Flip-Flops & Foot Health

Since healthy feet are essential to a balanced body, it is always important to pay close attention to your feet and to make the correct footwear choices. At Granger Podiatry, we'll help you select the right types of shoes to suit your lifestyle and to protect the health of your feet.

For most children and adults alike, enjoying a day in the sun means slipping on a pair of flip-flops before heading out the door. While colorful flip-flops can look awfully cute and the feeling of breathability they offer can’t be beat, long-term or inappropriate wear of this type of footwear can be harmful to the health of your feet.

Because many inexpensive flip-flops don’t offer any arch, heel, or lateral support, they leave the feet increasingly vulnerable to such things as foot fatigue, plantar fasciitis, and sprained ankles. And, since it’s a natural impulse to curl your toes in order to prevent these shoes from falling off your feet, flip-flops can even contribute to the development of bunions or hammertoes.

Your feet have to work a lot harder when wearing a pair of flip-flops? As a result of these additional effort and strain, flip-flops can overwork the delicate bones, tendons and ligaments in the feet, and lead to overuse injuries such as stress fractures, shin splints and tendonitis. Moreover, the lack of protection from the elements that flip-flops provide, along with the constant friction or rubbing that they cause, leave your feet susceptible to sunburn, cuts, bruises and blisters.

Take a word of advice from our office. To minimize your risk of any flip-flop related problems, remember not to wear them for inappropriate or extensive activities. It is also important to purchase a well designed and properly fitting pair. While an inexpensive pair with good tread may work well as a shower or locker room shoe, a higher quality pair of flip-flops or summer sandals with deep heel cups, high arch support, and comfortable toe support is essential for more extensive daily wear and is well worth the extra cost.

At the office of Granger Podiatry, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality of skilled and compassionate care. For more information on our office and the many services that we provide, give us a call today.

By Granger Podiatry

January 7, 2020