Aug. 10--Summer is spent in flip-flops, often the cheapest ones hanging in a store display.
But one foot doctor wants you to stop wearing those.
Dr. Gerard Cush, an orthopedic surgeon and foot and ankle surgery specialist at Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania, said one simple way to protect feet is to reconsider flip-flops.
Cush advises putting a time limit on your flip-flop wear.
"Good, comfortable shoe wear is really important," he said. "Where flip-flops can be a problem is if you find yourself in them constantly."
Thirty minutes is a good estimate for too long to be in flip-flops, he suggested -- or, in other words, don't wear them while "walking for a purpose." So if you are meandering in your neighborhood or through a park or on a hike, flip-flops are not your friend. Instead, think of them for taking out the trash or walking to the corner store.
"Flip-flops that only cost a couple bucks and are flat should probably be limited to very short periods of time -- perhaps back and forth to the pool," he said.
If you wear flip-flops for long stretches, you can fatigue muscles on the lower legs and toes or even create tendinitis.
"You might even begin to drag your foot," Cush said. "That can lead to falls to stumbles."
He's not anti-flip-flops all the time, he said. In fact, while talking he was, himself, wearing sandals.
But he suggests finding some with arch support and cupping on the heel. Also, think about traction. Look for treads on the bottom.
"Especially with wet pavement or tile on the pool, you can run into issues," he said.
His flip-flop pair? It boasts all of these -- and a bottle opener.
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