What better shoe to accompany you to the end of spring and through summer than a good old-fashioned flip-flop? Not only does this somewhat divisive style of shoe serve many practical purposes, but it’s surprisingly stylish and on trend at the moment, with major fashion houses selling their own variation on the theme at wildly inflated prices.
While it may be tempting to keep wearing your go-to $5 pair every summer, those super-thin PVC sandals may be doing your feet more harm than good. Flimsy flip-flops don’t provide the proper foot support you need, especially if you have high arches, and can actually make any current foot conditions you have worse — or cause new ones. (In fact, if you belong to the community of arched feet, you may already avoid flip-flops for their notorious lack of support.)
However, there are several options that actually do offer comfort and relief while you wear them.
Dr. Chanel J. Perkins, a board-certified podiatrist based in Texas, told HuffPost that the best kind of flip-flop for people with high arches is one that has a good height in the arch area and a cushioned footbed.
“If it folds in half like a soft taco, it’s certainly not going to have the support you might need if you have high arches. The footbed should match the shape of your foot,” she said. “You want the flip-flop to contour closely to your foot type, so a high arched foot requires a flip-flop with adequate arch support.”
