Some women end up paying a far higher price for wearing UGG boots than the retail price of €170-€200!!
When worn regularly and excessively, the very popular, sheepskin lined UGG boots may make feet miserable.
UGGs can be harmful to your feet and ankles, causing pain and throwing your walk/gait out of line. This can end up causing problems to extend to the knees, hips and lower back. The fur/sheepskin lining can also create an ideal breeding ground for foot fungus!!!
The boots are so cosy and comfy looking that wearers rarely take them off, but they weren’t actually made for long-distance walking or all day wear.
A young mother found this out the hard way!
The easy to slip on and off footwear seemed like the perfect fit for this young 27 year old mother. She found that the UGGs kept her toes warm and toasty to boot (excuse the pun!!) when standing outside the school every day waiting to pick up her kids.
She said that they felt like slippers walking around on the pavement (who wears slippers all day??).
After wearing these ‘trendy’ footwear all day for about a month, the young mother noticed that the arches of her feet and her heels were killing her. She had to stop wearing them.
When she sought the help of a Podiatrist (a foot doctor) she was surprised to hear that she had developed posterior tibeal tendinitis and that her UGGs and flat feet were to blame!
What happens when UGGs are worn all day?
When flat footed people walk around in loose-fitting boots like these, their ankles roll inward (see the pic.) and their arches and tendons collapse outward with every step.
Podiatrists are especially worried about the boot’s roominess in the ankle and heel areas now that the boots are popular with both teens and toddlers (Baby versions run at about €60 a pop!). Kids seem to shuffle around in them – they make that irritating foot-dragging sound called the “UGG shuffle”.
Please don’t put your babies or kids in these boots for all day wear – remember when your mother took you shopping for shoes? She always looked for good leather shoes which fit well with a good hard heel counter? That’s what kids need to help develop problem-free walking and gait! Remember ‘Mum knows best’!!
At Foot Solutions we understand the pressure mums are under to buy the boots/shoes the kids friends are wearing – kids need to feel that they fit with their friends. All we ask is that the kids don’t wear them all day – they can always put them on when going out with the pals but could agree to wear the more fitted/supportive shoes when walking or playing sport. Most kids will agree to this compromise!
Because of the sheepskin/fur lining, skin infections like athlete’s foot and dermatitis can also be a problem with wearing UGGs excessively. Because bare feet can really sweat in the plush fur, podiatrists urge wearers to wear socks and to spray the liner with an anti-fungal spray once a month!
