Flip Flops Can Lead To Sore Feet

They"re the latest fad, and the coolest footwear in the hot summer season, giving you the much desired casual look, but according to a group of researchers the much-loved flip-flops can result in sore feet, ankles and legs.

"We found that when people walk in flip-flops, they alter their gait, which can result in problems and pain from the foot up into the hips and lower back," said Justin Shroyer, a biomechanics doctoral student.

"Variations like this at the foot can result in changes up the kinetic chain, which in this case can extend upward in the wearer's body," he said.

The researchers, in the AU College of Education's Department of Kinesiology, recruited 39 college-age men and women for the study.

Participants, wearing thong-style flip-flops and then traditional athletic shoes, walked a platform that measured vertical force as the walkers' feet hit the ground.

In addition, a video camcorder measured stride length and limb angles.

Shroyer's team found that flip-flop wearers took shorter steps and that their heels hit the ground with less vertical force than when the same walkers wore athletic shoes.

When wearing flip-flops, the study participants did not bring their toes up as much during the leg's swing phase, resulting in a larger ankle angle and shorter stride length, possibly because they tended to grip the flip-flops with their toes.

Shroyer said that the research does not suggest that people should never wear flip-flops. They can be worn to provide short-term benefits such as helping beach-goers avoid sandy shoes or giving athletes post-game relief from their athletic shoes, but are not designed to properly support the foot and ankle during all-day wear, and, like athletics shoes, should be replaced every three to four months.

"Flip-flops are a mainstay for students on college campuses but they're just not designed for that kind of use," he said.

The study was presented at the recent annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Indianapolis.