By Jennifer Illes, DC 

Summer and warmer weather mean more patients are wearing sandals and flip-flops! They are gaining popularity for use for a variety of occasions for their casual and comfortable style. A survey on 1,000 females showed that approximately 43% of them preferred wearing flip-flops over sports shoes during shopping. (1) And although it’s always fun to kick your typical non-summer footwear aside, sandals are typically known to be the most non-foot-friendly shoes.

The typical sandal or flip-flop is very thin and offers little support or cushioning to the foot. When wearing flip-flops, people tend to alter their gait by taking shorter steps, which often results in hip and lower back pain. 2 And while the sole may seem soft and comfortable, this can cause pain in the heels, arches, ball of the foot, and toes. The foot also ends up over-pronating (rolling inward) in flip-flops, especially with no added support for the arch of the foot. (2) read more