Wearing shoes inside the house is gross – and there’s science to back that up | Tayo Bero

Walking barefoot can boost your circulation, improve sleep quality and reduce inflammation, pain and tension, reflexologists say

There's an old African proverb that states: When you leave your shoes at the doorstep, you leave your troubles behind." And if you - like me - can't stand the thought of people traipsing through your house with their filthy outside shoes, then you probably take this adage quite literally.

Well, if you're tired of being shamed for being a stickler about these things, then I've got good news for you. A group of environmental chemists who study what kinds of contaminants people are exposed to in their own homes weighed in on the great shoe debate - and it turns out we were right: wearing your outside shoes inside won't just mess up your carpet; it is, in fact, scientifically gross.

Tayo Bero is a Guardian US columnist