Wearing Flip-Flops? Watch Your Step

NPR—August 4, 2010   

They're one of the most popular foot wear in hot weather, but a podiatrist warns flip-flops carry more risks than blisters and stubbed toes.

Dr. Rock Positano, the director of the Non-surgical Foot and Ankle Service at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, says the risk is not that people wear flip-flops — it's how they wear them.

"I have no objection when patients say, '…What is the best way to wear these types of shoes?' I always say, 'Look, use your head — if you're hanging out by the swimming pool or hanging out on the beach, they really cause no damage or no problem,'" Positano tells NPR's Michele Norris. "When people develop problems is when they wear them in an usual situation— such as 5-mile hikes or standing on their feet for 5 to 10 hours on a trip."

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