Athlete's foot is a skin condition caused by a fungus. The fungus causes the skin on your feet to crack, peel, and itch. One place that a person can get athlete's foot is from a shower (from other people who carry the fungus in there). Wearing flip flops (or shower shoes) in a public shower can help reduce your chances of getting athlete's foot. Fungi love to grow in warm, moist places and a shower definitely meets those conditions.