May 8, 2008 Flip Flops and Rock Concerts

On July 19, 2005, some members of Northwestern University's national champion women's lacrosse team (see photo) were criticized for wearing "flip-flops" to the White House to meet with President George W. Bush. The photo shows four of the women in the front row are wearing thong sandals that were labeled "flip-flops" by critics. Flip flops gained popularity as celebrities started wearing them and high end designers started producing them.

Factors that flip-flops can hurt your feet: While widely regarded to be comfortable, flip-flops provide little to no ankle support. Most pairs of flip-flops have no arch support. This, along with the fact that the bottom is extremely spongy, causes your foot to roll in more than it normally would. Wearers can suffer foot pain due to lack of arch support, tendinitis, and even sprained ankles if they trip. When people wear flip flops all the time they are constantly scrunching their toes up into a claw. That can cause problems such as tendonitis and even shin splints. Poor traction of flip-flops can cause you to slip more easily. The open nature of flip-flops exposes the foot to the falling objects and other people’s shoes. Flip-flops can cause you to fall more easily. Because they fit loosely, it is easy to trip on your flip-flops while walking. In addition, the straps often break at inconvenient times, further increasing the risk of falling. Should you wear flip flops to a rock concert? You know the answer.

SOURCE: WebMD

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