Three researchers from the RCSI’s School of Medicine, the Gait Laboratory, Central Remedial Clinic (CRC), in Clontarf, and the School of Physiotherapy set out to answer the question ‘Do flip-flops increase the risk of tripping when walking?’
“From our research, we concluded that the required increase in knee flexion and ankle dorsiflexion, along with the sizeable difference between barefoot and flip-flops in ground clearance, may increase the risk of tripping during walking in flip-flops, compared to bare feet,” they determined.
Fifteen healthy participants between the ages of 17 and 75 years with no history of gait pathology were recruited for the research that took place in the Gait Laboratory of the CRC.
Light-emitting diode markers were placed on the hallux, base of the fifth metatarsal and heel of each foot, as well as the ankle and knee joints.
Plastic wands were then attached to the shanks, thighs and hips, to define the planes of movement along the lower limbs, with additional markers attached to corresponding locations on the slippers.
Each participant made five walks barefoot and five in flip-flops, for data collection.
The researchers said 12 key kinematic and temporal-spatial gait parameters were analysed using three-dimensional motion analysis: gait speed, single and double support duration, step length, total ankle range of motion (ROM) in the sagittal plane, total sub-talar joint ROM in the coronal plane, and peak knee flexion in swing.
Minimum toe clearance when barefoot and minimum shoe clearance in slippers in swing, knee and ankle position at initial contact and separation distance between barefoot and flip-flop markers, were also used.
They found that wearing slippers caused an increase in peak knee flexion in swing and ankle dorsiflexion.
The average separation between the heel and base of the flip-flop, in pre-swing, was 8.8cm (SD = 1.48). In mid-swing, the slipper cleared the ground by an average 1.6cm (SD = 0.56) at its lowest point, in contrast to the mean barefoot clearance of 4.2cm (SD = 0.8).
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