Do you know anyone who wears the rubber-based footwear that are Crocs? Experts have now declared them bad for your health.
The oddly shaped rubber shoes have come under fire today after Dr. Megan Leahy, a Chicago-based podiatrist with the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, told Huffington Post that the shoes may be worse for your feet than you think.
‘Unfortunately Crocs are not suitable for all-day use’, she commented of the opinion-dividing footwear, which has been worn by celebrities including Helen Mirren and Kate Middleton.
She added: ‘These shoes do not adequately secure the heel. When the heel is unstable, toes tend to grip which can lead to tendinitis, worsening of toe deformities, nail problems, corns and calluses.
‘The same thing can happen with flip-flops or any backless shoes as the heel is not secured.’
More then 300 million paris of Crocs have been sold since they first hit the shops back in 2002, although they are much-maligned by the masses for their peculiar shape and garish array of colours.
Dr. Alex Kor, the president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine also told the Huffington Post that the clog-shaped shoes are the primary cause of arch or heel pain in his croc-wearing patients, who come in with these complaints on a daily basis.
And while certain people may benefit from wearing them, such as those who have a very high arch or suffer from excessive edema of their legs and ankle, Kor believes they are not suitable for daily use.
The bottom line? Crocs may be surprisingly comfortable for pottering around in the garden, but daring to wear them regularly in public might do more damage than just harm your street cred.
Agencies/Canadajournal