5 ways to get your feet party-ready!
We all want to look our best for the impending party season, wearing fabulous outfits and equally glamorous shoes. So, if you want to wear your skyscraper stilettos, why not get ahead of the game and make sure your feet are party ready!
With some careful preparation and the right products, you can maintain sandal-worthy feet ALL year with these 5 essential foot care tips from leading podiatrist at Holistic Health, Tracy Byrne:
Keep your feet warm:
It may seem obvious but keeping your feet warm is very important in the winter season due to the risk of developing chilblains. Chilblains are painful, red, itchy swellings that develop on the tips of your toes and occur as a result of an abnormal reaction to the cold – affecting 1 in 10 people. Chilblains can be exacerbated by abrupt changes in temperature, such as a hot shower or bath, so keeping your feet warm by wearing woollen socks or an extra blanket over your feet is essential!
Buy shoes that fit:
The Christmas work party is the perfect excuse to treat yourself to a new pair of shoes but far too many of us make the mistake of buying ones that don’t fit us correctly. Even with heels, try to find soles that offer plenty of arch support; otherwise, you could sustain an injury. And, for your ‘off duty’ footwear, your feet will thank you for choosing waterproof and supportive boots, shoes or trainers that help keep your feet warm and dry. Tracy recommends wearing shoes that are “fit for purpose”, so if you’ll be pounding the pavements for a 5km, you should wear running trainers specifically designed to support your feet.
Have a break from polish:
Take advantage of closed-toe shoe season by going polish-free. The reason being that nail polish and artificial nails can be very dehydrating for nails and can put you at a higher risk of developing a nail fungus, which you can find out more here. This can cause ridging, scaling, brittleness, discolouration and white flecks. To help prevent this, give your nails a breather and allow them to rest and repair this winter. However, if you will be wearing your favourite heeled sandals on a night out over the festive season, treat your nails kindly; Try a breathable nail polish such as Nailner Breathable Nail Polish in Rosy Red which is designed to allow oxygen to pass through the polish and down to the nail so it helps to keep your nails healthy.
Avoid dry, cracked heels:
Spending winter wrapped up in thick socks and fluffy slippers means we don’t have the natural aid of sandy beaches to help exfoliate our toes! Boots and trainers can cause hard skin to build-up, and if not treated can develop into callus and even cracked and bleeding heels. Exfoliation keeps your feet healthy, clean and happy and it’s something you can easily do from the comfort of your own home. Footner Exfoliating Socks make use of the skin’s natural process to rid your feet from dead skin build-up and can leave you with baby-soft feet in just one quick and easy 60-minute application!
Moisturise:
You may have a favourite moisturiser that works well in spring and summer but as weather conditions change, so, too, should your skin care routine. The best creams to combat dryness and slough away dead skin cells on our feet are much richer and heavier than the creams and lotions we’d typically use on the rest of our body. Try to remember that your feet are under more pressure than the rest of you so looking after them is as important (if not more so!) than other parts of your body.
