place! You're walking around on their bathroom! If that isn't enough to keep your flip flops on, I don't know what is!

jibbly

Awesome! They should try seeing how much bacteria thrives on the sidewalks and the soles of everyone's shoes at the end of the day, that way NO ONE will step outside EVER!

ed_Extinct

In a new report conducted by the "people who think for themselves", listening to this main-stream-media will cause Cancer.

Rocknrope

Agreed Al_Fredo. Whatever Digg plugin you guys are using, knock it off. I didn't visit the site all weekend because it was causing my computer to hang forever.