Flip Flops and Foot Pain

Posted June 6, 2008 at 03:00 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: In The News, His Fitness, Injuries & Rehab, His Gear & Apparel, Apparel, His Health, Physical Health

Flip flops are the summer fashion for both girls and guys. But according to an article written today by Tara Parker-Hope, they can also lead to foot pain.

Apparently, those who wear thing flip flops are more susceptible to sore feet, ankles and legs. When you walk in them, they alter your gait—you take shorter steps, your heels hit the ground with less vertical force and you don’t bring their toes up as much as the leg swings forward.  The reason this happens is because you grip the flip flop with your toes.

This change can result in problems in the feet all the way up to the lower back. Tara says that this research doesn’t mean people shouldn’t buy them, and that they’re OK when worn for a short period of time (like, to the beach or to the pool or after a soccer game). “But they are not designed to properly support the foot and ankle during all-day wear,” the article says.