It is summertime, the sun is out and the worst footwear to curse the very ground it touches is back in full force. Flip flops are the worst “shoes” that are still commonly worn. From people to the very planet itself, flip flops are spreading harm as an overlooked danger to the modern world.
While there are many different variations on open-toed shoes, like sandals, flip flops are a simple sole with nothing but a front strap that forks between the first and second toes of the foot. They make a classic flapping sound as the back of the shoe is unsecured. Further, they are typically rather cheap and waterproof, which makes them popular as pool or beachwear.
A major harm of flip flops is that they are not designed to accommodate the usual sock due to their invasive strap. They are meant, and often are, worn with bare feet. While the lack of socks is a feature, it is also a danger as the sweat that forms on feet is absorbed by socks and then washed away when the socks are cleaned. This helps prevent the growth of bacteria within your shoes. Without the use of socks, flip flops become a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. The open design is another major benefit as it lets your feet breathe, but it also exposes them to all the potential harms and contaminants of the outside world.
Not only does this lead to dirtier feet, but also allows them to become hurt by dangerous or harmful items in the surroundings. It is not just where you are walking that can damage your feet, as the flip flops themselves can often hurt your feet. Instead of properly securing to your feet with laces, a number of straps or even buckles, they hang on a singular strap. The placement of that strap also puts a lot of pressure on the sensitive place between the toes as the shoe slides backward when walking. This is not only uncomfortable, but also leads to cuts or blisters.
What makes them even worse is the fact that the singular strap they rely on makes them very prone to shifting in position, or even falling off the foot entirely. The lack of security makes flip flops a danger to the user as it can lead to accidents or expose the feet to the bare ground in a moment where the shoe falls off the foot entirely. Proper footwear should be secured to the foot. The very purpose of footwear is to stay on the foot to protect it against the ground, and flip flops cannot even do that.
They are, by all accounts, the most impractical footwear as well. Beyond the previously stated issues with secure attachment, they typically lack any form of actual support for the foot. They are normally slabs of foam with a cheap plastic strap. They have no treads, terrible traction and do nothing to support the foot that is walking.
Despite these flaws, they are incredibly popular when the weather becomes warm. This is mainly because they are cheap, easy to throw on and for most people, do just good enough to justify their use. While I am willing to accept that people may make the wrong decision for their own personal safety, health and benefit, I cannot stand by while flip flops destroy the world.
Flip flops are cheaply made and are often discarded, with millions of flip flops being found on beaches worldwide. One beach in Kenya alone had over 400,000 flip flops that needed to be cleaned up. The plastic and foam of flip flops are typically not biodegradable and can be difficult to break down. They often can end up in the ocean due to their prevalence on beaches, and the foam pieces float to later gather garbage patches. Like most ocean plastics, sea life can mistake the flip flop debris as food and can choke on them while attempting to eat it.
Even if they do break down, these materials often release toxic chemicals that can destroy ecosystems. Not only is it an ecological problem, but also destroys the economies of coastal fishing communities. Flip flops are a silent danger that suffocates environments and wreaks havoc on the world around them.
They fail the very basic purpose of footwear by exposing the feet to dangers, both hygienic and physical, that harm their very wearers, both directly and indirectly. They are also impractical and a subtle destroyer of the very environment the wearers of them seek to enjoy. Due to these reasons, flip flops are certifiably the worst footwear ever.