Feet healthcare routine

slinxy

slinxy

slinxy

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Joined
3 Dec 2002
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Hi guys..

Without me going into gruesome details about hard skin, cracked heels, blisters and even losing toe nails.. does anyone want to share their feet healthcare routine?

I think I'm at the point where I need to see a professional about my feet, the issue is that I do a lot of walk/hiking, jogging and running and my feet are getting battered.

This is the last throw of the dice in case I'm missing something that could make my feet human again.

Thanks
 
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Yeah, I got a simple one. Spend a lot more time barefoot. I am not talking about going all fanatical about it and going running/hiking etc in your bare feet. Just when you are at home or going walking around the house inside and out, go barefoot. Your feet will thank you.

Second thing. If you are feet are getting battered so much, sounds like you aren't wearing good shoes for your feet. Either the size isn't correct (width or length) or there is poor lockdown and support on the shoe, which is making your feet move inside your shoe.
 
Try these?

Images of items I have purchased (except trainers)

I'm still using an IKEA foam mattress that's about 10 years old now, and I'm terrified of replacing it because it it's so comfy. No sagging at all. I just went to dreamland about 6 years ago and tried all the beds out. They had a hot chocolate machine so had a hot chocolate and they had a plate...
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melmac said:
Yeah, I got a simple one. Spend a lot more time barefoot. I am not talking about going all fanatical about it and going running/hiking etc in your bare feet. Just when you are at home or going walking around the house inside and out, go barefoot. Your feet will thank you.

Second thing. If you are feet are getting battered so much, sounds like you aren't wearing good shoes for your feet. Either the size isn't correct (width or length) or there is poor lockdown and support on the shoe, which is making your feet move inside your shoe.
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I do, I tend to work from home so for 3 seasons of the year I'm in shorts and bare footed around the house. I don't tend to wear slipers or socks.
I have tried bare foot shoes for walking and yes they do help strengthen the feet and raise the arch of my sole.

I tend to have wide feet, which tends to make me buy half a size bigger than my actual size. I loads of trainers for running indoors/outdoors, different distances and surfaces, I don't think footwear is the issue.

I think my feet have got worst since I've stopped having baths and they not getting soaked as much in the shower.
 
I'm a runner. Every now and then I give my heels with going over with a foot rasp (NYK1 Megafile from the rainforest). Don't go too mad initially,
if you've gone to far you'll feel the burn, perhaps not immediately, but the next day. I keep my toenails short, and make sure my trainers have lots of room in the toe box.
Hoka trainers have not given me any issues. I've worn them for a couple of years now, Clifton 9 usually.

EDIT @slinxy When you say a lot of running, how much exactly? Even with the best shoes in the world, if your putting in 60km a week, you might get some hard skin? Toenail issue doesn't sound right though.
 
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slinxy said:
I do, I tend to work from home so for 3 seasons of the year I'm in shorts and bare footed around the house. I don't tend to wear slipers or socks.
I have tried bare foot shoes for walking and yes they do help strengthen the feet and raise the arch of my sole.

I tend to have wide feet, which tends to make me buy half a size bigger than my actual size. I loads of trainers for running indoors/outdoors, different distances and surfaces, I don't think footwear is the issue.

I think my feet have got worst since I've stopped having baths and they not getting soaked as much in the shower.
Click to expand...

I don' think the last sentence has anything to do with it.

IF you are sure your feet are strong and you do go barefoot a lot, then it's either a functional problem with your gait or your footwear. For the first problem you will have to go to a professional. It could be anything from weak hips to bad knees to one leg slightly longer than the other. The fix could also be anything from targeted exercises to address the weakness to a custom orthotic.

However, I would go back to the footwear first. I play basketball for around 15 hours a week. If I don't wear the right shoes, then my feet will be in bits. Blisters, broken nails, the whole works. I need to wear basketball shoes that have good lockdown, great stability, high torsion and with good midsole support. I have no issues when I wear the right shoes. I don't know much about running/hiking shoes. But I am sure it's the same as basketball shoes. Where shoes will have different specifications. Like different arch heights. More or less Torsional rigidity etc. etc. The trick is finding out what shoe specs suit you best.

If you are pretty sure that it isn't the shoes you wearing, then it's time to go a professional.
 
melmac said:
Yeah, I got a simple one. Spend a lot more time barefoot. I am not talking about going all fanatical about it and going running/hiking etc in your bare feet. Just when you are at home or going walking around the house inside and out, go barefoot. Your feet will thank you.
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100%! As soon as I get home, shoes and socks come off until the following day and I spend as much time going barefoot as possible during the weekends.

Those rasp things that ODuffer mentioned are a good shout too...I've got a Microplane one, and you'd be surprised how much dead weight they can remove from your feet (imagine a grated parmesan mountain). :cry:

Feels great afterwards though for sure.
 
melmac said:
from weak hips to bad knees to one leg slightly longer than the other. The fix could also be anything from targeted exercises to address the weakness to a custom orthotic.
Click to expand...

Ahh... I think you have hit the root cause... I have a bad weak left knee, it was miss jointed for years as I twisted it playing football and then it popped back into place with a loud crack as I jumped off a table. The physio and osteopath have both checked about a year ago and said that it's back in to place, it's rather weak and I'm doing strengthening exercises. Its caused my thigh muscle to be extra tight.
 
slinxy said:
Hi guys..

Without me going into gruesome details about hard skin, cracked heels, blisters and even losing toe nails.. does anyone want to share their feet healthcare routine?

I think I'm at the point where I need to see a professional about my feet, the issue is that I do a lot of walk/hiking, jogging and running and my feet are getting battered.

This is the last throw of the dice in case I'm missing something that could make my feet human again.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I usually try to wear the same pair of socks for a whole month before washing them. Makes my feet smell like nature intended!
 
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melmac said:
Yeah, I got a simple one. Spend a lot more time barefoot
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Unfortunately for me that’s not possible. Unless it’s the height of summer, my feet are ice blocks and painful
So it’s rasp regularly, and O’keefes twice a day to keep away the fissuring skin
I’ve no doubt the build up of thicker skin, leading to fissures, is a result of me wearing shoes virtually all the time
 
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for cracks in heals usually use a razor blade to pare down tough skin adjacent to crack otherwise the sides never rejoin (steady hands required) - flexitol foot cream too.
+ keep an eye out for athletes foot since I swim a lot - lamisil cream in reserve.
 
melmac said:
Yeah, I got a simple one. Spend a lot more time barefoot. I am not talking about going all fanatical about it and going running/hiking etc in your bare feet. Just when you are at home or going walking around the house inside and out, go barefoot. Your feet will thank you.
Click to expand...
This.

I've always hated having things on my feet. And having wide and big feet, not to different from a hobbit, I have always had trouble getting anything to fit my feet.

Other than a self inflicted bunion from wearing crap fitting shoes for too long in my early 30s, and ignoring the pain, I don't really have that bad feet at all, and I've never had smelly feet either!
 
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