Due to the number of people using public showers as well as the damp conditions that allow bacteria to survive in them, public showers are breeding grounds for foot conditions such as athlete's foot and verrucas (plantar warts). Even if you look after your own feet, you don't know anything about the hygiene habits of everyone else using the showers.

To avoid contracting these conditions, it's advisable to wear flip-flops or shower shoes whenever you use communal facilities at the gym, swimming pool, or a hotel, for example. You are also at risk at developing these conditions from someone else's bacteria if you share shoes with someone else, so avoid doing this at all costs.