Syracuse (WSYR-TV/ABC) -- It’s Summer time, and the living’s easy. It’s a time when our sturdy shoes stay in the closet and out come our flip-flops. They’re easy to wear. So what's not to love, right? Well, a lot according to a study just released by the
National Foot Health Assessment 2012.
The study blames flip-flops for a lot of America's foot pain.
And here's why. The tiny rubber soles don't adequately absorb the shock of walking on hard surfaces like concrete, asphalt and stell. Every step potentially contributes to a misalignment of your body's skeleton - causing pain in the knees, hips and back.
Flip-flops also don't keep a wearer's foot in place. And that leads to tumbles, twisted ankles and even broken bones.
And there's more. Flip-flop straps rub on your skin, creating friction leading to blisters. And they offer no foot protection. It's easier to get cuts, scrapes and bruises when wearing a pair of flip flops.
But it's not all bad. The simple sandals can shield feet against the hot sand on a beach, which can burn and blister your skin on your walk to the water.
Keeping all this in mind, doctors recommend that you wear flip-flops only when you really need to. Don't just wear them as an everyday, all-purpose shoe.
