Foot doctor reveals why you shouldn't wear flip-flops, even in summer

For many of us, flip-flops are synonymous with sunny days, whether we’re by the pool or meeting friends at the pub.

But an expert has rained on the parade of summer’s most ubiquitous footwear by pointing out the significant flaws in their design.

Taking to TikTok, Singapore-based podiatrist Paul Macaulay, explained why he, personally, would never wear the thonged slip-ons.

However, he also had unfavourable things to say about a number of alternatives – so don’t ditch your flops for Crocs just yet.

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In the clip, he singled out sandals made by the popular brand Havaiiana for featuring a number of red flags.

“They’re very flat and very thin, they don’t offer much foot support,” he explained, adding that in order for a flip-flop to get his particular seal of approval they’d need to have “a bit of a heel cup”.

He also criticised flip-flops that don’t have built-in arch support, and pointed out that the standard strap offers “no security to the foot”.

“We want to see something with a strap around the heel, which will give more stability to the ankle and hold the foot in place, or even the style that has a strap coming over the front, which holds the foot down,” he said (so, good news for slider-fans).

Macaulay also pointed out that the lack of support offered by classic flip-flops means that many people have to grip hold of the shoe with their toes to keep them on.

“If you wear it for prolonged periods of time over many years, [your feet] can start to stiffen and claw up, and then that can be hard to reverse,” he warned.

Finally, he warned that because they’re so open, flip-flops can dry out your feet. This can be particularly “high risk” for diabetics, he said, because “dryness can open to cracks, and those cracks can turn to wounds.”

MacCaulay warned of health risks associated with prolonged flip-flop use@paulthepodiatrist/TikTok

Still, he insisted, there’s a time and a place for the sandals – namely, for wearing on a trip to the beach or the pool.

“If you're only walking, say like 500 to a thousand steps and you're not going to be massively physically active, then I'm all for it,” he said in a second TikTok.

“But then for something like [...] you're going to walk like five miles, I'm not for it.”

Macaulay’s also “not for” the following four shoe types, which he insisted he’d “never wear” as a podiatrist: slip-on loafers; stilettos; ballet pumps and strapless shoes.

He didn’t explain why he wouldn’t wear them, however, so maybe it’s just a taste thing…

And for anyone wondering what shoes they should wear, especially when the sun’s out, he has you covered there, too.

In another TikTok, captioned: “Don’t regret your footwear choices this holiday”, he said “People don't realise that when you go on holiday you actually rack up so many steps, so it's really important this holiday season to get yourself a good pair of shoes.”

His first recommendation was a sandal made by the company Keen which is made for “multi-terrain”.

“You can wear these in a concrete jungle style city, somewhere like New York or Singapore, you can even wear these in a mountainous area, maybe like Snowdonia National Park or in the hills of Hong Kong,” Macaulay said.

“What I like about it is the straps – it keeps your foot nice and tightly secure.”

His second endorsement was for adidas’s Adilette adventure sandals, which he noted were cheaper and softer than his two alternatives.

And finally, he gave a big thumbs up to Dr. Martens’ popular Voss sandals which he said he particularly liked because of their “thick, durable sole,” and “ideal” straps, coviering the foot, ankle and back of the heel.

He wrapped up his video by reinforcing his point that: “These three options would make great additions to your holiday wardrobe for this summer.”

So, in the end, it looks as though it’s time to trade in your flops for Docs, people.

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