Neuroscience · Fall Prevention

A Neuroscientist Explains: Why Fall Risk Increases by 34% From June to August in Seniors

Dr. Marcus Reeve, Ph.D. ✓ Verified Neuroscientist & Aging Research

Fall Risk Index · By Month

Fall Risk by Month

% increase vs. spring baseline. Two danger peaks: summer heat and winter ice.

Safe period (0%)

Winter ice risk

Elevated risk

Peak danger

July (+28%) and August (+34%) are the peak months for senior falls. December and January create a second spike from icy surfaces. The difference is almost entirely footwear.

Every year, more than 3 million older adults are treated in emergency departments for fall-related injuries. And every year, that number spikes twice: once in the summer, once in winter. The winter peak gets all the attention. The summer peak gets almost none. Here is why it happens, and why it is almost entirely caused by footwear.

Why Does Summer Cause More Falls?

3 compounding factors hit at exactly the same time every July. Each one would be manageable alone. Together, they create the deadliest walking conditions of the year for anyone over 60.

Problem 1

Flat soles, zero grip. One wet surface and it is over.

Most seniors switch to rubber flip flops or open sandals in June. These have smooth, flat soles with no traction pattern. On a wet pool deck, marina dock, or cobblestone street they offer almost no resistance. One wrong step on a slippery surface and there is nothing between you and the ground.

Problem 2

Feet swell in summer heat. Narrow walking shoes make every step unstable.

Walking in summer heat causes feet to swell, often by a full half-size by midafternoon. Most shoes are fixed and narrow. They compress swollen toes together, cut off circulation, and force the foot into an unnatural shape. Toes cannot splay for balance. The stride destabilizes. By hour three, every step is less stable than the one before.

Problem 3

Thick soles block 200,000 nerve endings. Your brain cannot correct what it cannot sense.

Your feet contain 200,000 nerve endings that send real-time ground data to your brain with every step. Thick foam soles absorb and block that signal almost entirely. Your brain loses its ground map. The micro-corrections that prevent stumbles stop happening. In summer heat, where nerve response is already slower, this sensory blackout becomes genuinely dangerous.

"The ground is talking to the foot. With the wrong sandal, the foot is not listening. That silence is what causes falls."

The Solution Consists Of 3 Specific Features In These Anatomical Sandals

For decades the conventional wisdom was to add more support: more cushioning, more structure, more material between the foot and the ground. But that logic is backwards. More material blocks the sensory signals your foot needs to keep you balanced. The research points to three specific features that address the root causes directly.

Solution 1 of 3

5x Multi-Directional Grip: Every Surface, Every Angle

The OpenStep outsole delivers 5x the traction of a standard sandal on wet and uneven surfaces. The grip pattern uses multi-directional intersecting channels, both lateral and frontal, designed to lock to the surface regardless of which angle your foot contacts it. Pool deck, cobblestone, marble stairs, boat dock. The grip does not change. Surfaces that previously required concentration become automatic again.

Solution 2 of 3

A Thin Sole That Keeps Your 200,000 Nerve Endings Connected to the Ground

Your feet contain 200,000 nerve endings designed to feel every surface you walk on and send that information to your brain in real time. That signal is what your body uses to stay upright. The OpenStep sole is thin and flexible enough to let those nerve endings do their job. Every texture, every angle, every micro-shift in the ground reaches your brain. Your body self-corrects before a stumble even starts.

Solution 3 of 3

A Wide Toe Box That Does Not Suffocate Swollen Feet

Most sandals are built around a narrow shape that squeezes toes together exactly when summer heat makes them swell most. The OpenStep is shaped around the natural anatomy of the foot. Every toe has room to spread and lie flat. That wider base of support means better balance, less fatigue, and no circulation cut-off. Your feet stay comfortable and stable all day, even at hour six in 90-degree heat.

The Research-Backed Solution

Gronanda OpenStep

The first barefoot sandal engineered for senior balance and fall prevention. Trusted by 130,000+ seniors.

5x multi-directional grip on every surface, wet or dry
Zero drop: natural posture and alignment from step one
Wide anatomical toe box: full foot contact with the ground
100% breathable upper: feet stay cool and unswolle all day
Protective toe guard: no exposed toes on any surface
1-Year Outsole Warranty + 30-day balance guarantee

TRY THEM RISK-FREE →

What 130,000 Seniors Are Saying

★★★★★

"I had been avoiding the pool deck at my community because it terrified me after my neighbor fell last July. I wore these for 10 days and went back. I walked around the whole perimeter without a second thought. I cannot explain the difference except that my feet actually felt the ground."

Barbara K., 71, Boca Raton FL

★★★★★

"My physical therapist recommended barefoot footwear for balance training. These are the only sandal I found that actually fits the concept. By week 3, she commented that my single-leg stance time had improved noticeably. I now wear them every single day."

Gerald T., 68, Scottsdale AZ

★★★★★

"10 days in Portugal last August. Cobblestones everywhere. My husband kept grabbing my arm on every street. With these, he stopped. I was walking ahead of him. He has since ordered his own pair."

Diane M., 66, Chicago IL

A Neuroscientist Explains: Why Fall Risk Increases by 34% From June to August in Seniors

Why Does Summer Cause More Falls?

The Solution Consists Of 3 Specific Features In These Anatomical Sandals

How much balance can you recover walking in barefoot sandals?

What 130,000 Seniors Are Saying

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