Insistence of shoes at gyms a scam?

Jim Titt wrote:  14% of Americans have toenail fungus and up to 15% have athletes foot.

At this point I have no hope of convincing anyone, but just in the interest of a healthy discussion since I started this...

So here's some more stats on the relative prevalence among Americans and Asians. And I guess there will be a couple of dozen other diseases including hepatitis and HIV that transmit through body fluids, possibly even through small cuts and bruises on your feet (note that moist feet/soft skin is especially susceptible to such risk).

So people are OK with the practice of rental shoes (you wear a shoe that some random strangers wore for hours before you) even after knowing there is a 14% incidence of toenail fungus, but not OK with a tiny fraction of users who may want to climb barefoot where mostly only their soles make brief contact with the dry surface of holds? It seems I am missing something here but I am willing to leave it at this. Thanks for your comment though

Jake Jones wrote: I wish there was a sign outside of every bathroom telling gym patrons not to wear their climbing shoes in.  Idk what’s worse, piss or fungus, but what I do know is that someone will likely dig up some “data” and set me straight.

I’ve seen this sign at most gyms. It is regularly disregarded by every birthday party kid in rental shoes. 

But even if everyone obeyed THAT rule, how about all the people who walk into the bathroom in their regular street shoes, and then walk around the gym padded floors in the same street shoes? 

No climbing shoes in the bathroom is another one of those “it sounds more hygienic” rules that doesn’t accomplish much. 
Don’t get me wrong, I just don’t walk around in my climbing shoes, period, so wearing them into the bathroom is not at all my desire. And I have a pair of flip flops that I bring to the gym, to wear in between climbs for convenience, because it is too much of a hassle to put on socks and regular shoes. I hate flip flops otherwise, so Those flip flops never get worn outside, they are basically indoor gym shoes. But that still spreads “bathroom germs” around.

Basically, climbing holds on your fancy gym have fecal veneer on them. They just do. 

Jim Titt wrote:  14% of Americans have toenail fungus and up to 15% have athletes foot.

Given the thriving used-shoes market, I just hope buyers take the effort to disinfect shoes they buy off random strangers on internet, before using them!
Years ago I have personally discouraged this practice in my local communities for hygiene reasons many years back because the idea of used shoes made me think of used underwear. 

Lone Ranger wrote:

At this point I have no hope of convincing anyone, but just in the interest of a healthy discussion since I started this...

So here's some more stats on the relative prevalence among Americans and Asians. And I guess there will be a couple of dozen other diseases including hepatitis and HIV that transmit through body fluids, possibly even through small cuts and bruises on your feet (note that moist feet/soft skin is especially susceptible to such risk).

So people are OK with the practice of rental shoes (you wear a shoe that some random strangers wore for hours before you) even after knowing there is a 14% incidence of toenail fungus, but not OK with a tiny fraction of users who may want to climb barefoot where mostly only their soles make brief contact with the dry surface of holds? It seems I am missing something here but I am willing to leave it at this. Thanks for your comment though

In America it's impossible for people to believe anything besides what the advertisers are telling them. GERMS EVERYWHERE! MORE SOAP! FEET HURT! MORE SHOES! YOU SUCK AT CLIMBING! LIGHTER CAMS!

A 2018 study from Initial Washroom Hygiene found that phones are more than six times dirtier than toilet seats, according to the Daily Mail. The company swabbed 50 phones for germs and found that the average phone had 1,479 bacteria “hot spots,” compared to 220 on toilet seats

Lone Ranger wrote:

So people are OK with the practice of rental shoes (you wear a shoe that some random strangers wore for hours before you) even after knowing there is a 14% incidence of toenail fungus...

If only there were a spray or something you could use to kill off bacteria/fungus after a shoe was used.  I imagine if something like that existed, gyms would probably spray down every shoe after it was used.  I should go see if there is a patent out there on this.

People just don't like feet, man.  I bet a bunch of people would be turned off from gyms if they saw people climbing barefoot.  Whether or not it is more or less hygienic, customer's perception of it is all that matters.  A gym isn't going to scare off 20% of their customers (completely made up %) to appease the handful of guys who want to climb barefoot.  We all KNOW gym holds are festering pits of bacteria.  People new to the activity don't want that aspect shoved in their face.

I think barefoot climbing bans should be implemented in outdoor climbing too.

At the very least to piss off the “unique” people who like to show off that they climb barefoot.

lone ranger I see you are wearing shoes in your profile pic... why's that

Lena chita wrote:

But even if everyone obeyed THAT rule, how about all the people who walk into the bathroom in their regular street shoes, and then walk around the gym padded floors in the same street shoes? 

Also, people walk around the unpadded parts of the gym in their climbing shoes and bare feet. The same floors that people walk on in their street shoes after going to the bathroom, or coming in from the outdoors where they stepped in god-knows-what.

Or how about lockers and cubbies? Some people put their street shoes in there, and some people put jackets, keys, phones, etc in there.

Germophobes should just stay home. Cross-contamination is entirely unavoidable, and not actually harmful.

Gabe Schwartz wrote:

If only there were a spray or something you could use to kill off bacteria/fungus after a shoe was used.  I imagine if something like that existed, gyms would probably spray down every shoe after it was used...

.

There is, it's Kiwi brand: https://www.kiwicare.com/en-au/products/kiwi-sneaker-deodorizer We use it in the gym where I work and it works well. And the main reason for wearing shoes is injury prevention, then hygiene. 

I suspect you are much more likely to get contaminated/sick touching a hold with your hand after someone else touched it after sneezing into their hand.  Most people don't cover their sneezes with their feet.  Or wipe their....  Hands are much germier on the average.  Its not exactly breaking news that gyms tend to be a petri dish for MRSA infections. Not passed along by feet.  There is plenty of evidence of people climbing just as hard barefoot and their are some edge cases (think of all the climbs named "Toe Crack") where being barefoot is an advantage.  But its a hopeless battle.  The delicate snowflake millennials that dominate the gyms will never go for it.  And they have the $$$ .

I do think that barefoot belaying can be more of a danger if one is not diligent about position and avoiding getting slammed into the wall.

It's all the goddam shoelluminati influence

Grandpa Dave wrote:

There is, it's Kiwi brand: https://www.kiwicare.com/en-au/products/kiwi-sneaker-deodorizer We use it in the gym where I work and it works well. And the main reason for wearing shoes is injury prevention, then hygiene. 

Whoosh...

If I climb in a hazmat suit is that aid?

Cpn Dunsel wrote:

All of you who do not understand science are ignorant.

Science is aid

curt86iroc wrote:

Science is aid

AHAHHAHAHAHHA

#nakedfreesolo

Lone Ranger wrote

So people are OK with the practice of rental shoes (you wear a shoe that some random strangers wore for hours before you) even after knowing there is a 14% incidence of toenail fungus, but not OK with a tiny fraction of users who may want to climb barefoot where mostly only their soles make brief contact with the dry surface of holds? It seems I am missing something here but I am willing to leave it at this. Thanks for your comment though

Well just about all gyms are going to spray a disinfectant in their shoes when they are returned. And from working in a gym about 99% of rental shoes are worn with socks. 

I've been a gym employee for a while and I also strongly hate barefoot climbing. My solution was to always tell people or parents of children that you can wear street shoes if you don't want to purchase rentals. 

Logan Hulstine wrote: I've been a gym employee for a while and I also strongly hate barefoot climbing. My solution was to always tell people or parents of children that you can wear street shoes if you don't want to purchase rentals. 

Which, ironically, is probably less hygienic than climbing barefoot...

Tradiban wrote:

In America it's impossible for people to believe anything besides what the advertisers are telling them. GERMS EVERYWHERE! MORE SOAP! FEET HURT! MORE SHOES! YOU SUCK AT CLIMBING! LIGHTER CAMS!

A 2018 study from Initial Washroom Hygiene found that phones are more than six times dirtier than toilet seats, according to the Daily Mail. The company swabbed 50 phones for germs and found that the average phone had 1,479 bacteria “hot spots,” compared to 220 on toilet seats

Yup but although it started in America it afflicts the rest of the world today. Another common example is vaginal douche. Now whether you want to "feel clean" or "be clean and healthy" is a personal choice, but to enforce your view on others is where I have a problem, which was the point of this thread.