Get Flip Flops that are good for your feet!
Who doesn’t love flip flops? I was first introduced to them as a young child. I loved them and lived in them year round for years as a child. Bike riding, playground playing and racing like the wind at recess, all in flip flops. Day in and day out, like all the other kids. At that time, my parents didn’t know these adorable shoes were ruining my feet. We took the stubbed toes and tripping as signs of my need to be more careful. It took me years and a trip to the podiatrist to learn the damage my favorite shoes had done to my feet.
During those in between years, I had a few more lessons to learn. One of my most painful flip flop lessons came when I wore them to Disneyworld as an adult. Boy, was I cranky that day. My back hurt and knees hurt so bad, I was miserable. Looking back, I should have just purchased a new pair of shoes while I was there. All the long lines and me in flip flops, walking from one end of the park to the other, multiple times.
It would take me a few more years of pain before I finally went to a foot doctor for a diagnosis. Imagine my surprise when I learned my favorite childhood shoes were the cause of all my woes. I had become flat footed and I needed to wear shoes with arch support, all the time. Yep, I’m one of the 75% of the population who has a foot problem.
I learned the hard way about flip flops but you don’t have to. Playing in flip flops was one of the worst things I could have done for my young feet. Running, jumping and pounding on my feet, day in and day out, all without arch support, for years. That day at Disneyworld I continued the bad pattern and did everything wrong, again.
Wearing flip flops causes us to crunch our toes so the flip flops don’t fall off our feet. Flips flops cause most of us to take shorter strides as well. Both of these actions can throw our balance off, causing back and knee pain. In addition, we may develop foot pain in our plantar area or our Achilles. Regular flip flops are great for protecting our feet from Athletes foot in the showers or for walking short distances, but not too much else. Years ago flip flops didn’t provide arch support but now they do so we can still have our cake, ie, flip flops, and enjoy them too.
If you’ve never seen or heard of flip flops with arch support, your feet are in for a treat. You can wear your favorite shoes and this time, they are good for your feet. There are several different brands on the market, so you have lots of flip flops to choose from. New Balance, LL Bean, Zappos, Men’s Good Vibes, Eddie Bauer, the list is endless. The key is not to be sucked in by the cheap flat flip flops.
Also, bear in mind, that even though they have arch support, your ankles still don’t have the same support a shoe provides so you’ll want to limit your time wearing them. Short stints in them are okay but you don’t want to do Disneyworld in these either. Our feet and ankles still need good support. So friends, run, don’t walk, to the nearest store and get a pair of flip flops that provide arch support. Your feet will be so happy and you won’t even remember they are good for you. The links below can provide you with more information.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/foot-health/flip-flops-the-most-dangerous-shoes-you-can-wear.aspx
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/08/08/flip-flops-101-potential-danger-of-summer-footwear/
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