You can walk in sandals for long distances as long as they have the right features. Kuizinas says walking sandals should have straps to hold your feet in place and should be flat, but also flexible enough to bend with your foot. However, Kuizinas says it’s not ideal to walk long distances in heeled sandals all day because they put excessive pressure on the ball of the foot and keep the ankle in a flexed position. “Over time, walking in heeled sandals can cause pain to the ball of the foot, muscle fatigue, imbalances in the muscles of the foot, and wear and tear on the joints. Not to mention the effect that it has on the entire body, including the hips, pelvis and lower back,” she says.