So, you’re in the department store shopping for your kid, because they seem to be growing every week! They are in dire need of new shoes and it’s summer, which means it’s flip flop weather, right?!
Not so fast! Although, I love the cute sandals they have for kids now a days – I think it’s important to look at how sandals may be effecting your child’s walking.
When you think about how a tennis shoe is secured to your child’s foot and then think about how a sandal is secured to your child’s foot – they are very different. When you’re wearing a tennis shoe you don’t have to think about keeping the shoe on your foot, which allows your walking pattern to be similar to how you would walk barefoot.
Now, when you’re wearing flip-flops, you have to secure the shoe on to your foot by gripping your toes into the sandal. This creates some confusion for your body. As you’re swinging your leg through, your hip is moving up/forward, but your toes are pushing down trying to keep the flip-flop onto your foot – do you see the confusion? Not only is your body confused, but by gripping your toes onto the sandal it places pressure and tension onto parts of your lower leg and foot that were not intended for that purpose.
But it’s hot out and my child and I need summer shoes! Consider a shoe that is secured to the foot – something that cups the heel. It can have straps and openings, but when the shoe isn’t secured to the foot such as flip-flops and slippers – it places abnormal pressure and tension on your child’s body.
Just some things to think about as you are buying your next pair of summer shoes!
