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A recent article, “Flip-flops present feet with painful problem” by CNN’s Marina Csomor, has many Americans talking about the importance of supportive footwear. Some American consumers don’t realize the impact that certain types of footwear can have on foot pain and other issues. How many Americans wear flip-flops, and how do they correlate with foot problems? The article cites a study that says most adult Americans have experienced foot problems, but what does our panel think about the correlation between footwear and these foot problems?
Flip Flops
In Ask Your Target Market’s latest survey, 48% of respondents said they wear flip-flops often. 17% said they used to wear flip-flops regularly, but no longer wear them. 19% said they have worn flip-flops once or twice, but have never worn them regularly. And just 16% of Americans said they’ve never worn flip-flops.Of those who have worn them, 54% described their flip-flops as cheap, rubber soles with little to no foot support. 32% said their flip flops are more expensive, made with higher quality materials and include arch support. 15% of respondents said they wear other types of flip-flops.
Foot Problems
So how does this type of footwear correlate with foot pain and other issues? Overall, 42% of Americans said they have experienced foot problems at some point during their lives. Those who often wear flip-flops were not any more likely to say they’ve had foot problems. Those who have worn them in the past were just 1% more likely to say they’ve had foot problems. And those who said they wear cheap, rubber flip-flops were just 3% more likely to say they’ve had foot problems.
Correlation
Overall, just 22% of Americans who have had foot problems said they definitely attribute those problems to their choice of footwear. 39% said that their footwear might play some part in their foot problems. And another 39% said they don’t think their footwear has played any part in their foot problems. Respondents who often wear flip-flops were more likely to attribute their foot problems to their footwear, but those who used to wear flip-flops were less likely to attribute those problems to footwear.You can view the complete survey results in the widget below and be sure to click “Open Full Report” to take advantage of all the chart and filter options.Photo Credit: flip-flop from FlickrWhat do you want to know? If you need some consumer insights on a particular topic, let us know in the comments below and we’ll consider it for an upcoming survey post.
Results were collected on July 20, 2012 via AYTM’s online survey panel.
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