Use these summer footcare tips to get your feet in shape for summer.
- Trim your toenails for summer. Use proper nail clippers and cut straight across – not too short, and not down at the corners, as this can lead to ingrown nails.
- Wear open-toed sandals whenever you can in the hot weather (except when you’re in a communal shower or changing area) to help stop your feet getting sweaty and smelly.
- Don’t be tempted to wear flip-flops or flimsy sandals all through the summer. They don’t provide support for your feet and can give you arch and heel pain if you wear them for too long.
- If you have to wear socks in hot weather, change them once a day and choose ones that contain at least 70% cotton or wool to keep your feet dry and stop them smelling.
- Hard or cracked skin around the heels is very common in summer, often caused by open-backed sandals and flip-flops rubbing around the edge of the heel. Use a pumice stone to gently rub away the hard skin, then apply a rich moisturising cream to soften the skin.
- Blisters strike more often in hot weather. Prevent summer blisters by stretching out sandals. Wear them with socks and walk around indoors to loosen them up
If you do get a blister, don’t pop it. Cover it in a plaster and if it bursts, apply some antiseptic. - Nails need to breathe from time to time. Have a break from nail polish about once a month for a few days to a week.
- Watch out for foot infections. The floors of communal showers and changing rooms at open-air and hotel swimming pools are hot spots for infections. Don’t wander around public pools barefoot. Protect your feet by wearing flip-flops in the changing room and at the pool edge.
- If you have sweaty feet in the summer, it’s even more important to wash your feet each morning and evening. You can also use an antibacterial wash, which deals with foot odour.
Here’s more advice on how to stop smelly feet. - Use sun cream on your feet. Don’t stop at the ankle – put sun cream on the tops and soles of your feet as well. Not only does the skin on your feet and toes need protection.