Rising summer temperatures often have many of us kicking off the shoes in favor of bare feet. Though it may feel refreshing without wearing shoes, it also can present potential problems in what it can do for the health and structure of your feet. You already may be thinking so no big deal because you’re only walking shoeless inside the house instead of the dirty outside. But what if I told you that you risk the same problems even inside the cleanest home. I hope that I have gotten your attention now because the state of your summer feet is at stake.
Regardless of how immaculate your carpet, wood floor or tiled surface may be to avoid an infection, you open yourself to altering the arch of your feet. Unless you don’t mind buying a larger size of shoes, walking in bare feet throughout your day should matter because you’re only repeatedly flattening your feet.
Another thought for you is even a carpet that you had cleaned recently could harbor potential trouble for your summer feet. After all, we do not deep clean them daily. Since this is the case, the carpet fibers could be collecting moisture from your bare feet that could accumulate with lingering residue and traces of grime to cause an unwanted problem like athletes’ foot. Think what else your exposed feet could be picking up if you have a pet, especially a cat that uses the litter box.
If you want to avoid catching anything or bigger feet, then it helps to wear a shoe that is not completely flat and has a slight arch. Your summer feet can go sock free, but change sweaty shoes more often to ward off blisters, athletes’ foot and nail fungus. You need to let those wet shoes dry off before stuffing your feet back into them.
Something else to keep in mind is about the socks that you wear as well. Once feet start to sweat, you want to change them. Confining summer feet to moist socks can lead to a nail fungus.
Now you know what your summer feet risk if not careful. To keep them in good shape, you may want to pamper them more with a soothing foot soak. With the right ingredients such as Epsom salts, you can improve your circulation and soften tough skin and nails. This can make exfoliating rough sections of the feet and toenail clipping easier when doing a pedicure.
Another excellent foot soak that can help revive summer feet while combating a foul odor is sinking them in some warm water with some baking soda and vinegar. The acid is antimicrobial for warding off any breeding bacteria and fungi that can cause stinky feet and infection. Consequently, the baking soda softens skin while helping any itching or irritation the feet may be also experiencing.
A word of caution about exfoliation of those summer feet is also in order. Be careful how vigorous you are trying to remove hard skin and tackling those calluses to prevent making those problems worse. Overzealous exfoliation could cause an infection or larger callus.
Keeping these tips about summer feet in mind can only help you avoid ugly and embarrassing foot problems when you need those feet looking their best.
