Introduction

People who do a lot of sports or swimming are more likely to get athlete's foot because the fungus can flourish in the warm and moist environment around their feet. That is how this condition got its name. The medical term for athlete’s foot is “tinea pedis.”

Athlete’s foot can normally be treated effectively with creams available from the pharmacy. If you always keep your feet as dry as possible, you can do a lot to prevent this annoying infection.

At a glance

• Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is caused by fungus that infects the upper layer of skin on your feet – typically between your toes.
• The skin becomes red and cracked. Skin flakes off and it can be itchy and painful.
• Athlete’s foot can be treated effectively with over-the-counter creams, gels or sprays.
• Treatment with tablets is only rarely needed.
• You can help prevent athlete’s foot by keeping your feet as dry as possible.

Symptoms

Athlete’s foot occurs mainly between the toes and can lead to redness and cracks in the skin. The affected areas are flaky and sometimes itchy, and cracked skin in particular can be painful. The skin can also turn white and thicken, and is then often slightly swollen.

Athlete’s foot: Typical redness and cracks in the skin

If the infection spreads across the sole of the foot it is referred to as moccasin athlete’s foot. The soles of the feet, the heels and the edges of the feet are then dry, scaly and may be itchy. Moccasin athlete’s foot is sometimes mistaken for other conditions such as eczema.

A rare kind of athlete’s foot causes an acute inflammation associated with skin redness, blisters, pus-filled bumps and open sores. The skin may itch and feel tight.

Causes

Athlete’s foot is usually caused by fungi that infect the skin (dermatophytes). They can penetrate the upper layer of the skin (epidermis) through small cracks or injuries.

The fungus is passed on through direct skin contact or through contact with flakes of skin. That can happen if, for instance, you step on infectious flakes of skin in communal showers. The same fungus can also cause fungal nail infections.

Fungal skin infections need moisture and warmth to spread. Our feet offer a perfect environment for them, We spend most of the day wearing shoes that are often warm and damp. Plus, the epidermis of the foot contains a particularly high amount of keratin – a protein that skin fungi feed on.

Risk factors

Certain risk factors can increase the risk of athlete’s foot:

• A genetic predisposition
• Allergies and eczema
• Particularly sweaty feet
• A weak immune system, for instance due to a serious illness or the long-term use of medication that weakens the immune system
• Circulation problems in the legs, for example as a result of diabetes or narrowed blood vessels
• Sports involving your feet often being moist or wet, such as running or swimming
• Frequent contact with infectious fungi, for example in swimming pools and saunas

People who always have to wear sturdy shoes at work, such as safety boots or rubber boots, are also at higher risk. Athlete’s foot is rare in people who spend a lot of time barefoot.

Prevalence

Athlete’s foot is very common. It is estimated that 3 to 15% of the population are affected. Men and older people are more likely to get it.

Outlook

Although athlete’s foot doesn’t cause any serious problems in people who are otherwise healthy, it usually doesn’t go away on its own. If left untreated, it can spread to a nail and cause a fungal nail infection. The infection can spread to other areas of skin, such as the hands, but that rarely happens.

Very rarely, and only in severe cases of athlete’s foot, it can also lead to a bacterial infection.

Diagnosis

The doctor examines the affected parts of skin and asks about the symptoms. They may take a skin sample to rule out other similar skin conditions. That involves scraping off a small amount of skin and treating it with a chemical agent to identify fungal spores under a microscope. The results are often available the next day. Sometimes a fungal culture is taken in the laboratory to determine the exact type of fungus. That takes about three weeks.

Prevention

Fungi prefer a damp environment, so it’s important to keep your feet dry whenever possible. The following can help:

• Drying your feet with a towel and a hairdryer as well after showering, bathing or swimming, and ideally also between your toes.
• Wearing shoes that aren’t too tight and let your feet breathe
• Not wearing one pair of shoes for too long, and changing them daily if possible
• Taking your shoes off as often as possible

The following things can help keep you from getting athlete’s foot from infected flakes of skin and stop it from coming back:

• Wearing flip-flops when using swimming pools, communal showers and changing rooms
• Not sharing towels, shoes, or socks
• Washing socks, bedding and towels at 60 degrees Celsius (140 Fahrenheit) or higher
• Adding special anti-fungal laundry sanitizers if washing at lower temperatures

There haven’t been any good studies on how effective these preventive measures are.

Treatment

Athlete’s foot can usually be treated effectively with creams, gels or sprays that are available from pharmacies without a prescription. These products contain an ingredient that stops the growth of the fungus or kills it.

Home remedies such as tea tree oil or certain herbal foot baths are sometimes recommended. But there’s no scientific proof that they are effective in the treatment of athlete’s foot.

If athlete’s foot can’t be treated successfully with creams, gels or sprays, treatment with tablets may be considered. But this is only rarely necessary.

Further information

When people are ill or need medical advice, they usually go to see their family doctor first. Information about health care in Germany can help you to navigate the German healthcare system and find a suitable doctor. You can use this list of questions to prepare for your appointment.

Sources

• Crawford F, Hollis S. Topical treatments for fungal infections of the skin and nails of the foot. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007; (3): CD001434. [PMC free article: PMC7073424] [PubMed: 17636672]
• Crawford F, Young P, Godfrey C et al. Oral treatments for toenail onychomycosis: a systematic review. Arch Dermatol 2002; 138(6): 811-816. [PubMed: 12056964]
• Moriarty B, Hay R, Morris-Jones R. The diagnosis and management of tinea. BMJ 2012; 345: e4380. [PubMed: 22782730]
• Pschyrembel online. Tinea pedis. 2025.
• Rotta I, Otuki MF, Sanches AC et al. Efficacy of topical antifungal drugs in different dermatomycoses: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Rev Assoc Med Bras 2012; 58(3): 308-318. [PubMed: 22735222]
• Schmeller W, Stingl P, Bendick C. Dermatosen aus 3 Kontinenten. Bildatlas der vergleichenden Dermatologie. Stuttgart: Schattauer; 2005.
• Weinstein A, Berman B. Topical treatment of common superficial tinea infections. Am Fam Physician 2002; 65(10): 2095-2102. [PubMed: 12046779]

• IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health care services.

  Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual case can be determined by talking to a doctor. informedhealth.org can provide support for talks with doctors and other medical professionals, but cannot replace them. We do not offer individual consultations.

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