I am absolutely guilty of wearing flip flops in the summer, or no shoes at all The pain that I felt in my feet recently ignited the idea for this blog. It really stinks when you have no one at the other end of the couch willing to hand out a quick foot massage for relief when you finally get to lay down at the end of the day. Flip flops are a common shoe for the summer time. But the problem is, they offer very little cushioning and no arch support. This forces the wearers to be walking in an unnatural toe-gripping way. There is a lot more pounding on the foot due to the lack of cushion between your foot and the ground. A whole day of this can really cause some throbbing foot pain. Some consequences of bad foot wear are: • Sore arches and heels, which can progress to chronic conditions, including inflamed Achilles tendons and plantar fasciitis, inflammation of the connective tissue between the heel bone and the toes. • Heel calluses (from the pounding). • Hammer toes (from the gripping). Of course, flip-flops aren't the only popular shoes that can hurt your feet. Ballet flats and sky-high wedges, if worn too often or in the wrong circumstances, can cause just as much pain as stiletto heels. Even the low-heeled, wide-strapped sandals can harm your feet if you wear the same pair every day from June to September. A few tips : •Spend most of your time in sturdy shoes that offer heel and arch support. If the shoe can be taken and squeezed into a ball, this means that it will not give you enough support for everyday wear. •If you insist on a shoe with a heel, stick to heels, or wedges of two inches or less, except on special occasions. A wedge may feel more stable than a heel of the same height, but it can put just as much pressure on your feet, knees, and hips. •Wear the right shoes at the right time. "If you are going to be involved in a sport or walking all day, wear shoes that are made for that," says John Anderson, an orthopedic surgeon in Grand Rapids, Mich., and spokesman for the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (www.aofas.org). •Buy shoes that fit and feel comfortable the first time you put them on. “Breaking a shoe in,” is not the way to go. If it is not comfortable the first time, why buy it? That is painful. Thanks to the article “Trouble afoot with flip-flops” from USATODAY.com, I was able to provide you with this information on the well-being of your feet. Have a good summer!