Flip flops can be dangerous (maybe more than high heels)

Flip flops seem to be perfect for hot summer days when you can spend your whole day walking and enjoying yourself. But according to the scientists and doctors they aren’t the best footwear you can choose for this purpose. Moreover, flip flops can be even more dangerous than high heels.

Flip flops affect the gait and cause problems with legs, knees, hips and back

Flip flops do not provide great support and while they seem to be very comfortable they are actually not. The problem is that the only thing that makes flip flops hold on your feet is the thong and that means you have to grip the shoe when you walk. This affects your gait and puts additional strain on your muscles. Besides, when you wear flip flops you tend to strike the ground with less force than when you wear any other shoes. This makes you take shorter steps resulting in lower leg pain and even development of heel spurs (little bony growths on the heel) and plantar strain.

Flip flops don’t protect you from falling objects or other people stepping on your feet

Your feet can’t be protected from such simple things as falling objects or even other people stepping on them. When you wear flip flops your nails can get injured or toes can be bruised which is unlikely to happen when you wear other type of footwear.

Thin soles don’t absorb shock

Flip-flops usually come with very thin soles which can’t provide shock absorption. So walking on hard or uneven surfaces can cause foot pain, or you can have your ankles sprained if you trip.

Photo from cheapflipflopswholesale.com

You can develop skin cancer

We normally put sunscreen to all those parts of our body which are exposed, but we often forget to protect our feet from the harmful UV rays. And skin cancer can develop on feet to, and that’s the most dangerous thing as we don’t normally examine our feet, heels and toes so carefully as we do with face or arms. And spots are easy to miss if they are hidden between the toes.

Forget about flip flops if you are prone to foot injuries or already have ones

If you are diabetic or have weak immune system you are more prone to infections, which means in case of even insignificant injury you can have a lot of problems. And when you wear flip flops injuries are quite common due to the fact your feet are very exposed. Avoid flip flops in case you are overweight as you need more support in your shoes since more stress is put on your feet, ankles and lower back. And if you already have foot injuries staying away from flip flops is a must if you don’t want to make it worse.

Photo from barefootandgrounded.com

Flip flops are bad for driving

Any open heeled shoes including flip-flops are potentially dangerous when you drive because there is a chance that they can slip off and get stuck under accelerator or brake pedals.

Photo courtey of autoexpress.co.uk

How to decrease dangers flip flops bring

• Opt for comfy shoes or sandals if you have to walk long distances. Flip flops are basically made for walking along the beach or pool.
• Choose flip flops with thicker soles which could protect your feet from uneven surfaces and sharp objects you might step on while walking.
• To prevent development of cancer use sun block and check your feet for any suspicious moles on the regular basis.–millionlooks.com + photos

Photo courtesy of sciencebuzz.org