Although they are fun and trendy, you may want to reconsider strapping on those sandals, as they can be devastating to your foot health. According to the Mayo Clinic, shoes with poor support or floppy bottoms, such as sandals, can cause tears in the tendons of the foot. Sandals can cause many debilitating foot problems, including pain, tendinitis and an increased chance of soft tissue injury.
Plantar Fasciitis
According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, most foot problems result from improper footwear. This includes sandals, most of which do not provide proper support for the arch or the foot bed. When sandals are worn for prolonged periods of time, like throughout an entire season, the ligaments on the bottom of your feet can become inflamed and even tear. This will cause mild to severe foot pain that can include shooting pains and spasms in the bottoms of your feet. According to the Mayo Clinic, the pains may go away for a while, but without attention to your footwear they won't stay away for long.
Tendinitis and Heel Pain
Footwear with thin soles, such as sandals, can put an excessive amount of stress on your heel bone and the supporting tendons. Walking in sandals can cause your body to grow bone spurs, or painful growths on your heels. The repetitive motion of walking without proper tendon support or cushioning can also elicit tendinitis, the painful inflammation and swelling or the tendons, or stretchy fibers that connect tissues to muscle and bone. The pain from bone spurs and tendinitis may be relieved with anti-inflammatory drugs or stretches, but needs to be evaluated by a professional if it persists.
Neuropathies
Neuropathies, or nerve-generated pains, can evolve from constant wear and tear from poorly fitting shoes. Sandals fall into this category, as the floppy soles do not provide enough arch support and cushioning to protect your fragile foot beds. The symptoms of neuropathies can include numbness in parts or your feet, shooting, "lightening"-like pains, and sometimes the feeling of insects crawling along your feet. Those who are diabetic or have chronic low back problems are even more susceptible to neuropathies. The most disconcerting problem with neuropathies is that the numb feeling can preclude your ability to sense injuries to your feet.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Wearing shoes that do not properly cover your feet make you susceptible to cuts, bruises and blisters. All of these problems affect the soft tissues, or skin, on your feet, and have the potential for infection. Especially if you are diabetic or suffer an autoimmune disease, you should choose a shoe that provides protection to all aspects of your foot. Most sandals do not protect your toes from that runaway shopping cart, and soft tissue injuries could be avoided with proper foot covering.
