Summer officially starts soon. With it, if you haven’t
already started, comes the wearing of sandals or flip-flops. There are also
possible hazards for your feet. A bit of care can help your feet survive in
spite of how we treat them.
Support – remember that generally speaking, sandals are better for your
feet than flip-flops. They offer better support and protection around the foot,
and a more stable base. If you look at most flip-flops, they
are very thin
soled, often thinner on one side as the wearer walks on the side. The heel is
often exposed to the sidewalk. There is nothing to really keep the foot in-line
with the footbed of the flip-flop. At least with sandals a strap goes over the
forefoot and another around the heel, keeping the foot on the footbed. Most
flip-flops offer no arch support and no heel support. The foot is not secure
and it can easily slip to one side leading to a fall or a turned ankle. Then,
to top it off, the feet are usually dirty, often with calluses and cracked
heels. Often it is not a pretty sight. I wear flip-flops around the house, but
not in public.
Protection – Feet on flip-flops are exposed to anything and everything.
You can easily stub toes, something may drop on your feet, they might scrap
against curbs or rocks, and they are easily pierced by anything sharp. Sandals
offer more protection over, around and under feet.
Function – Flip-flops are designed for casual wear, not for extended
walking, exercise, golf, running – and especially not mowing your lawn. Sport
sandals are a better choice.
Given a choice, I’d recommend sandals over flip-flops.
Need more convincing? A study on flip-flops was released
last week at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Indianapolis.
Researchers at Auburn University in Alabama recruited 39 college-age men and
women, and measured how the participants walked on a special platform wearing
thong flip-flops. Study author Justin Shroyer, a
graduate student in Auburn's Department of Kinesiology, reported, "What we
saw is that when people walk in flip-flops, they alter their gait, which may
explain why we see some lower leg and foot problems in people who wear these
shoes a lot."
If you choose to wear flip-flops, at least
buy new ones every four months. When the thin footbed flattens out, it’s time
to replace them.
After all, we want our feet to be happy.
