Athlete's foot, also called Tinea Pedis, is a skin infection occuring on the feet.

While often believed to be caused by sweating of the feet due to improper footwear and hygiene, it is actually fungal infection.

The belief in sweaty feet having a foot....errr, hand... in causing the condition is not so far-fetched. The fungi that causes athlete's foot prefers moist, warm skin and, as a result, often acts up in warm weather.

Athlete's foot shows as an itchy rash or, in more severe forms, blisters. Theya re often found in the folds between the toes.

The fungus that causes the condition is not considered to be severely contagious. Many times, people will be exposed to the same conditions and some will get tinea pedis while others won't.

The fungus can stay on the skin indefinitely, even when the condition appears to clear up, and can erupt again when the conditions present themselves (such as when you regularly wear rubber shoes without socks causing heavy sweating on the feet.)