Your Guide to Summer Foot Health
August 11, 2020 • • foot care • foot wear • proper foot wear
Follow these tips to keep your feet safe and healthy as temperatures rise. Just because you’ve ditched your bulky wintertime shoes and slipped on comfortable summer sandals doesn’t mean you can ignore your foot health. Although your toes finally have a welcome chance to breathe and bask in the warming sunlight, summertime heat can also harm unprotected feet. Wearing flip flops and walking barefoot may be hallmarks of the summer season, but each can bring about painful foot problems if you don’t take proper care of your feet. When you know how to protect your toes and feet, you’ll enjoy all the fun summertime offers even more.
Tips for Healthy Summer Feet
Caring for your feet is important all year round, but especially so in the summer months when heat and humidity take a toll on your delicate toes and feet. Following these easy six tips will keep your feet cool, dry, and strong during the summer.- Wear Supportive Shoes. Tempting as it might be to wear flip flops throughout the summer, you still need to wear supportive footwear, especially since you’ll be walking outdoors more. Choose sandals with thick soles, a strong arch support, and wide straps that help toes grip the bottom of the shoes as you walk. Wear thin-soled flip flops sparingly, and only for the beach, pool, locker room, or at your home. And, yes, whenever possible, slip on shoes. The less you stroll around barefoot, the less likely you’ll cut your soles, get an infection, or develop athlete’s foot.
- Keep Your Feet Dry. Although open-toed shoes let summer breezes blow over your feet, they also expose your feet to heat and humidity — which causes uncomfortable sweating that might lead to fungal infections. To tamp down the sweat, spray your feet with an antiperspirant, and when wearing closed-toed shoes, put on natural fiber socks that let toes breathe and wick away moisture. Don’t wear water-soaked shoes for too long; instead, change into a dry pair. Lastly, after you’ve spent time in a public pool or locker room, dry your feet thoroughly to avoid developing a plantar’s wart.
- Moisturize. Too much sweat may be bad for your feet, but so is letting your feet get too dry. Heels can become dry and cracked when you constantly wear backless footwear, and those cracks invite infection. Maintain soft, supple heels by slathering on a rich moisturizer daily.
- Stay Hydrated. As temperatures rise, the possibility of dehydration increases, and that could impact your feet. Drinking plenty of water during summer is not only good for your overall health, it decreases the risk of painful swollen feet, as well.
- Stretch Your Ankles and Calves. Summertime affords us the opportunity to participate in many physical activities, from hiking and biking to swimming. To ensure maximum blood flow to your feet as you exercise, stretch your calf muscle and flex your ankles.
- Take Good Care of Your Feet. With all those summertime activities putting a lot of strain on your feet, take extra care of your feet. Blisters are common, particularly when you slip on a new pair of sandals and shoes that you haven’t worn in. If you notice a blister or cut, clean the wound with alcohol wipes and cover it to prevent an infection. Seek medical attention if you think you’ve sprained or broken your ankle or foot. Finally, don’t forget your feet when applying sunscreen; your toes and feet can be burned by the harsh sunlight like any other part of your body.
