Flip Flops-Toe injuries

The warmer weather is descending on us, and that means shorts, tank tops, and sandals. Many of us will begin to wear our flip flops. Supportive flip flops are a great option for summer activities. However, the flat and non-supportive flip flops that can be purchased cheaply at various stores are dangerous for the feet! In this blog, I wanted to mention that these versions of flip flops can cause injury in several ways. First, the front of the flexible flip flop can go underneath the sole, exposing the toes to injury (cuts, abrasions, blisters, broken toes, and more). This happened to several of my patients last summer while walking dogs or going on brisk walks. Additionally, these types of flip flops (and many sandals) do not protect the toes from injury-getting bumped, stepped on, or having objects drop on them. Finally, the lack of support in the heel or back of the shoe makes us more susceptible to twisting the foot (spraining the ankle, irritating tendons, and breaking bones). Thus, a sandal that cups the heel will make us slightly safer than a flatter version.