For most, Spring Quarter is nearly synonymous with flip-flops. Of all of the trends that have swept our campus, few fail to unite such a diverse group.
Among all age groups, we're of the ideal lifestyle to be wearing flip-flops. They're convenient, fun, cheap and coordinate with anything. Some are strappy and stiletto, others are casual and comfortable. We've got flip-flops of every color, print and material; every shape and form.
Despite all of their advantages, it's important to realize the adverse effects of such a seemingly innocent shoe selection.
The freedom of wearing flip-flops throughout the day was new to me upon arriving to Ohio University.
Until last year, my high school had a rule against shoes with a piece of material between the big and adjacent toe. Administrators explained this away as some kind of safety hazard in the case of a fire and then conveniently changed it the year after I graduated.
In my experience, the biggest hazard of flip-flops is their slip-and-slide qualities. I nearly died while plodding around campus in Friday's slightly rainy conditions. Of course, if I had been expecting rain, this could have been avoided.
But I know I'm not the only one. The combination of a pair of foam shoes, little or no traction and slick, hilly, brick-covered surfaces is never good. And, a heads up: clinging to an umbrella does not increase balance but only makes matters worse.
Still, we risk dignity and damage to parade around in our springtime flip-flops.
Painful, unending blisters are a close second on the list of disadvantages. After a season of heavy socks and shoes, flip-flop straps cut into my feet like knives. Band-Aids don't stick throughout the day's warmth, and wearing flip-flops day after day gives them no time to heal.
Still, we push past the pain in a sacrifice for convenience and (overall) comfort.
It's also important to consider if we are sacrificing our future health for a cheap choice today.
The design of flip-flops can have long-term consequences because they don't support the feet, according to health professionals. When worn regularly and for lengthy periods of time, they can cause fungal infections and irritations between the toes and fissures along heels.
They also do not provide arch support, which stretches the ankle's tendons and can eventually cause abnormal wear and tear throughout the foot and lower leg.
Still, we ignore ....
So why do we continue to enjoy and embrace a choice that can be so detrimental to us?
I think it's because flip-flops are the essence of college life, characteristics that should and will continue: hardworking, fun, constantly changing and able to endure anything.
-Brittany Kress is a sophomore journalism major and senior copy editor at The Post. Send her stories of your flip-flop mishaps at bk256403@ohiou.edu.
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