Wearing shoes without socks could give you athlete's foot, podiatrists warn

A case against the "mankle"

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

This year, the humble ankle became more than just a shrouded, cotton-covered body part.

Thanks to a slew of supposedly stylish male celebrities, the “sockless” look is no longer a marker of sartorial negligence, but a fashion statement in its own right.

However, the trendy “bare ankle” look could be giving you more than just style credentials, with the College of Podiatry warning that wearing socks without shoes increases your chances of getting athlete's foot.

Jude Law spotted out and about in Vienna committing the cardinal "sockless" sin (Rex Features)

Particularly popular amongst men, the “mankle” is a frequent patron of menswear runways, because trend-setting men are far too avant-garde to be worrying about podiatry hygiene, apparently.

Thanks to the likes of Valentino and Giorgio Armani, the stench of "sockless" feet is permeating our streets – and it’s caused a surge in male visitors to the College of Podiatry.

However, the “mankle” may not be the sole (get it?) perpetrator, explains podiatrist Emma Stevenson, from the College of Podiatry,

“As a whole, we are seeing more and more men coming to us with issues caused by poorly fitting footwear, and not just ones choosing to go sockless,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

She explained that the issue comes down to the amount of sweat produced by the feet (half a pint a day, apparently).

When there are no socks to absorb the sweat, it leaves the feet more susceptible to fungal infections.

Athlete’s foot is a rash that most commonly appears between the toes, typically causing blistered, red and itchy skin, according to the NHS.

It can usually be remedied with over-the-counter creams – or by simply wearing your socks like a considerate, hygiene-abiding citizen.