A topic that is dear to my heart being a Florida "boy". According to recent research at Auburn University in Alabama, and as reported in USA Today and on Mercola.com, flip-flops have been shown to throw off your stride and cause pain in your lower legs and feet. University researchers recruited 39 college-age men and women and measured the gait (ambulation/walking) of those participants as they walked on a special platform wearing flip-flops. On a follow up day, the same participants walked across the platform wearing their own athletic shoes. The results showed that when the participants wore flip-flops, they took shorter strides and their heels hit the ground with less vertical force (an essential part of the gait cycle). When people walk in flip-flops, they apparently alter their gait, which may explain why lower leg and foot problems occur in people who wear flip-flops more frequently than others. Tony Bruno, a certified Muscle Activation Techniques Specialist, says that wearing flip-flops can not only cause dysfunctional changes and pain in your foot, these changes can resonate all the way up to your head, neck and jaw. The main reason for this problem is that the toes try to grip the bottom of the flip-flop to hold them on your feet. If you observe your toes in flip-flops, the far end (top) of your toe is trying to flex down to hold the flip-flop on, while the other (middle) part of your toe is trying to bridge up. This is the exact opposite of what the toe muscles are supposed to do. The effect is the improper toe action shortens your walking stride, preventing the natural “locking” of the foot. This result forces your hip and leg musculature to work harder, and even forces some muscles to shut down. If you wear flip-flops or a flip-flop type sandal as your main shoe in the summer and you suffer from unexplained ankle, knee, hip or back pain, the flip-flop may be the culprit. Walking barefoot is, above all, the healthiest for your feet. In cultures in which the people walk barefoot, conditions such as bunions and hammer toes are little to non-existent. Barefoot walking builds greater agility, denser muscles on the bottom of the feet, less deformed toes, greater flexor strength, more ability to spread the toes and more flexibility of the gluteal and hamstring muscles. While walking barefoot is not practical or necessarily safe all of the time, it is an ideal activity you should incorporate into your day when possible. When not able to go barefoot in the summer months, wear sandals that have straps over the top of the foot and the back of the ankle. These sandals will allow your toes to function properly and you will still have the comfort of a cool summer shoe!
