Yesterday marked the first official day of summer! With that can come many challenges with foot injuries for both men and women as the feet are more exposed while wearing sandals and flip-flops. For those that go barefoot the risk is even greater.
The injuries may appear minor at first but can develop into something more serious. A prime example… One of my staff was kicking a soccer ball on the weekend while wearing sandals and split her toe nail. She is a young healthy individual and the toe is healing nicely. What if she was a diabetic with poor circulation? The end result could be much different. An infection could have developed and if not treated properly this could lead to amputations. Sounds severe doesn’t it? Well I can tell you that it can and does happen.
Along with split toenails, cuts, bruises and puncture wounds are other minor injuries that often occur while wearing flips flops or sandals. There are some more serious types of injuries as well. Unsupported feet experience a lot of stress. The design of much of the summer footwear causes your feet to be unstable when walking and can lead to injuries like ankle sprains and heel pain. These conditions can become chronic and cause problems long after the summer has ended.
Here is a common sense point about summer footwear but I should mention it… NEVER use a lawnmower or weed trimmer with your toes exposed. Apart from the obvious potential trauma to the toes, small sticks or stones may be flicked towards the feet causing injury or you may experience bug bites to your feet and ankles as you walk along.
Wear shoes that are appropriate for the activity to help keep your feet happy during the summer. Keep those cute flip flops and sandals to wear at the beach or around the pool. Just remember to apply sunscreen to the tops of your feet to help prevent sun burns or skin cancers such as melanoma.