05 Jul Are Jandals Good Or Bad For Your Feet?
Personally, as Kiwis, we have nothing against jandals. In fact, they’re incredibly handy to slip on to head to the beach, wear to the local pool, pop on to go check the mail or grab an ice cream from the shop – and so on. In many cases, wearing jandals is much better than the alternative of bare feet, especially when there’s a risk of hurting or cutting your foot on the ground – or burning the soles of your feet on the hot sand. But. When it comes to any form of “real” walking or activity? They can quickly become much more of a nuisance than a friend. Here are five reasons why.
They Offer No Ankle Support
Imagine your shoe in a sneaker or in any other closed-in shoe that supports and cups your heel and ankle. Every step you take, that shoe will be supporting your ankle and your foot, helping to keep it in that good, stable position. Now imagine your foot in a jandal, taking that same step. Visualise how your ankle is free to move around however it likes, it may wobble in and out. Now think about all the intrinsic muscles that will be having to work much harder to try to give your ankles back some stability on the completely flat surface the jandal creates (which on uneven ground is at various angles).
In this visual scenario, it’s easy to see how the lack of support from jandals actually works against you, leading to fatigue, discomfort – and if done over many kilometres, leaving you at an increased risk of injury.
They Overwork Your Toes
When you’re walking in jandals, your toes will be working much harder to grip onto the jandal – because there’s not a lot of straps or support keeping them in place. So your toes will naturally do this to stabilise your foot against the ground, and also to keep your shoe on. This gripping motion can place excessive stress on the muscles and tendons in your toes, leading to muscle fatigue and discomfort, which you wouldn’t incur if you were wearing shoes that had a secure fastening mechanism.
Jandals Offer No Arch Support
Regular jandals also offer no arch support. This lack of arch support can strain the muscles and ligaments in your feet, especially the plantar fascia, which is a band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot. Without adequate support, your arches may become strained and cause discomfort.
If you have flat feet, this also means your foot is flattening as far as it can go with every step. While it does that, there are so many muscles working to lower it down, and then engaging to lift the arch all the way back up and get you taking that next step. This happens at every step. For hours each day. The chances of that adding up to foot pain? It’s notable for many people.
Jandals Offer Minimal Cushioning
Jandals usually have thin soles made of materials such as rubber or foam. The lack of cushioning means that your feet may experience more impact with each step, particularly on hard surfaces. This impact can cause strain on the joints and bones in your feet, leading to pain and potential issues like stress fractures.
That’s our first five, but wait, there’s more. These other reasons stem from the fact that our feet are the foundations of our body. And if the shoe that guides and supports our foundations is unstable, then the foundations crumble. It impacts our ankles, knees, hips, back and even neck. The shorter strides we take to keep jandals from flying off changes the way we use the muscles of our back, hips, legs and feet – and can cause additional tension and strain.
Instability and Altered Gait
Jandals also provide minimal stability and can alter your natural walking gait. The lack of a secure fit and the loose nature of flip flops can make your feet slide around, forcing you to make unnatural adjustments while walking. This altered gait can place additional stress on your feet, leading to discomfort and potential injuries such as ankle sprains or strains. The lack of stability can also affect your balance and increase the risk of falls, especially on uneven or slippery surfaces.
Lack of Protection
Jandals also expose your feet to the elements and provide minimal protection. Your feet are more vulnerable to injuries such as stubbed toes, cuts, scrapes, and sunburn. These injuries can contribute to foot pain and discomfort.
Risk of Tripping
Finally, jandals can be less secure and stable compared to other types of shoes. The loose fit and open design increase the risk of tripping or catching the edge of the flip-flop on uneven surfaces. Trips and falls can result in foot injuries, including sprained ankles or fractures.
So, What’s The Alternative?
If you are going to be spending days in your jandals, there are more comfortable alternatives. Orthoheels, Archies and Vionics offer contoured and more supportive jandals to help get you through your day more comfortably. Many of these have been developed in association with a podiatrist, so make sure you do your research if you intend to purchase one that does have the right supportive technology. Remember, even though they’re better for your feet than a standard jandal, they’re not going to be as good as a regular, supportive shoe.