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The Flipside of Flip-Flops

By Michele S Jang, PT ~

We are creating a generation of people who will likely need physical therapy at some point in their lives.  The culprit; wearing flip-flops at a young age and wearing them often.  I see so many young children, and a lot of college students, who wear flip-flops.  I cringe when I look down at their feet and see how flat-footed they are and how their gait is affected.

Michele Jang
Michele Jang

Though there have been improvements made to flip-flops over the years, they can eventually lead to feet and other body problems. I don’t recommend flip-flops for several reasons.  They do not allow for control of the calcaneus (heel bone).  Proper striking of the calcaneus is extremely important when you walk.  The outer half of the calcaneus should be the first point of contact with the ground every time you take a step.  The calcaneus prepares the rest of your foot to properly absorb the initial forces of striking the ground. The calcaneus will then also help your foot become more rigid to allow for greater push-off while walking.

In addition, flip-flops do not allow for midfoot support like a lace-up shoe would.  Snuggly lacing up the midfoot portion of your shoe allows for the arches to be more easily maintained in your foot.  Otherwise the three important arches of your foot, the medial, lateral and metatarsal arch will tend to “fall”. “Falling” arches also lead to foot fatigue more easily as the small muscles, tendons and ligaments in your foot strain to maintain your arches.

What about the argument of being connected with the Earth?  That shoes are actually making us worse.  Most of us no longer live in an area that is surrounded by soft dirt. Instead we have concrete and asphalt, which offers less absorption of walking forces.

If you are set on walking on the beach barefoot or wearing those flip-flops, I advocate for the 80/20 rule.  Wear supportive footwear 80% of the time.  Twenty percent of the time, you can wear whatever footwear you chose or decide to go barefoot.

At Spirit Winds Physical Therapy, we have a number of patients who we treat for foot issues.  We also advise them on proper footwear and inserts.

Michele S Jang, PT is a physical therapist who likes to look outside the box. She has been a physical therapist for over 21 years and has extensive training in manual therapy or the use of hands to help rehabilitate the body. Michele has been an instructor both in the United States and abroad. She offers Free Consults on Tuesday afternoons. Michele also has a team of therapists at Spirit Winds who offer an array of expertise on exercise, fall prevention, body mechanics and proper breathing technique to increase awareness and healing. Michele can be reached at 805 543-5100 or [email protected].

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Justin Stoner

Justin is a journalist of more than 20 years. He specializes in digital technology and social media strategy. He enjoys using photography and video production as storytelling tools.