With summer approaching, most of the time you'll find me in flip flops. It's hard to beat flip flops when you want to give your feet space to stretch and breathe. Plus they're the easiest shoes to put on and slip off.
Like most people, I'm a sucker for the $1 flip flop day at Old Navy. I get a pair in almost every color and pattern they have. They're light, easy to pack, and match so many spring and summer outfits. The only issue is because the sole is flat and thin, they can wear on your feet and ankles if you wear them as much as I do.
To solve that issue, I present my favorite flip flops - the FitFlop. It was originally marketed to help you get more of a workout for your legs while you walk and hence, shape your legs nicely. I don't know if they actually do that. I haven't seen a difference in my legs, but I do feel a difference in my feet. Because of the way the straps are positioned and the sole is shaped and cushioned, I last a lot longer wearing FitFlops than regular flip flops. The sole curves around the bones in my feet - it kind of reminds me of a memory foam pillow.
Another great pair of shoes to alternate with my flip flops are MBT shoes. These shoes are also marketed to give you more of a workout while you walk because of the way the sole is curved. (Marketing the benefits of exercise without as much exercise seems to be a pretty popular strategy.) Like the FitFlops, I don't know how much of a difference they actually make to the shape of your legs, but these shoes are great for ankle soreness. After multiple days of walking all day in my Old Navy flip flops, my ankles feel beat up, but after a day of walking in the MBTs, my ankles feel better. Oddly, they feel better than if I had just rested on the couch all day. I never studied physiology, but maybe the shoe changes my stride somehow and positions and moves my ankle in a therapeutic way. All I know is they're comfy and fix my ankles.
Admittedly, although these shoes come in different styles from casual to dressy, they will probably never be seen on the runways of Fashion Week, but isn't it better to walk confidently and comfortably than struggle to stand in unbearably painful shoes?
