Flat shoes provide much support and help to the body compared to the heeled-ones. It is believed that the knees are at ease when one wears a flat shoe with flexible heels.

As the research by Dr. Najia Shakoor, a rheumatologist and colleagues at Rush says, burdening knee leads in the development of osteoarthritis.

Shakoor and her colleagues analyzed the walk of 31 patients with symptoms of osteoarthritis in the Rush Motion Analysis Lab whilst barefoot walk and with four widely used shoe types.

Dansko clogs-worn by healthcare professionals, Brooks Addiction stability shoes, Puma H-Street flat shoes for athletes and flip-flops.

The conclusion of the study highlighted two important facts which were height of the heels and stiffness as the main causes. In regard with height, it was said that the higher will be the heels, the more will be the load on the knees. Doctor also mentioned that it has been shown in an earlier study that, barefoot walking is associated with lower knee loads as is more beneficial than walking with the conventional footwear.

The Doctors further added the fact that it may be that the flexible movement of the bare foot is mechanically advantageous. In fact, it's the natural flex of the foot when it contacts the ground probably attenuates the impact on the joint, compared to the artificial 'stomping' movement created by a stiff-soled shoe.

It was concluded that flip-flops and the walking shoes which were flat, flexible and light in weight mimicked barefoot behaviour and thus are a best fit for the body.