They might be intended for short stretches from the pool to the dressing room, but flip-flops have made it into our daily wardrobes for that more relaxed look. While we’ve heard countless warnings on posture and fallen arches, the slip on shoe is actually causing more serious harm to your feet health – including fungal infections and changing the bone structure of your toes. Dr. Jackie Sutera, a podiatrist and spokesperson for the American Podiatric Medical Association, pointed out that although feet will get covered in dirt while out and about, the dirt build-up on your foot is likely to include the bacteria Staphylococcus – which leads to irritated skin and sensitive skin conditions. If you’ve picked up a little nip or micro wound during exfoliating, you could be exposing your skin to a host of bacteria that can inflame a cut and prevent the skin from adequately healing. What might be even more concerning is the news that your comfy footwear could lead to permanent bone and muscle damage in your foot. As explained by Sutera, the flip-flop sandal could result in developing hammertoe. Not sure what that is? Hammertoe is when the knuckles of your toes bend. Sutera explains that when you wear flip-flops, your toes need to work extra hard to keep the shoe on your foot, which can cause hammertoe. Over time, hammertoes will lead to stiffness, pain and need surgery to correct the position on the foot. Want to protect yourself from hurting your heels and foot? Wear a pair of strappy sandals – with a thick strap at the midfoot, and another strap around the back of the ankle. So you can still free your feet – just without damaging your toes.