For ages, women have been sacrificing comfort for fashion - particularly when it comes to our feet. But doctors are now saying that one trend is probably wreaking untold damage on women’s bodies. The culprit? Ugg boots.
It will come as no surprise to anyone who’s ever owned Uggs (or an imitation brand of the boots) that they’re not the most supportive footwear. Spend an hour walking around in them, or even just watch the way others walk in them, and you’ll be able to tell.
Most women and girls, though, aren’t generally thinking about the orthopedics of the shoes they purchase. More often than not, our choices have to do with style - and sometimes, in the case of Uggs, comfort.
Podiatrists and chiropodists are now saying that this particular fashion trend, though, is bad for women’s health. Specifically, the health of our feet, knees, ankles and backs.
“These boots are not designed for outside wear,” said Dr. Ian Drysdale, head of the British College of Osteopathic Medicine. “Just because something becomes a trend or fashionable doesn't mean it's good or right.”
Ugg Austraila, designers of the original version of the popular boots, told The Daily Mirror that their boots are ‘comfort' rather than ‘performance' footwear and consumers should be aware of imitations which lack reinforced heels or insoles in their boots.
The problem with the boots, according to consultant podiatric surgeon Mike O’Neill, is that, “as the foot slides around, you get wear and tear on the joints on the inside of the foot. The ankle is in the wrong position, the thigh bone also changes position and you get an abnormal movement in the pelvis, which leads to back problems.”
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