This may be a shock to many proud Pacific people but wearing jandals could be putting your health at risk. MELE TU’UHOLOAKI a jandal-wearer herself, gets the low-down.
If there is one clothing item that is specific to Pacific peoples, it is jandals (also known as flip-flops and thongs). We wear them throughout the year, rain or shine, not just in the islands, but in our adopted homes like New Zealand, Australia and the USA.
For islanders young and old, it is the footwear of choice, simple to put on, airy and sometimes even worn with socks!
But latest research now says wearing them could be hazardous to your feet, and your health. Researchers say the wearing of jandals over a sustained period of time can be harmful to your feet and legs.
“Wearing jandals generally makes you claw your feet to sustain grip and so it can eventuate in decreasing your strength and energy,” a statement reads.
“Your manner of walking is changed which can produce problems and pain starting from the foot, up to the hips and then to the lower back.”
The study was carried out by researchers in the United States at Auburn University, Alabama.
Adam Hughes from the New Zealand podiatry clinic Foot Mechanics has supported this research saying that wearing jandals long-term leads to ‘deformities’ and ‘clawed feet’. Hughes says wearing jandals for one-off occasions like going to the beach social situations would not be concern.
People are advised that if they currently have other muscle injuries, then the idea of wearing jandals would not be wise as it can aggravate your injury. Jandal wearers are also advised to take shorter stride lengths, making sure heels consistently touch the ground, with less vertical force.
