May 9, 2007 9:44 AM

High heels and flip-flops
Posted by Diane Danielsonat 9:44 AM

Just when I thought it was another generic article about how bad high heels are for women, they toss in the bit about how bad flip flops are too!  I have to admit, while I love most things about Generation Y, the flip-flops in the office drives me nuts.  (Sorry, I'm just not a fan of any open toe shoes in the office - or as one of my pals says: no cleavage at all in the office- no frontal cleavage, no butt cleavage and no toe cleavage). 

Women often think they're doing their feet a favor when they ditch the heels and put on flip-flops or ballet flats because there's no heel, no pointed toe, no reason to worry. Right?

Not so, say podiatrists, who treat foot problems often exacerbated by improper footwear. "The thing that flip-flops do best is carry patients into my office," said Stephen Pribut, a D.C. podiatrist. The repeated process of lifting your heel away from the shoe surface (creating that characteristic flip-flop sound) creates tension in the foot, said Pribut, which can worsen such painful inflammatory conditions as plantar fasciitis.