Finding the proper mix of style and comfort in footwear is not a hassle for college students when they can crawl out of bed, slip on a pair of flip-flops or Birkenstocks and hurry to class.
"I wake up really late, and I don't have time to put on socks and shoes," said Logan Atkinson, a sophomore in the School of Communication. "When I'm going to work, I put on real shoes."
Flip-flop lovers, however, might consider buying a pair of Birkenstocks the next time they're out shopping. While flip-flops are more popular than Birkenstocks on most college campuses, doctors have found that Birkenstocks are better for feet because they offer more support.
Podiatrist Dr. Stephen Kominsky, founder and director of Washington Hospital Center's surgical podiatry training program, said he has two kids who are in college - one who lives in flip-flops and one who doesn't. Kominsky said nowadays you see more flip-flops than Birkenstocks.
"Most flip-flops do not have an arch," Kominsky said. "[Flip-flops] are bad for most people because most people have flat feet."
Kominsky said that if people have bad backs, bad ankles and other foot conditions, they should wear shoes that have better support.
"If you do not have any [foot conditions], then its OK [to wear flip-flops] if you can tolerate the weather," Kominsky said.
No matter how cold the weather is outside, Rebecca Carbaugh, a senior physics major at Bridgewater College, in Bridgewater, Va., said that many students wear flip-flops around campus and to class.
"What makes a school a Birkenstock school versus a flip-flop school depends on how much money the students going there have to spend," Carbaugh said. "For example, [Bridgewater] costs almost $30,000 per year, so most students don't have a lot of extra money to spend on expensive shoes. They just buy whatever is cheapest and the $3 flip-flops at Wal-Mart meet that criteria. Plus, they're comfortable."
India Harris, a sophomore sociology major at the University of Hartford in Hartford, Conn., said that the style of the college and of its students determines whether that school is a flip-flop or Birkenstock school.
Harris said that even though many students wear Birkenstocks at the University of Hartford, the students who wear flip-flops outweigh those who wear Birkenstocks.
"I wear flip-flops in the dorms and in the summer time I wear them to class," Harris said. "In the winter season I consider [flip-flops] like slippers. For the most part, I dress too nicely to wear them to class, but once in a while I dress down and wear them."
While most college students prefer flip-flops over Birkenstocks, Roxana Hernandez, a sales associate at the Walking Company in Arlington, Va., said that Birkenstocks are more professional than flip-flops and they provide better comfort.
"People actually come in [the Walking Company] looking for Birkenstocks. Now that it's winter, people are looking for clogs," Hernandez said. "[Flip-flops] are easy to wear if you are going to the beach. ... [But] it's not recommended to wear flip-flops all the time. It depends on where you are and the climate."
Flip-flop fanatics are better off than those who frequently wear high heels, but those who wear flip-flops everyday are more than likely damaging their feet. Hernandez said that soles of flip-flops deteriorate quickly, and wearing them all the time may cause many foot conditions.
"You're bringing tension on yourself," Hernandez said, referring to people who wear flip-flops all the time.
When it comes to proper nutrition for your feet, the Mid-Atlantic Podiatry Associates (MAPA) suggest that people exercise regularly and include adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D in their diet. MAPA also recommends that people not wear the same pair of shoes every day.
While many college students might choose flip-flops over Birkenstocks because of comfort, MAPA tips for walking shoes suggest that the ideal walking shoe should be well-cushioned and stable from side to side, and should enable smooth walking. MAPA also says that socks are important.
Jennifer Maloney, office manager of the geography department at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., knows how easy it is for students to crawl out of bed and slip on a pair of flip-flops because her daughter, who attends Virginia Tech, is also a flip-flop lover. Maloney said that in today's society flip-flops are acceptable - not just for college students, but for everyone.
"We are a more casual society than we ever were," Maloney said. "Nobody wears suits to interviews. It's a sign of the times. [Our society] lives in flip-flops and jeans."
Nevertheless, Maloney said she has some advice for all those flip-flop lovers in college.
"You are going to get sick," Maloney said. "Listen to your mother. Stay warm and wear the right type of shoes"
