Throughout the long, hot months of summer, we tend to overlook our feet. Although we put them through their paces, often over tricky terrain in ill-fitting flip-flops, we’re still surprised when we suffer from annoying problems like blisters, calluses and heel pain. But, don’t worry! Help is at hand – or afoot! In this week’s blog, we’ll take a quick look at some of the most common summer foot problems and give you our top five tips to ensure that you, too, can have sensational feet – all summer long!
1. Go easy on the flip-flops
So many of us spend hours – or, let’s admit it, days – at a time wearing flip-flops. Although it’s great to let our feet breathe in hot weather, non-supportive, flat flip-flops can cause a variety of potentially painful problems, including plantar fasciitis (where the tissue along the bottom of the foot and heel can become inflamed), toe injuries and blisters. That said, if you’re still a flip-flop devotee, the following top three tips should keep your feet happy:
- Invest in a pair that have built-in arch support to cushion your feet
- Don’t wear them while playing sport or walking long distances or while working in your garden!
- Choose a pair made from high-quality soft leather (as they’re far less likely to lead to blisters).
2. Keep moisturising those feet
High temperatures can dry out our feet. What’s more, wearing open shoes can leave our feet unprotected and cause the skin to harden or crack. Moisturising your feet every day with a urea-based emollient will help keep pesky problems like this at bay – although do not to moisturise between your toes as this could cause a fungal infection.
3. Never walk barefoot in changing rooms (or any other public place!)
The simplest way to protect your feet from infection is always to wear flip-flops (or sandals) in changing rooms or poolside as these places can be rife with verrucae and fungi. Make sure you dry your feet thoroughly after a bath or shower too – and don’t forget to dry in between your toes! If you do suffer from hyperhidrosis (sweaty feet), try washing your feet with anti-bacterial soap and using absorbent foot powder.
4. Keep your nails clipped
Making sure your nails are properly clipped will not only help them look good but also feel good too (and prevent infection!). Edges of long nails can grow in, can be caught causing painful injury and will harbour bacteria and fungi.
5. Give yourself a break
And, finally, if you find yourself suffering from achy feet, the best thing you can do is take it easy for a while. Put those feet up and relax in the summer sun (after applying sunscreen, of course – not forgetting your feet!). Giving your feet a proper rest every so often will mean that you’re still able to have fun without suffering from the pain that comes from overusing your feet …
If you have any other questions about sensational summer feet – or, indeed, anything else foot-related – please contact us at the Farnham Foot Clinic.