Step in the Right Direction

Be kind to your feet. Years of wear and tear can be hard on them. Practice good foot care. Check your feet often, or have a member of your family check them. If you have a problem with your feet, come and see us.

Remember to put your feet up when you are sitting down. This helps keep blood moving to your feet and so does stretching, walking, or having a gentle foot massage. A warm foot bath is also helpful, but make sure your feet are dry before you put on your shoes. Try to avoid pressure from shoes that don't fit. Don't sit for a long time or keep your legs crossed for too long. Don't smoke.

Foot problems are sometimes the first sign of more serious medical conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and nerve or circulatory disorders.

Read more about Conditions and Treatments and learn how we can help you care for your problem.

Foot and Ankle Exercise

Foot and ankle exercise is very important, especially if you have diabetes. It helps increase flexibility of ankle and toes, strengthens the muscles in the foot and leg and improves circulation in all areas of your feet and legs. Without exercise it is easy to develop foot and ankle problems such as shin splints and planter fascitis. Poor circulation can lead to inability to heal and raises the risk of infectious blood flow to the feet. Scrapes or bruises can become infected. Make sure your doctor checks your feet.

Foot Hygiene

The foot has more than 250,000 sweat glands. It's the mixture of sweat and bacteria in our shoes and socks that makes feet smelly. Clean, dry feet can lower the risk of both foot odor and fungal infections. Feet should be washed every day with soap and lukewarm water, especially between the toes, and then dried completely with a soft towel. Any mild soap or antibacterial hand soap works fine. Washing the feet with a wash cloth or similarly abrasive product is important because it helps remove the dead skin, bacteria, and fungus. If someone is diabetic or has poor circulation, hot water bottles or heating pads also shouldn't be used on the feet. Applying moisturizing lotion on the feet after bathing can alleviate dry skin. Toenails are best cut when they are soft, after washing your feet or soaking them in warm water. Toenails should be trimmed straight across and not too short.

You can find a number of helpful Foot Care products in our online store.

Wear the Right Shoes

As stylish as they may be, high heels and shoes that squeeze the feet are linked to a host of foot problems. Painful bunions, which are misaligned toe joints, are much more common in women than men. Poorly fitting shoes don't cause bunions, but can aggravate existing ones. Some people with bunions can eliminate pain with conservative approaches such as wearing bunion pads, avoiding high heels, and buying comfortable shoes that are shaped like their feet and that provide more toe room. Other common problems from tight shoes include nerve growths called neuromas, corns, calluses, blisters, and hammertoes.

You can find a number of helpful Foot Care products in our online store.

Make Sure the Shoes Fit

Protect your feet by wearing shoes whenever you go outdoors. Wearing comfortable shoes that fit well can prevent many foot problems. Here are some tips for making sure your shoes fit:

• Shoe size may change as you age so always have your feet measured before buying shoes. The best time to measure your feet is at the end of the day when your feet are largest.
• Most of us have one foot that is larger than the other; fit your shoe to your larger foot.
• Don't buy shoes by the size without trying them on first. The size marked inside the shoe may not fit you.
• Walk in the shoes to make sure they feel right.
• Choose a shoe that is shaped like your foot. Styles like high heels or pointed toes can hurt feet.
• Stand up when trying on shoes to make sure there is about ½ inch between your toe and the end of the shoe.
• Make sure the ball of your foot fits comfortably into the widest part of the shoe.
• Don't buy shoes that feel too tight and hope that they will stretch.
• The heel of the shoe should not slide up and down on your heel when you walk.
• The upper part of the shoes should be made of a soft, bendable material to match the shape of your foot.
• Soles should give solid footing and not slip. Thick soles cushion your feet when walking on hard surfaces.
• Low-heeled shoes are more comfortable, safer, and less damaging than high-heeled shoes.

You can find a number of helpful Foot Care products in our online store.
For more foot health facts, visit foothealthfacts.org.