Flimsy little flip-flops can lead to a variety of foot problems

Aching feet: It sounds like one of those middle-aged problems.

But these days, Dallas sports podiatrist Marybeth Crane is seeing "whole soccer teams of 16-year-old girls" complaining of the sort of foot pain she used to see mostly in "older, fatter" people.

The culprits aren't the girls' soccer cleats or even the high heels they break out on prom night. Instead, Crane blames their flip-flops — the flimsy, slip-on, toe-thonged sandals that girls and young women nationwide have adopted as their warm-weather, everyday shoe uniform.

"Flip-flops were never meant to be everyday shoes," says Crane, a spokeswoman for the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (www.FootPhysicians.com). "They were meant to wear from the locker room to the pool and back."

Marlene Reid, a podiatrist in the Chicago area, agrees: "Flip-flops are great for the beach as an alternative to being barefoot." For the rest of life, she says, "there are better choices."

The problem, foot doctors say, is that flip-flops offer little cushioning and no arch support, and they force their wearers into an unnatural, toe-gripping, foot-slapping gait.

Among the possible consequences:

• Sore arches and heels, which can progress to chronic conditions, including inflamed Achilles tendons and plantar fasciitis, inflammation of the connective tissue between the heel bone and the toes.

• Heel calluses (from the pounding).

• Hammer toes (from the gripping).

• Irritation between the toes (from the toe thongs), which can lead to nasty fungal infections.

Of course, flip-flops aren't the only popular shoes that can hurt your feet. Pretty little ballet flats and sky-high wedges, if worn too often or in the wrong circumstances, can cause just as much pain as classic trouble-makers such as stiletto heels, experts say. Even sensible, low-heeled, wide-strapped sandals can harm your feet if you wear the same pair every day from June to September.

A few tips for making it through the summer with feet that look good and feel good, too:

• Spend most of your time in sturdy shoes that offer heel and arch support. "If you can take the sandal or ballet flat and twist it into a little ball, that's a sign that they can't take everyday wear and tear," Crane says.