Are flips a flop?

By Wade Guyitt | Monday, 18 August 2014

Did you know the United Kingdom spends an estimated $62 million a year
treating 200,000 flip-flop-related injuries? Thats what its National Health
Service calculates and the UKs weather is not exactly what we would call flip-
flop-friendly. So where does that leave us in Southeast Asia, where its hot,
humid and wet, where its socially required to kick off footwear before entering
a home or office, and where the majority of people cant afford or cant access
supportive shoes?

One health concern for flip-flops is that exposed feet and toes are obviously more
susceptible to dangerous objects and imbalance on uneven terrain (a familiar problem for
anyone tackling a Myanmar sidewalk). But aside from blisters, cuts and scrapes,
researchers say even walking on smooth surfaces in sandals for prolonged periods carries
health risks.
A study presented at the 2008 meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine and
conducted by researchers at Auburn University videotaped people walking in flip-flops and
compared them to the strides of those wearing more supportive footwear. Those wearing
flip-flops tended to press down or curl their toes when the heel was lifted, to keep the
footwear in place.
This puts a burden on the plantar fascia, connective tissue along the bottom of the foot,
and undue plantar stretching can lead to anything from tired feet to inflammation or pain,
or even heel spurs.
Those wearing flip-flops also change their way of walking. The length of a persons stride
becomes shorter, and ankles are slightly turned in. Researchers speculate this could
contribute to long-term ankle and hip alignment trouble.
In Southeast Asias hot, wet climate, however, flip-flops do provide benefits which
researchers in the US and UK did not need to consider. Closed-toe shoes confine foot
growth, pushing the toes tightly together, which flip-flips do not.They also allow quick
drainage and airing of the feet, crucial in rainy season to avoid a build-up of mould and
allowing easy washing.
Theyre also affordable. Over 300 million children worldwide are estimated to be without
any footwear at all, leaving them at far greater risk of infection and disease. In the
developing world, where many are living a subsistence existence, economics trumps health
every time, and so we at MT salute the humble flip-flop. It may not be perfect, but in these
conditions, its better than nothing.