The party season can take its toll on our feet, especially if you like to wear high heels and dance all night, like me! Burning feet, painful blisters, corns, Bunions, etc., can be brought on by wearing the wrong footwear. However, there are a few things we can do to prepare for the punishment we will inflict on our feet to reduce foot pain and long-term damage.
Here are my top tips for foot survival!
- If you want to wear high heels, choose ones with a heel lower than 2 inches
- Wear a block heel as opposed to a stiletto
- Look for an ‘almond’ or better still, a round toe box rather than a pointed one.
- Make sure the shoes are the correct size, don’t be tempted to buy a shoe half a size smaller because it matches your outfit perfectly or you ‘love it.’ You won’t ‘love it’ by the end of the night!
- Alternate your heel height
- If you suffer from ‘burning’ in the balls of the feet, try a gel pad or insoles such as the Orthosole High Heel Pads by Dr Aktive or the ICB High Heel orthotics. They will also help reduce friction and keep the foot more stable, reducing the risk of blisters.
- Look after your skin. Check for Athlete’s Foot and treat with an anti-fungal cream, use a foot file or pumice to remove hard skin and moisturise the skin regularly using a good foot cream. The ideal time to do this is after a shower. If you have ‘sweaty’ feet you can use a foot spray such as Imperial Feet Foot Deo Spray.
- Trim and file the nails so they do not cut into the skin.
- If the nails are in bad condition after summer polish, treat your nails with a conditioning treatment such as Dr.’s Remedy Hydration Treatment.
- If you plan to wear evening sandals, think about using non-toxic, nourishing nail polishes, such as Dr.’s Remedy Nail Care range. They contain natural ingredients including lavender, tea tree oil and biotin which helps keep the nails healthy.
- After a hard night on the dance floor why not treat yourself to a foot soak using Epsom Salts or Gehwol Fusskraft Herbal Bath?
- Finally, why not book an appointment with your local foot health professional? We recommended an annual routine check-up and treatment as part of your normal health-care routine anyway. We can spot potential problems early and after your treatment, your feet will feel amazing.
For more information on the advice given or any products discussed above, please contact us.
This article is based on my own thoughts and experience and inspired by Deborah Armitage of DLT Podiatry (2017).