Are you a flip-flop fashionista?
If so, you may find that wearing your favorite summer footwear can cause your legs to ache.
USA Today recently turned to a UL Lafayette expert, Dr. Justin Shroyer, for some advice.
小蝌蚪APP The less flip in your flop, the better it is for your feet and legs,小蝌蚪APP Shroyer told USA Today. He recommends flip-flops with features such as heel cups and arches, to give feet as much support as possible.
Shroyer, an assistant professor of kinesiology, has studied the biomechanical performance and safety of the popular summer sandal. He小蝌蚪APP檚 evaluated more than 100 flip-flop wearers to find out how the shoes affect legs and feet. He recently presented some of his research at the American College of Sports Medicine小蝌蚪APP檚 annual meeting in Baltimore.
Shroyer小蝌蚪APP檚 research shows that people walk differently when wearing flip-flops than when they are barefoot. They take shorter steps and use their toes to grip the shoes as they walk. They also hold their ankles at a different angle. As a result, the muscles on the front of their shins work harder, causing leg pain.
He began exploring flip-flop effects in 2007, while earning his doctoral degree at Auburn 小蝌蚪APP. When he presented the initial findings at the ACSM小蝌蚪APP檚 2008 convention, he set off a media flip-flop frenzy. He received requests for interviews from Newsweek, the BBC and ABC小蝌蚪APP檚 Good Morning America, among others.
Two years later, media outlets are still calling. 小蝌蚪APP淚小蝌蚪APP檝e become 小蝌蚪APP楾he Flip-Flop Guy,小蝌蚪APP not because I can小蝌蚪APP檛 make a decision, but because of my research,小蝌蚪APP he joked.
Stroyer小蝌蚪APP檚 research is focused on human movement. 小蝌蚪APP淎nywhere I go, I小蝌蚪APP檓 always analyzing the way people walk.小蝌蚪APP
Shroyer is collaborating with researchers at Auburn, studying the biomechanical effects of a new shoe, Vibrum FiveFingers庐. The shoes have with rubber soles and separate compartments for each toe. The manufacturer says wearing the shoes is similar to going barefoot.
He had five people wear the shoes as much as possible for six months. 小蝌蚪APP淚n developed countries, where people wear shoes almost from birth, there is a high prevalence of people with flat feet,小蝌蚪APP he explained.
小蝌蚪APP We小蝌蚪APP檙e looking at the shoes小蝌蚪APP effects on balance and stability 小蝌蚪APP and measuring whether the arch structure in their feet improved.小蝌蚪APP
Stroyer said the data-collection phase of the study is complete. 小蝌蚪APP淲e don小蝌蚪APP檛 know the answers yet, because we still have to crunch the numbers.小蝌蚪APP