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A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

A lifestyle blog with a focus on my food adventures

I saw this article and was quite excited! But like I need an excuse to wear flip flops every day!

http://wbztv.com/health/flip.flop.study.2.1608735.html

Study Says Flip Flops May Actually Be Good For You

BOSTON (WBZ) ―

Doctors are flip-flopping on the safety of flip flops. New research finds the shoes, declared unsafe not too long ago, could be good for your knees.

Jenn McBride is a southern California flip flop fanatic. She says she has more flip flops than she can count. “I have them in every color… All different styles as well.”

Now there is evidence that her fashion choice could be doing her some good.

A new study has found that when wearing flip flops, there is 15 percent less load on your knees than in other more stable shoes. “As a runner, I know I’m putting a certain amount of pressure on my knees daily, so I would tend to go toward something that doesn’t do that when I’m not running.”

The study analyzed 31 people with osteoarthritis while they walked barefoot and with flip flops. The study then compared that to people walking with Dansko clogs, which are often worn by doctors and nurses, and Brooks Addiction Stability Shoes.

The findings say researches indicate that flip flops are better for knees than supportive stable shoes, possibly because the natural flex of the foot lessens the impact on the joint. If you’re wearing a stiff soled shoe, you tend to stomp.

Dr. Steven Weinfeld is the chief of foot and ankle surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He warns that this new research doesn’t mean everyone should wear flip flops. “The flip flops offer no protection to the foot, no support to the arch.”

But for McBride, it’s a matter of what feels good. “I feel I am most comfortable of all when I’m wearing my flip flops.”

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