As soon as the weather begins to get warmer, we slip into shoes that, traditionally, offer less support than the ones we would wear in colder months.
In summer, our boots go back in the wardrobe—even our fashionable trainers may seem constraining when there are sandals and sliders to be worn. However, as we’ve said in numerous posts, whilst it may seem a good idea to put on these types of footwear, they have their drawbacks.
Yes, in a pair of sandals or sliders, your feet can breathe, which means sweating will be reduced; however, sandals, flip flops and slider-style shoes offer little protection or support for your feet. Over a day or two, this probably wouldn’t be a problem; however, over a whole summer, this may lead to some long-term issues.
Luckily, one company has created a solution—a slider that moulds to your feet and which provides enough support for your arches. According to some customers, the sliders are like ‘walking on air’. The soles aren’t smooth, either, giving people who may be less sure on their feet some traction on smooth surfaces.
Your feet expand when it’s warm. Squeezing them into a full shoe or trainer will likely feel uncomfortable when it’s thirty degrees outside; in a slider-style shoe, there’s plenty of room for your feet to spread out.
Though these sliders are clearly a step up (pardon the pun) from most other shoes of this type on the market, when it comes to supporting your feet, their design does attract accidents. A full shoe/trainer with laces to secure them to your feet will ensure your footwear stays where it’s supposed to, but any type of shoe that can slip on and off as easily as a slider increases the risk of tripping. Though the following statistic features flip-flops, which are a much flimsier shoe than a slider, they’re in the same category when it comes to footwear…according to a survey carried out by a personal injury company, flip-flops are responsible for more than a million accidents each year!
As we’ve said, wearing footwear like sandals, sliders and flip-flops aren’t the best choice for your feet; however, no one in their right mind would come to the poolside with their swimming costume on and socks and brogues, for example. When you’re going on holiday you want to dress like everyone else, in summery things, and this will surely apply to your footwear.
If you are going on holiday, unless you’re someone who goes away simply to sit in the sun for hours on end, you will probably walk or stroll a fair distance over the length of your stay without even realising it. This is another reason why the sliders mentioned above would be a good idea; your feet will feel supported as you walk mile after mile and be appropriate for all the different terrains you may encounter, e.g. sand, cobbles, rock, concrete, tiles, etc.
For many people, the summer months can mean living in your sliders or flip-flops; however, keep in mind the damage that could occur with prolonged wearing of this type of footwear. It’s easy to give little consideration to your feet until they start to give you some trouble, but by then, the damage could be irreversible. Our advice would be to think about your summer shoes—by all means, wear sliders (particularly well-designed ones like those in the link), sandals and flip-flops, but do so sparingly, and always consider where you may be walking when choosing what to put on your feet.