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You may think you're doing your feet a favor by slipping on a pair of flip-flops, but it turns out the ubiquitous summer sandals are more perilous than they appear.
In the U.K. alone, the National Health Service spends the equivalent of $62 million a year treating injuries, falls and long-term problems caused by the footwear, with over 200,000 people seeking medical treatment as a result of wearing the shoes.

Who knew getting flat-tired could be so dangerous?
Here comes the science: We walk differently in flip-flops than we do barefoot or in regular shoes. The pressure goes on the outside of the foot instead of the heel. Injuries from flip-flops range from everyday discomforts like lingering muscle and joint pain to shin splints and sprained/broken ankles and toes. Also -- embarrassing! -- fractured wrists and arms as the result of a nosedive.
In fact, doctors say flip-flops are just as bad for your hooves as stilettos, but actually cause more damage because they're worn for longer periods of time. Considering one in five women owns at least one pair of flip-flops, and 15 million people wear them per day in the summer, podiatrists must be enjoying the summer months even more than the rest of us.
And we thought the only damage from flip-flops involved scrubbing a day's worth of sidewalk grease off our feet every night.