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Articles | Tropical Environment, Biology, and Technology | Volume 3 - Issue 2 - 2025 | 133-143 | https://doi.org/10.53623/tebt.v3i2.837
© 2025 by the author(s), and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License

Evaluation of the Impact of Different Footwear Brands on the Human Toe Web Microbiome of Selected Students in Awka, Nigeria

Author(s): Stephanie Ifunanya Nkamigbo , Ugochukwu Chukwuma Okafor , Onyekachukwu Izuchukwu Udemezue
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Department of Applied Microbiology and Brewing, Faculty of Biosciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria

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Tropical Environment, Biology, and Technology

Volume 3 - Issue 2 - 2025

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The synergy between microbes on human-associated objects and the environment we inhabited was of great relevance to human health and disease transmission. The type of footwear a person wore could influence the toe microbiome, which was a unique and often overlooked microenvironment. In this study, the effects of different footwear brands were investigated in relation to the toe web microbiome. Thirty (30) specimens were sampled from the toe webs of individuals who wore various kinds of footwear. They were grouped as free-toed shoes, breathable shoes, and non-breathable shoes. The assessment of these samples took place in the Microbiology Laboratory of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The media used for the analysis—Nutrient Agar (NA) and Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA)—were prepared according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Identification and characterization of the isolates were based on morphology, staining reactions, microscopic examination, and biochemical tests. Four bacterial isolates were found in the toe webs of the participants: Neisseria species from free-toe samples, Lactobacillus species from breathable samples, and Streptococcus species isolated from both free-toe and non-breathable samples. Five fungal isolates were also found in the toe webs of the participants: Saccharomyces species and Aspergillus species from breathable samples, Candida species from non-breathable samples, and Malassezia species isolated from both free-toe and breathable samples. The results indicated that wearing shoes, especially non-breathable ones, could influence the skin microbiome in several ways. By understanding these microbial dynamics, public health guidelines and consumer choices could be better informed, potentially reducing the incidence of skin infections.

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SUBMITTED: 19 September 2025
ACCEPTED: 09 November 2025
PUBLISHED: 14 November 2025
SUBMITTED to ACCEPTED: 51 days
DOI: https://doi.org/10.53623/tebt.v3i2.837

Cite this article
Nkamigbo, S. I., Okafor, U. C. ., & Udemezue, O. I. . (2025). Evaluation of the Impact of Different Footwear Brands on the Human Toe Web Microbiome of Selected Students in Awka, Nigeria . Tropical Environment, Biology, and Technology, 3(2), 133–143. https://doi.org/10.53623/tebt.v3i2.837
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