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Picking the right pair

The following features in a flip-flop can minimize pain and injury, according to Dr. Leo Bronston of the American Chiropractic Association:

n Slip-resistant soles

n Anti-microbial treatment

n A footbed that's flexible, yet firm enough to provide support

n Proper fit: Most people grip flip-flops with their toes to keep them from falling off, causing stress on the entire foot.

Dr. Harry Penny, a podiatrist with Blair Medical Associates in Altoona, recommends leather flip-flops, for more support and less friction than traditional rubber flip-flops.

Tips for a safe pedicure

Prepping your feet for flip-flops with a pedicure also carries a hidden risk to your health - getting an infection from unsanitary implements or tubs.

"The tubs can look clean, but that doesn't mean they are," said Carol Sicheneder, supervisor at Pruonto's Hair Design Institute in Altoona. "The bacteria could still be in there. It's very hard for the public to know whether the implements and spas have been cleaned."

To avoid an infection, choose a good, reputable salon, Sicheneder said - and don't shave your legs for at least 24 hours before the pedicure.

"If you've just shaved, the pores are opened up for the bacteria," she said.

Flip-flops may free your feet for the summer, but the low-key footwear could have effects on your health that last beyond Labor Day.

A recent Auburn University study found that wearing flip-flips can lead to sore feet, ankles and legs. Researchers in the AU kinesiology department studied 39 college-age men and women wearing both flip-flops and athletic style shoes.

The study found that flip-flop wearers took shorter steps and that their heels hit the ground with less vertical force than when the same walkers wore athletic shoes.

When wearing flip-flops, participants did not bring their toes up as much during the leg's swing phase, resulting in a larger ankle angle and shorter stride length, possibly because they tended to grip the flip-flops with their toes.

''In summertime, people tend to be more active,'' said Dr. Harry Penny, a podiatrist with Blair Medical Associ-ates in Altoona. ''Unfortunately, that's when they shed their sneakers, which give them support.''

Flip-flops' soles are so thin that they don't provide adequate shock absorption, Penny said - and that can lead to ankle sprains, tendonitis and the flattening of the arch.

"The shock goes up until it's dissipated," Penny said. "The stress we're talking about - it actually affects everything, with the exception of the arms. Especially lower neck pain - people come in with that, and they don't even have a clue. But the stress has to be absorbed somewhere, until it diminishes."

It's not uncommon for people to visit Barnes Chiropractic in Holli-daysburg for lower back pain after a vacation, said Dr. Mark Barnes.

"It's from wearing flip-flops on the beach, from walking on the boardwalk in them," Barnes said. " ... It puts impressive force on the joints, especially knees and hips. ... We call it the closed kinetic chain, which starts at the feet and goes up to the head - it's the knees, hips, spine - your weight-bearing joints."

Other than joint problems, there's also the matter of exposing your foot to summer elements. Penny said he's had patients pick up debris along the shore and come back with gristle from seashells stuck in their feet, and bee stings to the foot are more common in the summer, too.

Despite the risks, going barefoot can actually be good for you, Penny said.

"I'd rather have (people) go barefoot in the house," he said. "That way, they're not altering their gait. ... Some seem to think it's good to go barefooted; it gives the foot a chance to breathe, it exercises the muscles, and it's more of a natural stretch, too."

Mirror Staff Writer Ashley Gurbal is at 946-7435.