The American Podiatric Medical Association, which has long considered itself an underused resource for shoe-wearing Americans, has a few dos and don’ts about flip flops, the summer footwear of choice for tens of millions of people.
DOS:
• Do shop for a flip-flop made of high-quality, soft leather. Leather minimizes the potential for blisters and other types of irritation.
•   Do gently bend the flip-flop from end to end, ensuring it bends at the ball of the foot. Shoes of any kind should never fold in half.
•   Do wear a sturdy pair of flip-flops when walking around a public pool, at the beach, in hotel rooms and in locker room areas. Walking barefoot can expose foot soles to plantar warts and athlete’s foot.
•   Do ensure that your foot doesn’t hang off of the edge of the flip-flop.
DON’TS:
•   Don’t re-wear flip-flops year after year. Inspect older pairs for wear. If they show signs of
severe wear, discard them.
•   Don’t ignore irritation between toes, where the toe thong fits. This can lead to blisters and possible infections.
•   Don’t wear flip-flops while walking long distances. Even the sturdiest flip-flops offer little in terms of shock absorption and arch support.
•   Don’t do yard work while wearing flip-flops. Always wear a shoe that fully protects feet when doing outside activities such as mowing the lawn or using a weed-eater.
•   Don’t play sports in flip-flops. That’s just crazy.
THIS IS THE STUPIDEST THING I HAVE EVER READ. THIS IS JUST COMMON SENSE. IT SHOULD BE ABOUT WHERE IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO WEAR THEM. YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY WEAR THEM ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE BECAUSE THEY’RE TOO LAZY TO PUT ON SOCKS AND SHOES.
What about high quality leather flip flops that cost a couple of hundred dollars? Throw them away every year? I don’t think so.
One of the most insightful articles to be found on the web these days, truly inspirational. It’s not often you find such public spirited journalism. Thank you.
THEY SHOULD ALSO WRITE AN ARTICLE ON WHY PEOPLE HAVE TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS. EVEN IF YOU’RE OLD YOU SHOULD STILL BE ABLE TO READ LOWER CASE WORDS. SO WHEN YOU LEARN TO STOP TYPING LIKE THIS, WE YOUNGUNS WILL STOP WEARING FLIP FLOPS EVERYWHERE.