Floss: Good for Your Teeth but Bad for Your Feet

Flossing is an essential part of good oral health. But floss for your feet? Not a good idea!

One of the latest spring shoe trends is a floss heel. This wispy shoe has little support for your foot and the flimsy heel, at 2 ½ inches, is much too high for daily wear.

Read on to find out why flossing is not good for your feet!

Floss Heels Present Many Opportunities for Injury

Because they are so flimsy, floss heels cannot support your foot. The sole of the shoe bends and twists easily. Wearing these shoes can cause many injuries including:

Ankle sprain. With thin and high heels, a floss shoe doesn’t present a stable base for your foot which can cause your foot to twist. If ligaments are stretched too far, they may become painful and inflamed, resulting in an ankle sprain. Please visit us to have your ankle examined; until then, use RICE to ease the swelling: Rest, Icing, Compression and Elevate.

Plantar fasciitis. When the plantar fascia tissue on the bottom of your foot becomes inflamed, this overuse injury can cause significant heel pain. You are vulnerable to plantar fasciitis when wearing floss heels because they have minimal cushioning and unevenly support your weight.

Tendonitis. Inflammation of the Achilles tendon at the back of your calf may result from a floss shoe because of their bend ability and height.

Shoes, Heels and Sandals Require Good Support

You want to look stylish, but wearing shoes with adequate support is important too! It’s possible to do both – just choose sandals with thicker soles and wider straps to make it easier to lift your foot.

One final word – limit wearing flip-flops to short periods at pools, gyms and spas. They are good for protection from foot fungus, but have little support to help prevent an overuse injury.

We Can Help If You Experience Foot or Heel Pain

The foot specialists at PodiatryCare, PC and the Heel Pain Center have extensive experience in treating all aspects of foot problems. Our team of doctors which consists of Dr. Robert Marra, Dr. Thomas Johnson, Dr. Kristen Winters, Dr. Laura Vander Poel, and Dr. Ryan Donegan is dedicated to serving you with all of the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies. Many treatments and surgeries can be handled right in our offices. Please call us at (860) 741-3041 to make an appointment in one of our offices in Hartford County, conveniently located in Enfield, Windsor and South Windsor, CT.