There is much debate whether it is better for you to walk with bare feet in the summer versus wearing flip flops. There are many advantages and disadvantages to both, here is a list that could help you decide!
- Walking barefoot has been known to reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, lower stress, improve energy and accelerate recovery from extreme athletic activity.
- The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, found that going barefoot increases the surface charge of red blood cells (which can reduce the possibility of heart disease.)
- Unfortunately, walking barefoot can leave your feet vulnerable to foreign objects and germs. In a study of a flip flop walking around during the day, they found up to 18,000 different types of bacteria living on it (including Staphylococcus aureus.) Now imagine that on your bare feet!
- Flip flops provide little to no support for the arch (in normal everyday flops) which can cause back and hip problems, as well as tendinitis and injury to the ankle.
- Flip flops put extra strain on the toes, because they need to grip the front of the flop to keep it from slipping off your foot.
- If you have flat feet, going barefoot can cause further strain on your feet and cause injury such as shin splints.
Thank you to Cornerstone Confessions and Quora.com for the original information. You can read more here and here.