Problems with your feet can sneak up on you, certainly as you get older! Having pain free feet is easy to take for granted, but if you become injured through exercise, or another issue such as bunions or corns get worse, you realise how important it is to take care of them. Not only are issues with your feet painful and troublesome in that area, but problems with your feet can have knock on effects with your ankles, knees and hips!
Here’s a few tips to consider for looking after your precious feet…
- Keep them clean and dry – sounds pretty obvious doesn’t it, but making sure you clean around your nails and in between your toes, as well as drying them well, can help prevent infections
- Trim your toe nails – go for straight across rather than curved as that can lead to in growing toe nails!
- Vary your heel height – don’t constantly wear heels or flats, try and wear shoes with a variety of different heights of heel so that your feet get used to some variety. If you wear high heels a lot, make sure you do some calf stretching and strengthening exercises as your calf muscles can shorten with repeated use. Don’t forget that flats and flip flops can be just as damaging as high heels if your feet are in need of support.
- Don’t wear shoes that pinch – I know they might look great and give you killer legs, but if those gorgeous shoes are too tight, really consider if they are worth it. Bunions are no fun!
- Consider bare foot walking and running or using shoes that mimic natural movements – as long as your feet don’t have any prior need for additional support, walking around bare foot when you can, or even trying some of the new bear foot style shoes can help to keep the muscles in your feet strong and supple., but consider the different research into this approach before you commit!
Simply Feet offer a wide range of footwear and foot care including orthotic inserts. Luckily, you don’t have to suffer with foot pain and have to wear ugly shoes because of it! Vionic shoes combine fashion and function, designed with biomechanical and orthotic technology they support your feet and can look good too:
These Vionic Olivia shoes offer comfort and support in a style of shoe that is notorious for contributing to foot issues. I know I love my ballet style flats, but they do tend to hurt my feet! These are classic enough to be worn with all sorts of outfits.
Have you suffered with any foot issues? When I was a runner, issues with my feet led to repeated knee injuries. It’s amazing what the knock on effect can be! Do you wear high heels?
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Strangely enough I had my worst problems with my feet from wearing pricey shoes. I wanted some flats for the office and I went to clarks who do nice shoes that are normally really comfy – leather insoles with extra cushioning and everything I thought it would be like walking on a cloud. It was not! I was in agony after a few days of wear and ended up at the hospital then at the physio it appears they had caused a stress fracture! Nightmare nothing worse than sore feet”!
x
Blimey that is scary! You would have definitely thought you’d have been ok with clarks of all places :-/
When I was younger I had ingrown big toenails (not from cutting them, but the nails were too wide) so I had to have an operation which was just awful- they numbed the toes (with super painful injections) and then cut out each side of the nail, right down to the nail bed so they would not grow back. I could not walk for a while after as each time I stood up the blood rushing to my feet was just so painful.
I never wear heels (don’t even own any) as I find them uncomfy- I am short and even if I wore heels I would still be shorter than average, and probably hobbling about!
That sounds like an awful operation, in growing toe nails doesn’t sound that bad until you think about the operations needed to sort it out! I am the same with heels, I only have a few pairs but even when I’m out, I’ll be walking too much for them to be comfortable!
I’ve not had any issues with my feet, but they are pretty hideous- runners feet unfortunately, blisters and callouses galore. I never wear heels, much comfier in flats.
Glad to hear you’ve never had any issues with your feet. James used to always comment on my ‘runners’ feet when I was training for the Great North Run, they were not pretty ;-)