Feet are delicate, sexy, provocative, and strong. They can also be so red, cracked, and painful that they send us running to our sock drawer. Earth mothers tell us to walk barefoot in the sand. Fashion mavens insist that 4-inch platform sandals and rock-hard leather business shoes are what to wear. Unfortunately, many people sacrifice comfort for fashion, which probably accounts for the fact that most Americans complain of chronically sore feet. The litany of painful foot problems caused by bad shoes reads like a primer on masochism. If you know how to treat them, however, feet can be the gateway to bliss, delight, and all-around well-being. They're yours to nurture and pamper or torture and maim. Tough choice, isn't it?
Foot Steps
There are 26 bones, 33 joints, and 19 muscles in each foot.
Almost 80% of Americans suffer from sore feet.
The average person takes between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day, the equivalent of walking several miles a day, or 115,000 miles in a lifetime.
If the Shoe Fits
Imelda Marcos had thousands of them. You probably don't have quite as many, but it's important that the shoes you do have fit well. After all, you want to treat your feet right. And whether you're looking for a glass slipper like Cinderella, or just a casual, everyday shoe, there are certain things you should look for:
Try different sizes because they can vary between manufacturer and your foot can change size as you age.
Make sure the shoe is long enough to leave some extra room for your big toe and wide enough so your toes aren't cramped.
The best time to go shoe shopping is at the end of the day.
The shoes should feel comfortable when you walk around. If they're not comfortable, don't buy them expecting to "break them in."
Many people have one foot that is larger than the other; choose a shoe to fit your larger foot.
The sole should be shock-absorbing and the upper part should be a supple, malleable material that allows your foot to breathe (like leather).
The shoe should be well-constructed and not have any loose stitching or wrinkled linings.
The Pitter Patter of Little Feet
The same fitting rules apply to children's shoes. The bones in children's feet don't fuse until around age 20, so it's important that their shoes fit well.
Babies don't need shoes since they're not walking and don't need the support. Socks or booties will keep their tootsies warm.
Toddlers' shoes should be very lightweight with smooth soles that don't stick to carpets and floors.
Don't use hand-me-down shoes for children; their feet are so malleable that by wearing another's shoes, they can develop foot problems.
Shoes That Can Go the Distance
A shoe's life span depends on how you walk and how you care for them. By replacing the heels, keeping the uppers clean and using shoe trees, you can get a lot of wear out of one pair of shoes.
Maintain the heels; rundown heels cause all sorts of posture and walking problems and dramatically reduce the life of your shoes.
The Agony of De-feet
Stiletto heels ... think they're sexy? Sure, if you think bunions, hammertoes, calluses, neuromas, Achilles tendinitis, back pain, and difficulty walking are sexy.
Experts say 4- and 5-inch heels are bad news unless your feet don't touch the ground while wearing them. Three-inch heels are okay for short-distance walking on special occasions, but for everyday wear, low heels are your best bet. Even sturdier heels that are more than one or two inches high can cause problems. They're steadier to walk on than stiletto heels, but they still redistribute the pressure on the bones of the foot while walking, causing foot, knee, and back problems.
My Little Home Foot Care Kit
Ever had a pedicure? You can recreate that luxurious, pampered feeling at home. In fact, part of your routine should include attention to your feet. Daily foot care should include exercise, massage, nail inspection, and trimming, if necessary. The following items in your pedicure kit will help you keep your feet healthy and happy:
Clippers
File or emery board
Orangewood stick
Cornstarch powder
Moisturizer
Pumice stone
If you take a few minutes after your morning shower to care for your feet, you will be rewarded the rest of the day knowing that your feet are content and comfortable. After the hot water from your shower has softened the skin, use your orangewood stick to push back the cuticles. You can also use the toenail clippers to cut any rough edges on your nails, being careful not to cut too close. Use your pumice stone to smooth toughened skin and calluses. Applying moisturizer will help keep your feet from cracking and chapping, especially during the winter, and cornstarch powder will absorb moisture and odor in your shoes.
At the end of a long day, nothing is more relaxing than sitting in your favorite chair with a good book and treating your feet to a well-deserved soak. Try one of these:
Three tea bags in a basin of warm water -- the tannic acid in the tea will soothe your feet and reduce perspiration.
One tablespoon of baking soda per quart of warm water reduces foot odor and helps prevent infections.
One-half cup of kosher salt or Epsom salts per quart of warm water is also soothing.
Taking Foot Care in Stride
What else can you do to help your feet?
Use orthotics: inserts for the shoe made to help pronation, heel spurs, simple ankle problems, or severely deformed feet. If you're having problems, see a podiatrist or orthopedic surgeon who will prescribe and fit orthotics for you. Some over-the-counter orthotics are:
Heel cup: supports the heel while relieving pressure.
Arch support: helps support weak arches and provides extra shock absorption.
Metatarsal pad: can help relieve pain near the big toe when applied to the insole beneath the ball of the foot.
Get exercise:
Walk: it's recognized as the best foot exercise, not to mention the aerobic and metabolic benefits.
Stretch: pull, gently pinch, and separate your toes; twist and flex the ball, arch, and heel; and rotate the foot around the ankle.
Massage: cradle one foot in both hands and press your thumbs into the foot in a push-and-release motion. Start from the ball of your foot and work down the center toward the heel, then work back up along the outer edges of the foot. Repeat this a few times on each foot.
Stop smoking: it impairs the circulation, which significantly affects feet.
Kick up your feet. It helps circulation.
Foot Faults
Maybe you take care of your feet. Maybe you don't. Either way, you're likely to encounter some sort of foot problem in your life. You need to know which you can take care of yourself and which need a doctor's attention. Many of these problems result from inadequate grooming or wearing inappropriate shoes. Your first step in alleviating problems should always be to check footwear for comfort and fit.
Some common problems you may run into:
Athlete's foot: a fungus that thrives in the warm, moist bits of soft skin around the toes. It's characterized by a red, scaly rash, an open, runny sore, and pain. You can avoid it by wearing thongs in public showers, locker rooms, and near pools; carefully drying the feet and all the toes after bathing; and using an antiseptic foot powder or spray. If you're suffering from a bout of athlete's foot, soak your feet in warm water with Epsom salts, carefully dry and disinfect the area, loosely bandage before putting on shoes, and let the area dry out overnight.
Blisters: usually caused by too-tight or ill-fitting shoes. You can soak your feet in warm water with Epsom salts, carefully dry the area and then apply petroleum jelly and a loose bandage. Never pop a blister yourself because it is very susceptible to infection. If it gets red and filled with fluid, have a doctor drain it under sterile conditions.
Bunions: a bony protrusion, usually on the big toe. It can run in families, so some people are more likely to get them than others. You can ease discomfort by elevating your feet, wearing wider shoes, and getting bunion pads. If they are very painful, a physician can help with a variety of techniques from ultrasound to surgery.
Corns/calluses: a corn is a deep, thickened callus that forms due to friction. You can soften it gently with a pumice and moisturizer, wear pads, or get larger shoes. In addition, some over-the-counter products can help. A callus is toughened skin that usually develops on your heel or the ball of your foot. Generally, calluses are not painful. You can try the same techniques as you would for a corn, although if it gets too big or the skin is too tough, you should see a doctor.
Hammertoes: occur when your feet are cramped in tiny, pointy, little shoes and the toes become permanently curved inward. It can be caused by injury, but it's mostly a hereditary condition that can be made worse by ill-fitting shoes. You can soak your feet, tape them, wear pads, or get larger shoes. A physician can employ much more aggressive solutions if you are experiencing pain.
Heel pain: usually caused by bad footwear, injury, obesity, pregnancy, or heredity. You can use orthotics, change your shoes, or take anti-inflammatories. You want to distribute weight away from bone spurs, calluses, or corns. A physician can assess whether the problem needs corrective surgery.
Ingrown toenails: when the toenail has been cut too short or the toe is crammed into shoes that are too tight, the nail can grow inward and become painful. To ease the pain, soak your feet in warm, soapy water with Epsom salts, then dry and apply some rubbing alcohol. Slowly, over time, you can work the nail back out. To help prevent this, cut toenails straight across and wear shoes that fit properly.
Plantar fascitis: inflammation of the plantar fascia, connective tissue that stretches from the heel, through the arch of the foot to the toes, providing shock absorption and arch stability. In nonaggressive walking and running, it will alternately flex and relax. When subjected to repeated trauma, it will become chronically tight, then swollen and painful. This condition is generally seen in middle-aged and elderly people and athletes. It usually begins with discomfort in the heel and can eventually lead to severe pain. A doctor's assistance is often necessary to treat plantar fascitis; heel orthotics, stretching, anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, or surgery may be recommended.
Plantar warts: small, hard, flat spots on the foot recognizable by black spots beneath the surface of the skin. You can use an at-home wart remover, but be careful, because plantar warts often get buried deep into the skin, rendering home remedies ineffective. A doctor can remove them by excision, freezing, burning, or laser surgery.
Sesamoiditis: a painful swelling of the sesamoid bones in the ball of the foot, usually caused by high-impact sports. You can reduce activity and wear supportive shoes designed for your specific sport.
Sweaty feet: usually a result of feet stuck inside hot shoes that don't breathe. Unless it's a hereditary or glandular problem, you can remedy sweaty feet by using an over-the-counter foot powder and soaking in an Epsom salts or a tannin soak (tea is a good source of tannin). A doctor can prescribe medication for problematic cases.
Absorbents
Absorbents are often a component of deodorant sprays and powders. Their main purpose is to absorb moisture and keep you feeling dry. This reduces the chance of developing athlete's foot.
Deodorizers
Deodorizers work hard to keep your shoes from fermenting as they age. A shower can remove odor from your body, but how often, if ever, do you wash your shoes? That's where deodorant sprays and powders enter. Sprinkle or spray some in your shoes after a long day to keep your shoes aging gracefully.
Humectants
Novel chemicals that are in soaps, hair care products, and lotions, humectants help your skin feel soft and relieve dryness. Unlike emollients, which moisturize by trapping water in your skin, humectants actually draw water from the environment onto your skin or hair. But they do not have the lasting power of emollients, because they can be washed off very easily. It's best to get a product with both an emollient and a humectant.
Emollients
Emollients work by forming a protective layer, trapping the moisture. They are all oily or oil-like chemicals. In fact, olive oil and other plant oils are very effective emollients. Mineral or silicone oils are also great emollients. They can be very water-repellent like petrolatum and lanolin, which is good because if they keep moisture out, they also keep moisture in your skin. That's the basis of how emollients work; to soften skin and ease the pain associated with dryness.
Counterirritants
Counterirritants distract from pain by creating cooling and warming sensations. No one is sure how this is accomplished, but it's thought that either the sensation produced from counterirritants masks pain or stimulates neurons to lower the capacity to feel pain.
Absorbents
Ingredient
Description
Cornstarch
?
A long polymer of carbohydrates (a long chain of sugar), it's a very effective drying agent that can hold up to 25 times more moisture than talcum powder. Starch absorbs moisture, urine, oil, and other irritants to help keep your skin dry. Skin rashes and other allergic reactions may occur.
Talcum powder
?
Crushed magnesium silicate, a type of naturally occurring mineral, it can help you dry by absorbing oils, moisture, and irritants. There are studies that raise concern about cancer, because talc has been found in some ovarian tumors.
Deodorizers
Ingredient
Description
Sodium bicarbonate
?
Also known as baking soda, it's a highly porous compound with many nooks and crannies to trap odor. It works best dry.
Humectants
Ingredient
Description
Glycerin
?
Moisturizes and softens skin by attracting water to the skin's surface.
Urea
?
An excellent water-binding agent at concentrations of less than 2%. It is also an acid balancer (like citric acid). At concentrations of 5% to 8%, it is an effective skin exfoliant.
Emollients
Ingredient
Description
Vegetable oils
?
Some, such as olive and palm oils, are effective and safe emollients and cleansers.
Dimethicone
?
A synthetic silicone oil that serves as an ingredient base and protectant of the skin, it's also nontoxic.
Lanolin
?
Derived from sheep wool, it helps prevent dehydration by absorbing water and hinders evaporation. It may cause skin irritation.
Mineral oil
?
Derived from crude petroleum and nonallergenic, it helps soften and protect skin.
Petrolatum
?
Comes from various plants (olives, corn, sunflower). Like other emollients, it helps maintain moisture and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth. It's also relatively safe and protects the skin from irritants.
White petrolatum
?
A generally nontoxic, petroleum-derived product.
Counterirritants
Ingredient
Description
Camphor
?
A pleasant smelling and effective counterirritant, it may be used as a preservative.
Menthol
?
A minty smelling counterirritant capable of relieving discomfort and leaving a cooling sensation. It can act as an anesthetic.
Methyl salicylate
?
A minty compound and effective counterirritant, it's highly toxic if ingested and should not be used if you are allergic to aspirin. It relieves itching, has antimicrobial and antiseptic properties, and can be used as a preservative.
Appropriate Uses
Moisturizer
Keeps skin from drying and cracking.
Powder
Absorbs moisture.
Pumice stone
Removes dead skin cells from calluses.
Toenail clipper
Clips and trims toenails.
Toenail nipper
Uses spring-action handles and sharp blades to cut thick and tough toenails.
Watch Your Steps
Poorly fitting shoes can contribute to many foot problems, including ingrown toenails, corns, calluses, hammertoes, and bunions.
Fungal infections can result from a pedicure using improperly sterilized instruments.
Cutting cuticles may expose the nail bed, increasing risk of infection.
Using scissors, toenail clippers, or a razor blade to cut off corns will injure the skin and possibly cause an infection.
Clipping toenails too short and too rounded at the edges may cause ingrown toenails.
