Are you an average person? If you are, you could be walking about 920,000 steps this summer. That's a lot of walking. And it makes sense to ensure that we make certain we have the right kind of footwear.
And foot specialist TOG is offering its Top Ten Tips for Tip Top Toes.
Dr. Paul Barratt, who is the Medical Director with TOG Orthotics, points out: “Every summer we see an increase of people visiting their doctors or pharmacists with foot complaints. It’s not that summer is a particularly dangerous season but because our feet are often something of an afterthought: people don’t tend to focus on them until they want to get them out on display.
“As with all aspects of health, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure. That’s why we’re asking the nation to take on board our Top Ten Tips for Tip Top Toes. Our simple tips are so easy there’s no excuse for not following them. As we’ve seen this past week, even celebrities such as Victoria Beckham can suffer without proper foot care.”
Top Ten Tips for Tip Top Toes
1. Don’t ignore your feet. Really get to know them, and inspect them regularly. This way you’ll easily spot any changes in their appearance that could flag potential problems. Today’s red mark is tomorrow’s blister!
2. Dry between your toes. You wouldn’t wash your hands and not dry between your fingers, but not drying properly between toes is a common mistake that can lead to foot problems..
3. Moisturise feet daily – but not all over. You need to use lotions or creams on a regular basis – especially when wearing open shoes that can help the skin lose moisture. However, do not use lotion between toes (see above) or on nails, instead concentrate on the heels and soles of your feet.
4. Wear high factor (over 30SPF) suncream. The skin on your feet very rarely gets to see the sun and so it is not acclimatised and can burn easily. Nothing says ‘ruined holiday’ like swollen, sunburned feet.
5. Remove hard skin but ensure you do this gently. We know it might look tough, but under every bit of hard skin, there is a piece of soft skin just waiting to get out. With this in mind, remove skin gently, preferably when your skin is softened by being in the bath or shower.
6. Cut toenails properly. That is, straight across. Never cut the corners as this can lead to problems. File sharp edges, gently, with an emery board.
7. Keep feet dry. As a rule, feet don’t like moisture and it can lead to problems from blisters to infections. If your feet are ‘glowing’ and your socks or tights are sweaty, change them. Similarly, if your shoes get wet, allow them to dry out fully before wearing them again.
8. Wash – don’t soak – feet. Too much soaking can cause the natural oils in your feet to become unbalanced, leading to dry, cracked skin. Too much wet can lead to dry? We don’t make the rules, we just share them.
9. Don’t assume flat is best. While it is generally true that a flat shoe is better for your feet than a stiletto, don’t assume that flat necessarily equates to healthy.
10. Don't walk barefoot. A bit of an obvious one, but without shoes or sandals it is easy for your feet to get injured or infected. We all remember the days of verrucas and the rubber sock. Let’s leave those memories where they belong.
To find out more about TOG, and TOG GaitScan™, the most technologically advanced gait analysis system available in the world, please visit www.togorthotics.com.
(EDITOR'S TIP: When your shoes are soaking wet, stuff newspaper into the toes. This helps absorb water and helps shoes retain their shape. And apologies for the dreadful pun in the headline)
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