Athlete's foot is a skin disease caused by a fungus, usually occurring between the toes. The fungus then grows in the warm and moist environment of your footwear, and can be difficult to eradicate. For short periods of time, the fungus can live in warm puddles on the tile floor, awaiting another foot to hop onto. Other conditions, such as disturbances of the sweat mechanism, reaction to dyes or adhesives in shoes, eczema, and psoriasis, may mimic athlete's foot. Recently, new insights into the nature of the condition and its treatment have been obtained. Causes of athlete's foot include:

--The body normally hosts a variety of saprotrophic microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi.
--Pathogenic or disease causing organisms or the overgrowth of saprotrophic ones can multiply rapidly and cause infection
--Dermatophytes may be spread from other humans (anthropophilic), animals (zoophilic) or may come from the soil . There are at least four dermatophytes that can cause athlete's foot. The most common is trichophyton rubrum .
--Inflammatory reactions in humans who have contact with infected cats, dogs, cattle, horses, birds, or other animals
--Athlete foot is caused by the ringworm fungus.
--Athlete foot can be found on floors and in socks and clothing .
--Athlete's foot is contagious and may be caught by walking barefoot in the locker room.
--Zoophilic organisms are found primarily in animals and cause marked inflammatory reactions in humans who have contact with infected cats, dogs, cattle, horses, birds, or other animals.