– I have worn flat shoes all my life, says Malin Christiansen Borgesson.
And she’s not alone in that. Many young people today walk around in flat shoes and many stores sell this type of shoes.
But is it really wrong to use them?
The characteristic of flat shoes is that they have a thin and hard sole, are completely flat without special cushioning and have no arch in the shoe.
So you walk completely flat.
Flat shoes like these are popular. But few people know that they can cause health challenges.
Photo: Simon Elias Bogan / NRK
It can have a negative effect
Not many people think about choosing shoes during the day.
However, the wrong choice can have consequences for the body.
For:
– If you often use flat shoes, you can get back pain, among other things.
This is according to chiropractor Hans-Georg Gelstad of Chiropractic Clinic Stavanger.
– Blame first, then back
– We weren’t made to walk in flat shoes, she says.
Hans Georg Gelstad is a chiropractor at the Chiropractic Clinic in Stavanger. He says that wearing flat shoes doesn’t give us the normal hip swing.
Photo: Simon Elias Bogan / NRK
When we wear flat shoes, we don’t use the small muscles in the soles of the feet as much, he says. Over time, this will create tracking errors.
– A lot Notice that it goes past the ankles first, then upwards to the knees and lower back. You may also experience neck pain.
I don’t think flat shoes are the cause
Børjesson has heard this before from both chiropractors and physiotherapists, as he has a rather bad back.
But Børjesson herself doesn’t think her shoes are the main cause of her back pain. Even her chiropractor and physical therapist have completed it, she says.
– Back problems can be caused by many things. I’m not going to say anything against them, but now I’ve been wearing flat shoes for the rest of my life. My back problems are for other reasons.
Børjesson knows that flat shoes fit her feet better and that she finds better balance by wearing them.
Photo: Simon Elias Bogan / NRK
– Small shock absorption
Chiropractor Gelstad is supported by podiatrist Mona Wallin.
– Most of the problems people have with me are usually related to shoes. When people wear very flat shoes with thin and hard soles, there is little shock absorption.
This lack of shock absorption can damage the back, he says.
– Having very thin and very hard soles is definitely not something to recommend. Especially if you’ve had a bad back before.
Wallin has been an independent podiatrist for over 20 years. He advises everyone to wear shoes with good shock-absorbing soles.
– Better not take any chances with this. For example, I cannot walk in flat shoes. Then he says my back hurts.
Mona Wallin hosts her daughter Domin Hedland here. Domin says she almost exclusively walks in flat shoes.
Photo: Simon Elias Bogan / NRK
100 pairs of shoes at home
Like Børjesson, Fidel Briseno has worn flat shoes all his life.
– I am fully aware that it is harmful. But I have a lot of love for these shoes here.
Fidel Briseno in front of the shoe rack in his own store in the Quadrat in Sandnes.
Photo: Simon Elias Bogan / NRK
Briceno owns a shoe store called Legit on the Quadrat in Sandnes. At home, he has more than 100 pairs of shoes, almost all flat.
– I’m used to walking in these shoes. But still I have to admit that I do notice if I walk a lot in flat shoes a day, she says.
He also has back problems and doesn’t think flat shoes will help his back.
Nevertheless, he always swears loyalty to the shoes he wears:
– I’ll use these shoes until I’m old or when the doctor says I should give them up, says Briseno.
Here, Briseno holds one of the best-selling shoes in his store. He says these types of shoes sell well among the youth.
Photo: Simon Elias Bogan / NRK
– Most popular shoes
The session in Stavanger sells a lot of shoes. What most shoes have in common is that they are precisely flat.
According to store employee Kristoffer Hovland, these shoes are selling well.
– They are very famous. But we have many flat shoes that have good cushioning, Hovland points out.
Because not all flat shoes are bad for you. Some have a good moisture content and thus are not so bad for the joints.
– I have worn shoes most of my life. Hovland says some of the shoes we sell look flat, but the interior means the shoe may have a slight bow.
Not suitable for everyone
Chiropractor Jelstad says how much stress the body tolerates varies from person to person.
– Some are active and use their feet and don’t notice anything. Others notice a lot.
Gelstad shows where one can get injured by wearing flat shoes. The lower back is particularly vulnerable to injuries.
Photo: Simon Elias Bogan / NRK
But she says it’s not a good idea to wear flat shoes in a very active everyday life.
– It’s about how much you walk each day. If you sit in the office all day, there is no problem in wearing flat shoes.
Walk over convenience
Although Børjesson sees flat shoes as causing problems for the body, she has not personally noticed that wearing flat shoes has affected her.
– Genetics and the innate arch in my feet mean that flat shoes are actually more comfortable for me, she says.
Børjesson wears flat shoes because they are stylish, but she thinks they fit her feet too well.
Photo: Simon Elias Bogan / NRK
But for Briseno, style is more important than comfort:
– It’s style, I use them as everyday shoes. But of course I don’t use them on mountain trips, he concludes.
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