Why do so many women wear flip-flops?

[SamAdams76]

OK, so I'm at the Dunkin Donuts this morning, it's a rather cool spring morning, about 50 degrees. I can see my breath in the air! Yet, every woman in the Dunkin Donuts were in flip-flops!

Now everywhere I go these days, it seems that the women are wearing flip-flops instead of regular shoes. Why is that?

I just don't get the appeal of wearing flip flops. I can understand wearing them at the beach. And when I was in Marine boot camp (Parris Island), we were issued a pair to wear to the shower. But anywhere other then the beach or the shower, I'm just not getting it. Why would you want to wear flip-flops instead of regular shoes?

Now get this, I go walking with the dog every morning for about 4 miles. Think I could do that in flip-flops? Think again. Nothing but hard-soled footwear for me. I wear hiking boots maybe 9 months out of the year. During the summer, I might switch to sneakers (New Balance) or maybe some Docksider boat shoes. But no flip-flops for me.

I'd like to see some woman follow me into the woods in flip-flops when I go hiking. Good luck with that. Try hiking Mt. Washington in a pair of flip-flops. You won't think flip-flops are so swell when you try that.

I'm not quite sure when women in flip-flops became the "in" thing. Back when I was younger, you just didn't see flip flops except maybe at the beach or in the shower like I mentioned before. Suddenly, all these women decide that this is what they want to wear. You even see woman in dresses with flip-flops. What is up with that? It's like if I wore a suit with sandals. It would be ridiculous. But for women, they seem to get away with wearing flip-flops with their business attire.

Also, isn't it uncomfortable to go walking around in flip-flops? Don't you feel vulnerable walking around in public with flip-flops? What if a nuclear bomb went off and you had to run for the hills? Wouldn't get very far in a pair of flip-flops. What if somebody with heavy boots was to stomp on your toes? If you were wearing regular shoes, not such a big deal. In flip flops, it's going to leave a mark.

Somebody, hopefully, will explain this flip-flop thing to me. I would like to understand. Thank you and good night.

[Ditter]

Why flip flops? They are cool and comfortable and here in Texas cool is important. The term flip flops, to me, means rubber shower shoes. I wear Mephistos, Naot and Birkenstock sandals, all expensive well made shoes. You might call them flip flops because they have a slender strap that goes between your big toe and your 2nd toe, but I call them sandals. They have good soles and a good arch support both necessary for me for walking. I have hiking boots, rubber boots and cowboy boots which I also wear for the right occasions, but sandals are the best!And yes, I wear them when the temperture is 50 degrees.

[trisham]

I can’t wear slides. I can’t keep them on my feet. I have this one:

http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.A188244.desc.Clarks-Bendables-Leather-Multi-Strap-Sandals-wAdjustableStrap

It stays on and is comfortable. I also have this one:

http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.A200094.desc.Clarks-Unstructured-Leather-Multi-Strap-SandalsWith-Backstrap

[bigheadfred]

I wear hiking boots maybe 9 months out of the year.

When you are barefoot and pregnant 9 months out of the year, flip-flops could be a real nice upgrade.

[firebrand]

They are cheap rainwear, for one thing. You don’t ruin your shoes if it rains unexpectedly. I see a lot of tourists wearing them around NYC, possibly for that reason.

[firebrand]

Also useless for walking backwards.

[trisham]

True. :)

[Ditter]

Have you ever tried wearing thong sandals? They stay on much better than slides.

[trisham]

I find them to be very uncomfortable.

[Ditter]

When you first start wearing thong sandals they will rub a blister between your toes. Work up to wearing them all day, do it an hour then 2 then 3. It doesn't take too long. Naot and Mephistos have wonderful arch supports built in that make walking or standing for long periods very easy.

[NYFreeper]

I hear ya dude. Not only women, but men too. Couldn’t agree with you more.

[brwnsuga]

Yes, get you some too. ;-) I feel totally sexy in those shoes.

[Kimmers]

Knee pain? Try wearing flip-flops, study suggests

March 24, 2010 | 11:11 am

Poor flip-flops. Popular though they are, they’ve been targets for criticisms of many types — for their lack of arch support, for their potential tripping hazard, for their inability to protect foot skin from the sun and thus their theoretical elevation of foot-skin cancer risk (seriously). And who was to say the criticism was wrong? The shoes are cheap — they have to be bad, right?

Not so.

Researchers at Rush University in Chicago analyzed the gaits of 31 people with osteoarthritis of the knee while the participants were walking barefoot and while they were wearing clogs, stability shoes, flat walking shoes and the much maligned (and generally inexpensive) flip-flops.

If the goal is to not increase pressure on the knee — and people with knee osteoarthritis would wholeheartedly say that it is — then walking barefoot, wearing flat walking shoes or simply slipping on thongs would appear to be the best choice. The same could not be said for clogs and stability shoes.

The researchers note that sole flexibility, like heel height, would seem to be important when choosing footwear.

Now if someone could only do something about that annoying flapping sound.

Here’s the abstract as it appears in the journal Arthritis Care & Research and the release as it appears on ScienceBlog — plus an earlier abstract from a similar study (also out of Rush). It found that a specialized shoe known as a mobility shoe tended to be kinder to the knees than a typical “walking” shoe.

And here’s more about knee osteoarthritis from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

— Tami Dennis

[Melas]

You have entirely too much time on you hands.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

One morning on the news I saw a health item and they said that flip flops are good for your knees.

[green pastures]

"Growing up flip flops were our summertime shoes."

Ditto on that aspect-- only as kids we called them thongs. Recently one of the students who worked for me said she was at a party and a guy complimented her on her thongs. She thought he was being pretty forward until she realized he was talking about her flip flops.

Me, well, I did the high heel thing for work through my 20's and wrecked my feet so bad that I can only wear tennis shoes to work any more. They have to deal with it.

Actually, I pretty much have to wear tennis shoes anywhere these days. However, I have two orthopedic docs and one chiro, and a couple of recent PTs and each had their own opinion on the best footwear for me (still in the tennis shoe realm-- and the orthotics realm as well). The catch is the orthotics that may help my feet could wreck what's left of my knees.

I do have a couple of pair of supportive and rather attractive, though by no means "sexy" sandals for the summer, but in reality I can only wear them a few days out of the year to avoid problems.

For home, I have the tennis shoes that are now too bad to wear to work, a few pair of the Airwalk version of crocs. They are ugly as all get out, but comfortable, and easy to clean up when I'm outside and get into muddy or damp areas.

I must slightly guiltily admit to picking up two pairs of flip flops on sale for 2 pairs for $5.00 total, this just week. The reason-- in the summer, all those other shoes are pretty warm, and if I'm walking my dogs in the morning in heavy dew, I don't care if the flip flops and my feet get wet. When my tennies get wet, well, they're often icky the rest of the day.

So, no, they're not really good for my feet (though the chiro might say they're better than something with orthotics), but they're quick to put on when the doggies are in a rush to get out, and they dry off quickly. In the past, I normally didn't wear them to town or anywhere else my feet might be seen. The exception is if we take a day trip up to see some friends 3 hours away, I may take them (along with 2 or 3 other pairs of shoes, just in case.) That way I'm not barefoot for the ride, can change easily into another pair of shoes, but can be comfortable for the ride...

Right now my footwear is limited on the Left to one of those big, black, knee-high, multiple-velcro-strap walking boots. I cant wait until I can slip into a pair of flip flops and let my feet breathe a little...

So, SamAdams76, aren't you sorry you asked and have now received a "toe"me on the subject? ;-)

Have a good day -- green pastures

[trisham]

Blisters?! I’m a sissy. :)

[Yaelle]

I have Croc flipflops on right now. In my own home. Blissful comfort. They never get worn in, the cushion is pretty much forever. I can’t understand shoving your foot into 3 inch heels all the time. To me, it’s like Chinese foot binding.

[marajade]

in phx az i would live here without a pair

[marajade]

wow i had no idea there’s some cute shoes there

[Ditter]

I KNEW you were a sissy, that is why I told you how NOT to get a blister. Wear them a short time every day for a week and your skin will toughen up and you won’t get a blister. You can do it sissy! ;)