Ugly Truth Of Summer Attire
Our favorite warm weather footwear can be harmful to more than just the feet.
Three things that are important to your feet when it comes to footwear:
Arch support
Shock absorption
Lateral/Side-to-side protection
These features are not typically provided in our favorite summer time footwear such as flip-flops, sandals, and heels.
We often wear these types of footwear because they are stylish, convenient, and fun for summer. However, these shoes are not conducive to gait and postural health.
Gait
Flip-flops and sandals offer minimal protection and can greatly affect gait. The lack of overall support causes the feet to react and grip to the flat bottoms of sandals as we walk.
Wearing flip-flops and sandals for long periods of time can add stress to the feet upon impact, causing us to take shorter steps.
A New York Times article states, People wearing flip-flops also dont bring their toes up as much as the leg swings forward. That results in a larger angle to the ankle and a shorter stride length.
This type of alteration to stride can disrupt our feet immensely, potentially causing plantar fasciitis and unsightly bunions. It can also affect other aspects of our musculoskeletal system the knees, hips, and overall posture.
Flimsy sandals and less protective footwear might be nice on a hot summer day, but as time goes on, your joints will undergo wear and tear from lack of support.
Posture
Although wearing high heels or sandals will not immediately affect posture, long-term usage can create problems.
Our feet are the foundation of posture to the body. We need footwear during the day to protect the feet, provide stability, and to ensure proper posture.
When walking in sandals, high heels, and other constricting footwear, the muscles and joints in our feet compensate for the lack of protection.
The lack of heel and forefoot protection causes our feet to rotate inward. This inward rotation of the feet can have an immediate reaction to the knees and hips.
If sandals are frequently worn throughout the summer, our posture and foot health can easily be affected.
"Watching Your Back,"
Your Health Coach,
Dr. Ross Coccimiglio
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Four Points Family Chiropractic
10815 Ranch Rd 2222 Bldg 3C, Ste 100
Austin, TX 78730