title: Is it possible to sanitize athletes' shoes?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Footwear should be designed to avoid trauma and injury to the skin of the feet that can favor bacterial and fungal infections. Procedures and substances for sanitizing the interior of shoes are uncommon but are important aspects of primary prevention against foot infections and unpleasant odor.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of a sanitizing technique for reducing bacterial and fungal contamination of footwear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Crossover study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mens Sana basketball team.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven male athletes and 4 coaches (62 shoes).
  
  
  METHODS
  The experimental protocol required a first sample (swab), 1/shoe, at time 0 from inside the shoes of all athletes before the sanitizing technique began and a second sample at time 1, after about 4 weeks, April 2012 to May 2012, of daily use of the sanitizing technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  The differences before and after use of the sanitizing technique for total bacterial count at 36 °C and 22 °C for Staphylococcus spp, yeasts, molds, Enterococcus spp, Pseudomonas spp, Escherichia coli , and total coliform bacteria were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before use of the sanitizing technique, the total bacterial counts at 36 °C and 22 °C and for Staphylococcus spp were greater by a factor of 5.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.42, 9.84), 5.84 (95% CI = 3.45, 9.78), and 4.78 (95% CI = 2.84, 8.03), respectively. All the other comparisons showed a reduction in microbial loads, whereas E coli and coliforms were no longer detected. No statistically significant decrease in yeasts (P = .0841) or molds (P = .6913) was recorded probably because of low contamination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sanitizing technique significantly reduced the bacterial presence in athletes' shoes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Laboratory of Environmental Hygiene, Area of Public Health.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burgassi
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ceriale
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quercioli
authors.forename: Cosetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meniconi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000494:pharmacology; D056352:Athletes; D058491:Bacterial Load / Q000379:methods; D001490:Basketball; D003022:Clotrimazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D031293:Cyamopsis; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050456:Fomites / Q000382:microbiology*; D005533:Foot Dermatoses / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants / Q000517:prevention & control; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology; D012775:Shoes; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D004338:Drug Combinations; D028321:Plant Preparations; D000431:Ethanol; D003022:Clotrimazole
keywords: athlete's foot; bacterial infections; basketball; foot infections; fungal infections; hygiene