Your most comfortable shoes may also be your riskiest. A new review of federal injury data finds that slippers top the list for the most serious shoe-related trips to emergency rooms, ahead of flip-flops, sandals and even high heels, according to Parade. Analyzing 2021-2025 Consumer Product Safety Commission records, researchers estimate that slippers are linked to about 20,750 emergency room visits per year, about as many as boots, but with much worse results: About 40% of slipper cases resulted in “serious injuries,” such as broken bones, compared to 31% for flip-flops and 17% for boots. The CDC advises avoiding backless shoes, choosing non-slip, well-fitting shoes, and skipping walks with socks, especially for adults 65 and older, for whom falls are the leading cause of injury. The breakdown, via Maisonlaw.com:
The most dangerous according to the severity of the injuries:
- Slippers, 40.3%
- Flip flops, 30.9%
- Sandals, 27.9%
- High heels, 26.3%
- Sneakers/sports shoes, 20.1%
- Boots, 17.1%
The most dangerous according to the number of emergency room visits
- Boots, 20,840 visits per year
- Slippers, 20,750
- Flip flops, 16 083
- Sandals, 15,961
- High heels, 10,290
- Sneakers/sports shoes, 8,630
Gn Health
