Flip-flops are easily the most convenient pair of shoes you can possibly wear.
There's no time-consuming laces to worry about, or painfully high heels to throw off your balance.
Flip-flops are, without a doubt, my favorite go-to shoes whenever summertime rolls around.
But, as with so many glorious things in life, there's a bit of a catch.
As it turns out, wearing flip-flops all summer may actually be worse for your health than you would think.
Yeah, I wish I was kidding, too.
Flip-flops can cause damage to your feet, as well as lead to pain in multiple parts of the body.
I know, it sounds dramatic, but it's actually worth worrying about.
Let's break this ish down a little.
What it really comes down to is, flip-flops have no arch. Walking on a flat surface, without even a slight arch, can cause some serious pain in your knees, ankles, and the arches of your feet.
Basically, flip-flops really only provide your foot with a barrier from the ground -- that's it.
They offer no heel cushioning, no shock absorption, no nothing. So, in essence, flip-flops do the bare minimum while putting your body at risk of other unnecessary sh*t.
To provide your back with proper support, you need an arch. Without it, you can place pressure on your lower back.
Wearing flip-flops can cause you pain in your sciatica because, when you walk in them, you have to curl your toes to keep your grip.
Curling your toes leads to a sort of dangerous domino effect for your body: It shortens your stride, which alters your gait, which then ultimately puts more pressure on your lower back, even if you don't necessarily feel it in the moment.
Plus, wearing flip-flops all the time can potentially lead to chronic heel pain (or, if you want to get fancy, it's also known as plantar fasciitis).
The shoes can strain your feet so much that you might develop something called a heel spur, which is a painful calcium deposit that can form if plantar fasciitis goes untreated.
So, if you like to wear flip-flops out of convenience in the summer months, believe me, I get it.
But there are plenty of other slip-on, open-toed, summer-friendly sandals that offer the same convenience, but with improved support (Birkinstock, Merrell Solstice, and Kork-Ease are just a few great places to start).
Besides, when you feel good, you look good, too -- right?
