When we jump out of bed in the morning we often don’t want to feel the cold timber floors or tiles so we put our slippers on.
Or,
At the end of the day after you’ve been walking around in those hard, uncomfortable work shoes we just want to take our shoes off and put on something more comfortable like our ugg boots and slippers!
While your slippers and ugg boots might be soft, cushioned and keep your feet warm, what happens if they are doing more damage to your feet then you may think?
When looking at slippers you will notice that they often have soft flexible soles, the material that makes up the shoe is also soft and flexible and the soles of the shoes have little to no grip. So why is this an issue?
Firstly any shoe that does not provide you with adequate support will result in your foot being able to move in any direction which over time can cause your muscles and tendons to lengthen.
As a result of your muscles and tendons lengthening, your feet can start to roll inwards, which may not appear to be a big deal but it can result in pain occurring and over time affect other structures of your body including increased pressure on your ankles, legs, knees, hip and lower back.
Another reason that slippers should be avoided, especially in elderly patients, is that there is an increased risk of falls occurring. Nearly all slippers have very little grip on the bottom of them, which over time becomes a hazard on floors such as vinyl, tiles and floor boards. Slippers worn by elderly people also increase the risk of tripping as the slippers are not fixed to their feet with Velcro, laces or buckles and instead you are able to just slip them on and off.
To avoid risk of pain and falls occurring it is important that you don’t wear your slippers on a daily basis for activities such as walking, shopping and even running. Always make sure that even when at home you either walk barefoot or with a more structured shoe to avoid these things occurring.
This article was written by Lauren, one of our skilled Podiatrists. To book in with Lauren either give us a call or book online and select ‘Lauren’ as your practitioner.
You can call us on 8645 9888 or BOOK ONLINE