I used to live in flip flops. In college, it was a pretty safe bet you could find me wearing them anytime between February and early December! People would tell me they weren’t good for your feet, but I liked them, so why should I stop. As I got older and had to start wearing ‘adult shoes’, they found their way to the back of the wardrobe – Little did I know the effects they may have been having on my sports performance .
I have recently read Ready to Run by Kelly Starrett (Owner of Mobility WOD and author of Supple Leopard). Within the book you can delve deep into the world of running shoes & techniques along with faults and flaws. But there is also a section on flip flops?! In fact, there is a quote that refers to flip flops as they plague!
What’s Wrong With Flip Flops?
When walking in flip flops you have to grip with your big toe. Otherwise you’ll spend the whole time shuffling along with your flops continually on the verge of being left behind. Because of this big toe squeeze, the movement of your foot and in fact your entire walking mechanics are changed drastically. Your arches will shorten and flatten, meaning you take the strain elsewhere. Typically it is the knees and hips that take on the majority of this stress, causing unwanted and unneeded damage!
How to Unlock Your Sports Performance?
It’s a pretty simple one, ditch the flops and go barefoot. Our ancestors never wore shoes, we were designed to be free footed. Yes, they didn’t live in the kind of world we did today! Obviously there are times that we need to protect our feet, but when we do, don’t use the flops.
Any aspiring runner, athlete or sport player is always looking for that extra 10%. As a result we are more than happy to splash our cash for the latest shoes or boots. Why? Especially with running shoes, it’s probably the promise of better stability, comfort or injury prevention. Get the most out of your Personal Training Session in Twickenham by ditching your flip flops in your down time and improving your sports performance.