Flip-flops go hand in hand with summer time and warm weather. You can slip them on and keep your feet cooler for the whole summer. One might find though that after consistently wearing them they experience pain in their feet and lower limbs. This is because flip-flops are not very good for your feet.

Recent studies claim that continuous use of flip-flops can cause permanent damage to your feet later on in life. Wearing flip-flops changes the biomechanics of your feet. When you wear them, it forces you to scrunch your toes together and rock in an awkward side to side motion, starting with your heel and moving to the outside of your foot to your toes. Due to your feet being the base of the weight of your body, this can cause much more severe damage than you think. The first signs of damage come from pain in the shin or heel area.

Flip-flops affect all areas of your feet starting with:

• Toes – When there is only one strap to hold your feet in place, they tend to use the muscles more and could cause cases of tendinitis.
• Bones – Wearing flip-flops too often can lead to stress fractures in the bones of your feet which develop from continuous trauma without shock absorption or cushioning.
• Bacteria – One pair of flip-flops can have as much as 18,000 different kinds of bacteria.
• Ankles – While wearing them you take shorter steps and touch your heels to the ground with less vertical force, which can throw off your natural gait and can trigger pain throughout the body. Changes to your natural gait can lead to issues including your ankles, hips, knees and back.

If you’re a fan of wearing flip-flops and are starting to experience foot pain or think you will, then it is time for the proper Foot Care. Your feet are the base of your body and should be taken care of with the utmost importance.

For more information, or to book an assessment, please contact Ontario Foot and Orthotics at one of our two locations: 519-623-3000 (Cambridge), 905-878-6479 (Milton). Or visit us online at www.ontariofoot.ca.