Aside from acquiring the skin condition by using the same facilities infected with the fungus, athlete s foot can also be a cause of: - Wearing tight-fitting and non-porous shoes. - Using unclean socks or socks that are not made of natural fibers such as cotton. - Keeping the feet sweaty and not changing socks once they get wet with sweat. Not only will you develop blisters on your feet, you may also be itching every minute of your sports game or work time. Athlete's foot is a fungal infection caused by the fungus tinea pedis, which often grows in areas that are moist and warm. And what can be warmer and more moist than your feet especially when inside those rubber shoes? This skin disease is experienced by a person or persons who keep/s their the feet and other areas of the body moist and warm without doing proper hygiene and thus leading to irritation of the upper layer of the skin where the fungus thrives. Athlete's Foot 101 A skin infection in the foot caused by a fungus called trichophyton, athlete s foot is also known tinea pedis. Lightness is of course highly essential because trudging along many flights of stairs or covering long distances will not be as tiresome when you are wearing the right footwear. Checking your shoes in relation to how it allows air to come in through it is also good. If ever you need to wear socks, make sure you change when you perspire heavily or whenever you feel uncomfortable. People who suffer from chronic interdigital athlete s foot experience heavy scaling, fissures, and maceration usually in the 4th and 5th toe webs while the moccasin type is characterized by the presence of dry, silvery, and very fine scaly skin on the sole. The acute vesicular, on the other hand, shows abrupt onset of painful blisters that can spread to different areas of the body such as arms, chest, and sides of the fingers. The fungus lives off the dead skin cells in your foot and it will be just a matter of time until the symptoms of the infection becomes evident. With the infection slowly developing, the skin surrounding your foot becomes dry and scaly. Inflammation and blisters may also develop gradually during the course of the infection.