Why Is Wearing Flip-flops Dangerous?

by Oct 15, 2020Diabetic Shoes, Fritzy Feet Tips0 comments

Why Is Wearing Flip-flops Dangerous?
Nothing says summer like flip-flops on every pair of feet. But while you cling to your favorite pair of open shoes for convenience and comfort during this time of the year, the opposite is true for foot experts who cringe at the idea of people wearing flip-flops daily.

Wearing flip-flops is not a bad choice when going to the beach or visiting the spa, but they shouldn’t be your primary footwear. While it may make you comfortable or look stylish on hot summer days, many people can suffer from foot pain from always wearing flip flops.

Below, we’re giving you a more detailed explanation of the real dangers of wearing flip-flops as your primary footwear, and some healthier alternatives.

Problems Caused by Wearing Flip-Flops

Problems Caused by Wearing Flip-Flops
Using flip-flops as your primary footwear can affect various parts of your body, like your posture, toes, skin, heels, and arches.

Change in Posture

Wearing flat shoes can negatively affect the way you walk and stand. Because flip-flops don’t bend the same way your feet do, it changes your body’s function, structure, and motion. It can harm your joints and mess with your body’s correct alignment. It can also aggravate knee, lower back, and hip pain that can cause you to position yourself in various postures just to reduce the pain.

Car Accidents

Besides causing bodily pains and irritations, wearing flip-flops can also result in other problems such as hazardous driving. Unstable footwear can reduce a driver’s control over a vehicle. Your flip-flops can get stuck or lodged under your car’s pedals, or even slide off your foot, which can cause accidents. It can also get stuck as you move your foot from one pedal to the next, and you won’t be able to react as necessary as you struggle to free your foot from the accelerator or brake.

Body Pains

Your feet need the right amount of arch support, and flip-flops provide nothing at all. As a result, your joints have to work extra hard in flat footwear, and in the process, you may overuse your ligaments, and suffer from heel strains, pinched back nerves, and an aching Achilles tendon.

All of these can result in sharp pains up your body. A common condition caused by wearing flip-flops is plantar fasciitis. This form of foot pain occurs when the connective tissues between your toes and heel get inflamed and sore.

The discomfort is often concentrated on the bottom or inside of your heel. These connective tissues, collectively known as plantar fascia tissue, support your feet’s natural arch and becomes stiff when your foot carries weight more than it can bear.

Wearing flip-flops cause your feet and toes to work harder so the shoe stays on your foot, which can inflame the tissue. A common effect of plantar fasciitis is a heel spur, a bony protrusion at the underside of your heel bone, which is formed when foot ligaments and muscles are strained, and the plantar fascia tissue is stretched.

Aside from plantar fasciitis, flip-flops can also cause neuropathy, which can occur when you expose your feet to infections and injuries. Shoe thongs don’t offer any protection, so your feet are more prone to feeling numb and sharp burning or stabbing sensations, and swelling.

Damaged Toes

Damaged Toes
When you wear flip-flops, your toes are required to work differently than when you’re wearing supportive and form-fitting athletic shoes. As your toes experience excessive bending to keep your flip-flops on, you may get hammertoe after a prolonged period.

Hammertoe occurs when the knuckles on your toe bend permanently, which can cause pain and stiffness that may require surgery. Open-toed footwear like flip-flops also heightens your risk for stubbed toes, broken toes, and torn nail beds.

Exposure to Feet Infections

While flip-flops are the better choice when walking around in public spaces like the beach or pool, you’re still at a higher risk of a range of viral, bacterial, and fungal infections that can irritate the skin on your feet. In severe cases, the condition may result in amputation, especially when you walk around with open wounds on your feet.

Another condition you can get from regularly wearing flip-flops is athlete’s foot, a contagious infection that you can get from showers and other public areas.

Blisters

If the top of your foot starts to hurt after you wear flip-flops, the straps may be rubbing against your skin. This is likely to happen when you’re wearing the wrong size. Worse, it can even result in bruises on top of your feet.

The slim piece of rubber or fabric strap is the only thing that keeps your foot onto the shoe, and it can irritate the skin between your toes as well as the surface of your foot by causing severe tenderness and blistering. When you get blisters, and they start popping, your unprotected feet become vulnerable to bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

Increased Risk of Injuries

Running and jumping in flip-flops can result in sprained ankles, ligament injuries, and even fractures, which may require surgery to treat. You should also avoid wearing shoe thongs when working on your yard because it increases your likelihood of tripping over something, which is especially dangerous when you’re working with tools and heavy machinery. Just imagine what can happen to your feet and toes when damaged by a lawnmower, weed whacker, or shovel. Also, wearing flip-flops makes you more susceptible to snake and insect bites.

Ruined Heels

Imagine walking or running with only a slim piece of rubber to protect your feet. Won’t your heels experience a more significant impact from the ground than when you wear supportive footwear? Flip-flops offer no protection from shock, which can expose your heel to a heightened level of impact when it hits concrete, which can cause pain when walking or standing for extended periods.

Slower Movements

Slower Movements
The truth is, flip-flops slow you down and make you clumsy because you tend to take smaller and awkward steps compared to when you wear athletic shoes because of the heightened risk of tripping and falling. You have to be more cautious when wearing flip-flops to ensure that the piece of rubber stays on your feet.

Aggravated Bunions

Your toes have to over-grip to keep the flip-flops on your feet. If you have bunions on, this excessive gripping can worsen your sores and cause more pain and discomfort.

Best Alternatives to Flip-Flops

The best alternative to flip-flops is a sneaker that provides support and comfort, whether you’re walking or running. However, they’re not very comfortable to wear during the summer. On the few occasions that wearing flip-flops is unavoidable, choose one made of fabric or leather as they are often safer for your skin and cause less discomfort. The thicker material also offers a slight boost in support.

If you like open footwear with more provisions, your best option is a pair of good sandals. Sandals give you more support than flip-flops because they usually have ankle and surface straps.

Orthotic sandals are also excellent options if you’re after the light and airy feel of flip-flops, but long for support and a moldable footbed. Other options include boat shoes, espadrilles, and woven slip-ons.

If you’re looking for a better footwear solution, find a pair that has the following features:

  • Additional straps
  • The appropriate amount of bend
  • Sufficient support
  • The precise size

Your footwear should offer better arch, heel, and ankle support, as well as stiff soles and some level of friction. The soles should also not bend in half, nor should it be deteriorating. Also, make sure to choose the right size, so your feet don’t hang over the edge, or cause you to trip.

Running and jumping in flip-flops can result in sprained ankles, ligament injuries, and even fractures, which may require surgery to treat. You should also avoid wearing shoe thongs when working on your yard because it increases your likelihood of tripping over something, which is especially dangerous when you’re working with tools and heavy machinery. Just imagine what can happen to your feet and toes when damaged by a lawnmower, weed whacker, or shovel. Also, wearing flip-flops makes you more susceptible to snake and insect bites.

We Have What You Need

While flip-flops are most people’s go-to footwear during the summer, there are better alternatives that can provide your feet with proper support and comfort. See a wide range of protective summer footwear when you head over to Fritzy Feet’s website.

Thanks Denver!

Thanks for all the memories, as of September 2022, Becks Shoes will now be your home for comfortable footwear. 

If you need to reach me for questions or concerns, I can still be reached at my email:  denver@fritzyfeet.com

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