Finally some hot weather! This time of the year usually means beach days, holidays and longer time enjoying the outdoors.
Summer brings a well deserved break from cold feet, but also provides a myriad of challenges.
At Foot Body Sole we love to help clients with summer foot concerns via physical treatment and education. Often, summer foot care requires small changes which can make a huge difference to the comfort of feet in summer.
Concerns that we mainly see with feet enjoying the summer weather include:
Sweaty feet
Blisters
Dry/cracked heels
Burns
Fungal nails
Foot pain- rear and forefoot pain
Tinea
Summer poses challenges for the feet largely due to changes in footwear.
Open footwear can sometimes be less supportive than closed in shoes, and this can cause discomfort around the ball of the foot, or at the heel regions due to increased strain. With a less supportive shoe or an increase in barefoot walking, changes to foot pressure and increased muscle requirements can result in conditions such as metatarsalgia, plantar fasciitis or Achilles Tendinopathy.
Nowadays, more sandals and thongs exist which are supportive and let the feet breathe whilst maintaining the arches.
Brands such as Frankie4, Revere, Naot, Scholl, Archies, Alfie & Evie, Vionic and Rollie have sandals/summer shoes which are great quality and comfortable for summer!
TIP: If possible, avoid walking bare foot for long periods!
Wearing good quality footwear and changing from sandals to thongs to sneakers is great for your foot health, and consider wearing water shoes for short walks to/from the beach, on the sand and around rocks or rockpools to avoid burns and abrasions.
With an increase in hot weather, tinea and sweaty feet (Hyperhydrosis) are common. For more information on Hyperhydrosis, stay tuned for our next blog coming soon! Keep reading for some great tips.
Consider the following 10 gems for summer foot health!
SHOE CLEANSER: Utilising our Shoe Zap/Steri Shoe service to clear up to 97% of fungus in your summer shoes
TEA TREE: Spraying Tea Tree foot spray on your feet daily, even in your shoes, to keep them clean and dry. Tea Tree foot spray has alcohol within it which also assists with drying out between the toes.
METHYLATED SPIRITS: Consider Methylated Spirits in shoes/slippers for fungal prevention, this can also be sprayed on carpets and showers to keep them fresh. Methylated spirits can be purchased cheaply and in bulk from many large retailers.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) soaks (1 ACV: 1 water) 3x per week for the feet to keep them fresh. You can soak your feet in the ACV concoction for around 20 mins but remember to dry well afterwards!
MOISTURISER: Keep creams AWAY from in-between the toes: this creates a perfect environment for fungal growth. Creams are vital in summer to help with dry skin which is exacerbated with weather changes, however keep the cream to the tops and soles of the feet only. Walkers 15%, 25% or Luxe 30% have Urea as a property and are particularly for feet. Urea helps to clear the dry/dead skin and is far more effective than a regular body cream.
SPIRULARIN: Consider Spirularin products for additional antimicrobial protection- they have foot creams, nail tinctures and wart serums which are natural and utilise micro- algae for natural foot care. These products are available in clinic!
NAIL POLISH: Try to keep nails free of nail polish, as fungus thrives under conventional polish or fake nail application. If you do paint your nails, use a more natural product such as Dr Remedy's polish, or only keep your nail polish on for less than a week before removing and giving a week's break. Keep your eyes peeled for discolouration as it is best treated by a Podiatrist if it occurs.
KERYFLEX: If you are conscious of your nails or have an unfavourable nail, consider Keryflex rather than a fake nail, which uses natural resin and is applied by a Podiatrist to form a natural- looking nail which can be painted and left in place for several weeks.
SOCKS AND SNEAKERS: If you are in sneakers, this is great! Give your feet a break from thongs and sandals. Consider using Thin Air socks which allow your feet to breathe.
BLISTERS: Consider your footwear if you keep getting blisters! Are your shoes too narrow or short? you can try toe separators, changing shoes or a Silipos Blister Prevention stick to reduce occurrence of blisters. Do not rupture the blister if you can help it, as it can create an infection and will usually resolve on its' own.
TIP: Keep up the sunscreen to the tops of your feet! Skin care begins with prevention. Get any new freckles/moles checked by your Podiatrist and doctor, consider taking photos for your own recrd.
Ensure the pavement and sand is not too hot for your feet, your children's feet AND your pets' feet!
Finally, if you have any concerns about your feet at any time of the year, but particularly in Summer, consider the tips within this blog and try out a few- you may be able to fix your own problem!
If you need additional help or have any questions, please let us know at Foot Body Sole, we are open for appointments with our Podiatrists, and always happy to help you in our shoe store. Contact us: (ph): 8648 7678
(email) info@foorbodysole.com.au
(address) 108 Bridport St, Albert Park VIC
Comments