Walking around the house barefoot or with just socks on may not seem like a big deal. After all, you’re at home. You’re supposed to be comfortable. Plus, nobody wants to dirty their carpet by walking all over it with muddy sneakers.
However, walking around the house without any sort of support or protection can be harmful and potentially painful. In fact, experts highly suggest investing in a pair of slippers to wear around the house, especially if you’re now working from home.
Ahead, experts share why you should wear slippers around the house.
You should wear slippers at home!
“This is an important thing that I’ve talked to my patients about,” Dr. Ashley Lee of Northern Illinois Foot & Ankle Specialists, tells FabFitFun. “Most people have hardwood floors and walking around without any form of support, leads to excessive pressure on the ball of the foot and heels. The lack of support can also cause the arches to stretch and flatten.”
What happens if you don’t wear slippers?
Without support, walking on hard surfaces for extended periods of time can cause the tendons and ligaments around the ankle to become inflamed and irritated. This can then lead to instability or tendinitis, which can quite painful.
In fact, since the pandemic, Dr. Lee says they’ve seen an influx of people with foot pain. “Patients have made comments, especially women saying, ‘wait a minute, I wore heels to work and I’ve never experienced foot pain, but now that I’m at home and no longer wearing heels, I have pain,’” she says. “In these situations, often people’s foot pain significantly improves if they don a nice indoor slipper or use a designated indoor gym shoe.”
Walking barefoot at home can also lead to plantar fasciitis, which is inflammation across the bottom of your foot. Capsulitis, which is inflammation in the ligaments of the second toe in particular, and tendinitis, which is inflammation in the tendons, can also occur due to walking barefoot at home for long periods of time. These conditions may cause pains, aches, tenderness, and swelling.
Why is it important to keep your feet supported?
It’s important to keep in mind that your feet are the foundation of your body. Without adequate support, Dr. Diana Rogers of Northern Illinois Foot & Ankle Specialists tells FabFitFun, foot muscle fatigue can “very easily” have a domino effect on adjacent joints. For instance, knee, hip, back, shoulder, and even head pain can all stem from the feet.
“Most people don’t realize they have joint pain until they put on a pair of supportive shoes in the house and their aches go away,” Dr. Rogers says.
If you don’t want to spend a ton of money on something you’re just going to wear around the house, you don’t need to. As long as the slippers support your feet (our fave is the Splendid Faux Fur Slippers from the FabFitFun Spring Box!), you should be fine. As always, consult your doctor or physician with any additional questions.
xx, The FabFitFun Team
