Trying to prevent mold in our Houston home

Mold remediators commonly use disposable white or blue mats called sticky mats also known as tacky mats in front of the areas of a building where they are removing mold. Dust and mold spores are suppose to stick to the mats as you walk over them. They are impractical and not needed for a typical home because:

1) They are expensive between $10.00 and $15.00 each. One will likely last only few days or a week or so. A regular door mat will not work nearly as well but will work well enough for most situations and are much better for repeated outdoor use.

2) The entire idea of keeping mold spores out of your house by removing them from your shoes is flawed in my opinion.
The reason I say this is because each time you open your door and walk in mold pores likely float in. Each cubic meter of outdoor air likely contains a few spores, to a few tens of thousands of spores, depending on weather conditions like rain and humidity, and also depending on what direction the wind is blowing from.

In conclusion I would not spend a minute worrying about the bottom of my shoes unless I walked through a very moldy home, in such a case I would use a door mat and also remove my shoes when entering the home. And remember that you are letting more mold in with the air than you are bringing in on your shoes most likely.

It is not the spores you have to worry about, it is the indoor environment. If your house is wet or humid then mold will grow from those spores that float into your home. If your home is dry and not humid then the spores will never germinate. Spores are always with you, just keep your home clean and dry and keep your humidity below 60%RH.