News

The new product is called, “Archie’s Arch Support Thongs” and they are an orthotic thong that were designed by a young private practice Physiotherapist who was sick and tired of telling his patients to stop wearing flat thongs (Does this sound familiar?). While the concept of orthotic thongs is not new, this design varies greatly from anything we have ever seen before as they incorporate legitimate orthotic support but still just look like normal thongs!

At the start of every summer there seems to be some form of article in the newspaper or a T.V interview about the negative effects of flat thong wearing, in fact it has been well reported in recent times that there are many elite sports teams which have actually banned their athletes from wearing flat thongs!
While we are all reasonably aware that flat thongs are not great for your feet, what’s actually wrong with normal thongs?

Pronation occurs when the foot rolls inwards. When the foot rolls in so too does the lower limb/leg, causing a disruption to the body’s natural alignment. Increased pronation alters the way that stress and strain are absorbed through the body, which can potentially lead to injury. Issues arising from increased pronation are more common in people with flat feet, however it can occur in all foot types.

Flat thongs can also be problematic for people with high arches. People with high arches have a tendency to take increased stress on the outside of the foot and leg which over time may lead to injury. The addition of arch support in this foot type can help more evenly distribute the load and pressure across the foot which may potentially reduce the likelihood of an injury from occurring.

One of the other biggest problems with typical thongs is that they often come with a very loose strap. Normally when you walk your toes are supposed to bend upwards which activates the arch of the foot which then provides protection and support to the vital structures of the feet. However, most typical thongs have a very loose strap which means that you end up clawing / scrunching your toes down just to try and keep the thongs on your feet. When the toes claw / scrunch down rather than bending up, the arch does not activate and as a result your foot is subject to increased stress and strain which may lead to damage of some of the vital structures of the feet such as the plantar fascia and joint cartilage of the bones of the feet. Archies Thongs have been designed with a much tighter strap than normal thongs which reduces toe clawing and enhances proper foot function which allows you to walk more naturally.

Most thongs are also very flat in the heel section with little to no elevation which can put a lot of stress and strain on the calf and achilles. The lower your heel is to the ground, the more your Achilles will be on constant stretch, this can predispose to problems such as Achilles tendinopathy. When the heel is elevated the Achilles is unloaded, thereby providing your achilles tendon with some relief from constant stress.

Other more obvious problems with typical thongs is that they are commonly have straps that are made out of hard plastic which can cause irritation and can potentially lead to blisters. These straps also often break at the toe pole by having the plug pull through the base of the thong, splitting the thong in the process.

Archies Arch Support thongs have done a brilliant job on solving these issues and they have already been adopted by many professional athletes, sporting teams as well being stock in the clinics of some of Australia’s leading Health Professionals. Apart from solving these key design issues already mentioned, Archies Thongs are well and truly the most comfortable thong we have ever worn and once you get used to them you will not want to take them off!

In fact, even if you don’t normally wear thongs, Archies Thongs are great to be worn as an in and around the house slipper, especially if you wear orthotics or other supportive footwear. This is because often we go from wearing our supportive footwear or orthotics through the day and then come home and walk around in bare feet on hard floorboards and tiles. The super comfortable soft foam and the arch support found in Archies Thongs is great to help to take some off the stress and strain when walking around on hard tiles and floorboards. In particular, the thongs are great for any of our patients suffering from plantar fasciitis to support and protect the arch while it is healing. In this case, we suggest to put your Archies on before you even take your first step in the morning, having the arch may help to- reduce pain and facilitate a more optimal healing environment.

Anyway, I think that just about covers it. We all know that people are going to wear thongs in Summer, it’s the Australian way! However we think that Archies Thongs will certainly be a more suitable alternative for you than wearing flat thongs. At a retail price $35.00 Archies Thongs represent excellent value for money and are a good investment in your health for the upcoming summer!

Thanks and keep healthy,
Kindest regards,
Marika Scicluna

Physiotherapist / Director BMW Physiocare (Henley Beach Clinic)