Safety Tips: 3 Dangerous Shoe Types that Increase Your Chance of Falling

Posted By Nadine Diaz

Our firm has handled numerous slip and fall accident cases in our years of practice, and have seen firsthand how painful and frustrating it can be to recover from a preventable injury. Many of these accidents are caused by factors outside of the victim’s control, usually involving some degree of negligence from a property owner. In the interest of safety, we have put together some valuable information that may help you prevent a slip and fall accident caused by something you can easily control: your choice of footwear.

To reduce your chance of injury, try to stay away from these dangerous types of shoes:

Number 3: The Platform Wedge

This shoe has a dangerous combination of elevation with inflexibility that prevents the foot from moving in a natural way, causing instability while walking. The most common injury from this type of shoes is known as a “ballet break,” which can occur when a person falls off a wedge onto the side of the foot. This can result in a stress fracture. Because of the lack of flexibility in these shoes, the wearer’s foot is locked into falling the way the platform heel dictates.

Number 2: The Pencil Heel 
Visually, it is obvious that the area of contact of the heel and the ground is minimal, which creates a serious balance problem. In addition, a very narrow heel puts force on the Achilles tendon, which can lead to problems not just in the foot, but in the back and knee as well.

Number 1: Flip-Flops/Sandals

Floridians, clean up your closet and throw away those risky flip-flops!

Wearing flip-flops for excessive amounts of time could cause temporary or even long-term damage to the musculoskeletal system. Flip-flops can also create another significant health risk by increasing the probability of injury from falling, tripping, and joint misalignment.

The biggest issue with flip-flops is the lack of support they provide to the foot. Wearers have to curl the toes downwards in order to keep the sandal from flying off of their foot during normal walking. Additionally, the angle of the ankle is different while wearing flip-flops than with other, more supportive types of shoes, which can inhibit normal gait and foot rotation. Ultimately, this can compromise a person’s balance and negatively impact skeletal alignment.

Contact Our Slip & Fall Attorneys in Tampa

At Darrigo & Diaz, Attorneys at Law, we care about your safety. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident caused by someone else’s negligence, call our office at (813) 877-5548 for a free evaluation of your claim. We have decades of experience dealing with slip and fall cases as well as a variety of other personal injury cases, including car accidents, wrongful death, premises liability, product liability, and more.