Skip the Flip! Part 2

            In addition to soaring stilettos and towering high-heels, the down-to-earth flip-flops are now considered to be notorious footwear! Why exactly is this the case? 

The number one reason that flip-flops cause the problems that they do is due to misconception! Many people believe that flip-flops are footwear designed to relieve the stress on your feet! However, nothing could be further from the truth!

To understand how dynamic feet are, think about all their functions:

1)     They are essential for our mobility

2)     They help with preserving our balance

3)     They bear our full body weight

 As a result of trying to maintain their many roles, our feet are subjected to many stresses.

            As mentioned before, wearing flip-flops will overwork your feet and lower extremity because flip-flop laden feet lead to change in gait patterns. So now along with a change in your walking, your feet have to readjust themselves to make sure they still maintain your mobility, keep your balance, and support your full body weight!

Another reason that flip-flops are no good in terms of foot health is because they provide zero support. Athletic shoes, for example, have excellent cushioning which assists the heel in shock absorption. Since flip-flops do not have shock-absorbing capabilities, the foot will take on the stress which over time can lead to pathologies like tendinitis.

Furthermore, the foot is well-confined in an athletic shoe and consequently does not deviate in different directions. A flip-flop has open sides and as a result, the foot has the ability to maneuver itself in any direction it sees fit. Excessive and improper movement of the foot diminishes its shocking-absorbing capability since the foot is now not in the proper position to take on the stress.

Additionally, many flip-flops provide poor traction on smooth surfaces. For that reason, people are more prone to falling and slipping. When you walk on a wet surface in flip-flops, your foot may slip off of the actual shoe and twist, causing a painful strain or sprain. If you step off of a sidewalk incorrectly while wearing flip-flops, there are no sides to a flip-flop available to support the foot or ankle. Now pair that with the fact that the foot has the ability to move in any direction it wants while you are in such footwear. You are setting yourself up for a potentially serious injury since flip-flops make it easy to take that wrong!

Central Florida Foot & Ankle Center, LLC
101 6th Street N.W.
Winter Haven, FL 33881
Phone: 863-299-4551
http://www.FLFootandAnkle.com