Summer Shoes – Don’t Let Summer Hurt Your Feet

Now that summer is here it’s time to break out the summer shoes!  Sandals and flip-flops are popular summer staples, however, they can cause issues that impact your foot health.  Don’t worry, there are precautions that you can take to ensure that you, and your feet, stay healthy and pain free this season.

As a tale of caution, with new summer sandals and the eagerness to put them on and leave them on, there is a higher risk of blisters.  Blisters happen when skin bubbles and fills with liquid caused by friction and chafing between the shoe and skin.  This occurs to protect the deeper layers of skin from damage.  Blisters can be prevented by using moleskin, a thin cotton fabric used to improve the fit and feel of shoes.  By using moleskin on the more painful areas of the shoes, friction decreases between shoe and skin. Check out the links below for moleskin products you can purchase.  Another tip to reducing foot pain and blisters is buying shoes that are comfortable when you initially try them on.  Shoes that don’t require being broken in are less traumatic on your feet and will have less of a negative impact to your foot health. As a bonus, you can wear them more frequently as you get them!

Flip-flops are a popular shoe for summer that many people wear, but there are pros and cons to this style of shoe.  Flip-flops can add a protective layer vs. walking barefoot that prevents you from catching things like Athletes Foot or Plantar’s Warts.  The main issue, however, is that people tend to over-wear flip-flops and end up covering too much distance in a shoe unintended for long-distance walking.  Since flip-flops generally lack the support that many people need, wearing them for long periods of time and distance can cause stress fractures, tendonitis, or heel pain.  While flip flops are great for spending some time around the pool or beach, they are not the best for other summer activities that involve more walking.

This summer, be aware of these tricks and tips and use your head when covering your feet.

Moleskin Products:

Dr. Scholl’s Moleskin Plus Padding Roll

Chuangdi 264 Pieces Moleskin Tape Flannel Adhesive Pads