Flip Flops
By chris620
@chris620 (104)
United States
July 26, 2009 2:17am CST
I saw on the news that flip flops can be bad for your legs!! And you should only have them n at the beach or something like that. I love my flip flops I have them on all the time!! I have over 20 of them so i alway match. What do you think? will they over time harm you?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@fruitcakeliz (2638)
• United States
26 Jul 09
Without having read the study, i assume that they claim flip flops, or really, ANY flat bottomed show can be bad for your legs as they offer no support to your feet whatsoever.
I say, if you are comfortable wearing them, and have no aches or pains in your body, then go to it and wear whatever shoes you darn well please. But if you star having aches and pains, you might want to consider something with a little more support. With out proper support in your shoes, you can be more prone to not only pain in your feet, but in your knees, and your hips and you back, as your feet not being properly supported can cause your entire spine to sit out of alignment and cause un-neccisary stress on all of the other joints in your body.
Personally, i work on my meet 8 plus hours a day, and also walk back and forth to work. I have a few pairs od flat bottomed, supportless shoes that i wear on occasion, but i try to not wear them for work, as i always wind up sore and in pain laater in the day. I need good supportive shoes, with arch supports in order to be pain free. But then i have high arches in my feet, and if i don't support them, by the end of the day the weight and pressure that has been being put on this part of my feet causes me agony.
But as long as you are comfortable, continue wearing thos flip flops! they sure can be cute!
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
28 Jul 09
If it's the same study that I saw, it wasn't because of the flat bottomed shoes. It was actually because most people change their gait in order to keep the flip flops from sliding off their feet. I would think that the problem would be far more severe with Crocs though. Because with flip flops, you have that toe hold.
If your feet have arches, flat bottomed shoes aren't necessarily bad since your muscles will provide the support. But for flat feet perhaps that would be a problem. And I guess high arches affect the muscles too somehow. My feet are actually close to being flat, but I've noticed improvement on the arches lately since I've been running a lot. And I don't use the shoes with a lot of support since that supposedly weakens your muscles.
@fruitcakeliz (2638)
• United States
28 Jul 09
That makes sense, about the changing of your gait when wearing flip flops to keep them one.
When it comes to arches, yes, having arches definately reduces stress and wht not on your legs, knees, feet and muscles, they work as shock absorbers. Unfortunately though, my arches are too high as opposed to too low, or non-existant as in flat footed people. The arches on my feet are so high that i often have to wear wide width shoes, not because my feet are wider than they normaly should be, but because they are too high do to my arches. I need the extra shoe material so my shoes aren't to tight on the tops of my feet. It really makes it hard sometimes to get almost any kind of shoe that doesn't tie or fasten on top, because if i cannot adjust them, my feel are "too tall" to fit in them. High arches cause just as much problems as not enough arch, as throughout the day while you are on your feet and walking on them, it is actually causing more pressure on that area of your foot, trying to flatten it out more. I get horrible pains somedays if i am on my feet with nonsupportive shoes, usually radiating from my heels and the ball of my foot below my big toe, as these areas take all the pressure, since my srches are higher.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
29 Jul 09
That sounds horrible. I can't usually get shoes without laces just because my feet aren't generally wide enough (my feet would be wide enough if they were an 8, but I have size 10 feet which apparently makes them almost narrow).
I get muscle spasms in my feet a lot, but that's it. They have greatly reduced since I started running though.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
12 Aug 09
THey could seeing they offer no support. But you know last summer I bought a pair of slides that are similar to crocks w/o the holes & back strap and after a few months of wearing them my foot had started to hurt and still hurts from time to time I've never had problems til I wore those. *sigh* I really need to get in to the Dr to see what she thinks.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
28 Jul 09
I've seen that before too, except that I saw it on the news last year. I don't think it would be bad if you're only wearing them for a few months out of the year. You'll just use different leg muscles. Maybe the cheap flip flops would be really bad, but I don't notice myself walking in any weird fashion when I'm wearing my nicer flip flops. Although I do prefer hiking sandals.
@puddytat101 (657)
• United States
26 Jul 09
No matter what type of shoe you are wearing, just don't live in them. Whoever does these studies have way too much time on their hands! I mean, if they are basing this on a person who wears them for hours a day versus someone who just wears out to certain places on occasion, then the results will vary. Everything in moderation as they say!
