Leora Tanenbaum

The Huffington Post, August 3, 2010

A day at the beach -- what could be better? You grab your sunscreen, a towel, a cheesy novel... and flip-flops or slides you can easily kick off the moment your toes hit the sand.

Flip-flops or slides are perfect for walking from the boardwalk to the shore. But many of us choose this footwear on a regular basis, even when pounding the urban pavement or riding a bicycle, all summer long.

Welcome to the other "bad shoes." Most of us think of "bad shoes" as five-inch stilettos that cause the wearer to wobble and totter. But flat sandals without any support to the ankle and foot are "bad" too. Seventy percent of us -- male and female -- overpronate (our feet roll inward) when we walk. Our feet need to be kept in place securely. If they move around too much, we are not able to walk properly and it's only a matter of time before we develop ugly and painful foot conditions such as bunions, hammertoes, tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis.

You may not want to hear this, but it's true. Men and women alike should save flip-flops and slides for the beach and pool... and that's it. For the rest of the warm weather season, choose sandals that keep the feet stable.

So what should you look for?

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