How do you feel about shoe-thrifting? It’s understood that some of us LOVE it while others find it icky and disgusting. I’m someone that happens to love shoe thrifting. If I’m out thrifting and stumble upon a pair of vintage Ferragamo boots in good condition at a reasonable price, I’m buying them. I am not alone in enjoying the art of shoe-thrifting. There’s been a recent rise in vintage shoe shopping and designer shoe re-sale. Savvy online stores like the Real-Real and Poshmark offer shoppers opportunities to purchase pre-worn shoes at affordable prices. Overall, It’s a win-win combination for our shoe closets. In addition to being fun, shopping for second-hand shoes saves money and helps reduce environmental waste. However, from a health professional’s perspective I must ask: “Is shoe thrifting healthy for our feet?”.
Doctor’s Healthy Shoe Thrifting
In this blog post I will address two main concerns of wearing someone else’s old shoes: Firstly, germs in someone’s old shoes and secondly, shoes that have already conformed to the previous owners feet. Lastly, we’ll look at the environmental impacts of fast fashion shoes. Let’s first address germs in thrifted shoes. The following are tips on how to prevent anything from spreading via the thrifted shoe to your foot. What I’m about to discuss should NOT discourage you from purchasing second hand shoes–it is only precautionary. I personally have been shoe thrifting for over a decade and never once encountered any foot issues from thrifted shoe. Nor has any patient of mine (from my ten plus years) of experience as a foot doctor. However, it is important to use common sense when shoe thrifting. Keep scrolling for my tips.
6 Healthy Thrifting Tips for Buying Shoes
- WEAR SOCKS – Before you leave home, wear socks or bring light stocking foot covers with you in your purse or pockets to the Thrift store. This will help prevent spread of any athletes’ foot that may be lurking in the shoes you’ll try on at the store.
- SMELL THE SHOES – They might be gorgeous Fendi pumps but if they smell bad, HARD PASS. Any shoe that has a strong or pungent odor has either bacteria or fungus causing the smell.
- LOOK INSIDES – So you found a quality vintage pair of Doc Martens. First look at the insides of the shoes for anything sticking out – sharp staples, tears in the seams, rips or holes in the soles.
- FEEL AROUND INSIDE THE SHOE – If everything appears O.K. upon inspection, slide your hand into the shoe and feel around for any bumps or sharp objects. (If you are a diabetic be very cautious of this or have someone else do it for you.) Once everything feels good and smooth inside the shoes, then try them on with your socks on.
- CHECK FOR BROKEN PARTS – Make sure to lace up the shoes, buckle all buckles, pull up the tongue of the shoes, and inspect the heels. Are the shoes barely worn? Do the heels look slanted? Do the bottom soles look too worn? Certain shoe parts can be repaired and replaced. If it’s a broken shoelace, that’s an easy replacement. If there’s a hole or a broken strap, that may take money to repair. Are the shoes worth the investment?
- WALK AROUND – As if you’re in a shore store, walk around in the shoes for a few minutes. Ask yourself these questions: “How do they feel?” “Do the toes pinch? Do they feel good?” “Are the rubber soles worn out?”. Just because a pair of pre-worn shoes are “cheap” necessarily doesn’t equate to comfort for your feet. We’ve all fallen into this trap. There’s no point in owning a closet full of unworn designer thrifted shoes. A ‘thrifted shoe score’ should not only be an AMAZING STEAL but also FEEL GREAT on our feet! So you purchased your shoes, let’s discuss the next steps.
I ALWAYS bring socks with me to try on shoes at the Thrift Store. 
Rows of donated shoes and clothes in the Housing Works Charity Shop on the Upper East Side, NYC.
A thrifted shoe score! What next?
So you found a thrifted shoe deal with used shoes that actually fit–Hooray! I can’t think of anything better than finding a pair of designer shoes on 98% off! Last year, I shared to my social media a pair of brand new Stuart Weitzman heeled loafers that cost $7 thrifting. WHAT a steal, right?! You must know, however, that before wearing my thrifted shoes, I clean them. Not to alarm you, but there are ‘things’ you can potentially catch on your feet from infected surfaces. Those include: fungus a.k.a. athletes foot, warts (verrucae), and/or bacteria. The likelihood of catching any of these from pre-worn shoes is very low. Please allow me to explain further.
Athlete’s foot is a fungus that lives on our skin. It’s known as a saprophyte. In order to survive, it needs our skin to exist. Cleaning your thrifted shoes with a disinfectant such as Lysol will kill any potential spores still in the shoe. Fungal spores can live up to 20 months in an old shoe. Therefore, we want to eliminate them before they even have a chance to multiply. The same technique also works for viral warts and bacteria. There are many shoe cleaning techniques to use, mine is easy and simple which I will explain next.
A Simple Shoe Cleaning Technique for healthy shoe thrifting
The best way to clean the inside of a shoe, in my opinion, is by first cleaning it with a Lysol wipe then Lysol spray. I do not recommend bleach. Bleach is great for killing surface germs but it can destroy your new shoes. To clarify, Lysol wipes will not damage the shoe’s integrity or color. Once you wipe clean the inside soles and toe-box I recommend to lightly spray the shoes with Lysol spray. This will both deodorize them and kill any germs you may have missed while wiping them. Afterward, ‘air out’ your shoes for at least a day, preferably outside in a sunny warm area. The sun acts as a natural desiccator of germs. (The following two cleaning products are affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. .)
Alternatively, canvas or cloth shoes can go into the washing machine left to air-dry after. If you are unsure how to clean something, a professional shoe repair or garment cleaner is your best option. With any cleaning technique, there are no guarantees your thrifted shoes will be 100% germ free. That is next to impossible–but let’s just say they are probably safe enough to use and wear.
The best/worse shoes for healthy shoe thrifting.
In my opinion, the best shoes to thrift are suede and leather. This is because suede and leather naturally stretch over our foot bones. They are treated to be durable and long-lasting on our feet and the subsequent owner’s feet. I usually pass on thrifted athletic wear. Allow me to explain further: sweat and bacteria build up in sneakers and as a result have a higher chance of harboring germs. However, if sneakers are something you enjoy thrifting, I’d recommend to use something stronger than just lysol to disinfect them. Here is evidence that UV shoe sanitizers kill fungus in sneakers. (JAPMA 2012).
The Environmental Impacts of Fast Fashion Shoes
If you’re still not convinced about shoe thrifting, let’s consider the environmental impacts of shoes and fast fashion. Biotech Scientist and Founder of Zenbin (London’s first recycling mobile app), Tamsin LaCourte, has kindly researched the subject for us. Here’s what she has to say about fast fashion footwear and its impacts on the environment:
@Tamsinlacourte on Instagram
Tamsin LaCourte is a Biotech scientist and founder of Zenbin. 
Tamsin weighs in on fast fashion and footwear.
“The demand for footwear has increased substantially over the past half century. In 1950, each person in the world consumed one new pair of shoes per year; this figure rose to 2.6 new pairs of shoes per year in 2005. In 2018, 24.2 billion pairs of shoes were produced, equating to approximately 3 pairs of shoes per person per year. However, footwear consumption is unequally distributed across the world. In high income countries such as the US, there is a higher per capita consumption of 6.9 pairs per year, whereas low-middle-income countries exhibit a significantly smaller consumption rate. For example, Brazil has a per capita footwear consumption of 2.6 pairs annually, and India has an even smaller consumption of 0.6 pairs per year.
Fast Fashion & Footwear
This exponential industry growth, a distinct marker of fast fashion, is the result of the rapid turnover of footwear products. The fast fashion model encourages consumers to perceive footwear as accessories and therefore as disposable and easily replaceable. The ever changing footwear landscape, built on the rapid succession of short-term fashion trends, means that the perceived useful lifespan of shoes is decreasing. This aspect, coupled with the use of low-quality materials to cater to higher manufacturing demands, results in a growing footwear waste stream.
“The fast fashion model encourages consumers to perceive footwear as accessories and therefore as disposable and easily replaceable.”
Tamsin LaCourte Founder of zenbin
Social Impacts of Fast Fashion Footwear
In light of these ethical violations, many consumers are preaching a “slow fashion” lifestyle. This lifestyle aims to reduce overall consumption of fashion items and the redistribution of consumer purchases towards sustainable ventures. Particularly promising, secondhand shopping (SHOE THRIFTING) has become the go-to shopping destination for the new converts who want to reduce their environmental impact while conserving the affordability granted by the fast fashion industry. When looking at the rows of donated shoes in charity or thrift shops, we can’t help but hear the distant voices of our parents cautioning us against wearing someone’s shoes. Is there any truth in these health warnings?”. – Tamsin
Shoe Thrifting and Slow Fashion
The fast-fashion business model presents challenges for sustainability and waste management within the footwear sector. Shoes comprise of a mix of chemicals, glues, rubbers and leather. This all has significant environmental and health impacts. Chemical compounds from footwear leaches into the soil, generates emissions to the atmosphere, and impacts surrounding ecology. Incineration of polyvinyl chloride, a commonly used material in the footwear industry, releases carbon dioxide and dioxins. These toxins are persistent and bioaccumulative endocrine disruptors ie: they can inner fear with our reproductive system. (Filho et al, 2019).
Recently, the footwear industry has been heavily criticized for the exploitation of impoverished female workforces. Investigation in shoe factories in Eastern Europe revealed that intense workloads was the norm rather than the exception. Also, failure to comply with overtime hours often generated tensions with managers. The workers also experience unsanitary and unsafe conditions. In addition, with no access to protective equipment to shield them from exposure to toxic chemicals. Workers often suffer from stomach and headaches, back and neck pains, damaged eye sight and skin and respiratory problems due to the degrading working conditions. Their meagre wages are insufficient to subsist on. Workers often find themselves to depend on financial support from relatives and free agricultural goods.
In summary, purchasing thrifted shoes is a great way to save money, expand your wardrobe, and most importantly help save the environment!
Are you a shoe thrifter? What things do you like thrifting? Please share your tips!
Healthy Shoe Thrifting written by:
Article by Dr. Casey Ann Pidich featuring guest Tamsin LaCourte the founder of ZenBin, London’s first recycling mobile app, Tamsin is also a scientist. She holds a master degree in Cancer from the University College of London and is currently working in an early-stage biotech start-up. As a scientist, she is at the forefront of innovation. She is now using this platform to build disruptive technologies and combat misinformation surrounding sustainability through evidence-based content.
