So, what’s really a good footing when choosing winter footwear?
I don’t know about you all, but I’ve had some serious collateral damage done to my feet from outrageously hard winter boots, completely barren from any comfort! The long and the short of this shoestring story is quite simple – when it comes to winter shoes, natural materials are hands down your best foot forward, as they flex and move with your foot shape and also allow your feet to breath. They also avoiding damp which leads to fungus and romance buzzkill odours caused by foot-sweat!
Always make sure boots are a little roomier this time of year, making space for thicker socks and circulation. For shoes made from harder materials, make sure they have ample padding inside to avoid bruised those toenail ‘blues’.
From our Guru on all thing footful – podiatrist from Hiren Patel of ‘Flawless Feet’ - advice is “Cover Your Feet with good quality socks - choose breathable socks that will keep your feet both warm and dry. Wool or other moisture-wicking socks can help control foot sweat that can make your feet feel colder. A double layer of socks (thin socks on the inside) is also recommended as air trapped between the two sock layers can actually provide insulation.”
Summers gone? ... We don’t care keep on hydrating
Yup, even with summer waving abounding feet behind us, a girls still gotta keep on hydrating! For most of us, our skins will go through a dry patch during winter. This is because inside heating, wind and dryer air draws out moisture from our bodies. To avoid ghastly heals, corns and all - drink lots of warm water and invest in a moisturiser containing 10% urea as it can provide especially long lasting moisturisation. There are several fab products on the market - just ask your local pharmacist for recommendations.
Keep moving, keep grooving (yes, we used the word grooving)!
Although cosying is considered a leisure sport in winter ;), it’s not going to help your feet - never mind your mind and physique! We’re not saying go all Instagram fit-spiration on us – a bit of Pilates or walking, or if you can’t bear the thought of leaving home a couple of simple legs exercises and stretches will do the trick. For tips from the Pilates pro's, check out this video guide which Epoch Fitness kindly made especially for Alice Bow.
Keep feet on the N.D (Neat & Dry)!
If you don’t, there won’t be any laughing for even the driest of humours! Wet feet are also a Ferris wheel for bacteria and the cause of tender cracked feet and dodgy toenail colours that probably inspired most of the 90’s ironically bad nail polish trends ;) …. So, to avoid inviting ‘the little old lady who lived in a shoe and all the bacteria that probably comes with her lifestyle’ - keep a pair of dry socks on hand too. ‘Just in case of any surprise city storms.’… and if such an unfortunate event does occur, make sure to wash your feet with antibacterial soap as soon as possible and get them DRY!!!
Nail your polish vaycay
Free the nail! Dare go bare! Your nails need a bit of air too. Giving them downtime allows then to soak up creams and lotions. Also, nail polish removers are especially drying on the nails – as your nails soak up EVERYTHING! This little break will also give your nails time to rid themselves of yellow residues caused by ingredients like formaldehyde. By spring time your toenails will be looking fresh and not like they've been caught up in a pre- summer fake tan disaster. ;)
Footloose warm soaks
Although we all like to ‘hypothetically’ stay indoors during winter, the reality is us city bunnies (especially) don’t really get the chance. Foot soaks have some amazing benefits to them - other than feeling like a much better thing to do, over any fun social engagement that ever was or will be, during the winter months!
From our Guru on all thing footful – podiatrist from Hiren Patel, founder of Flawless Feet:
“Wintertime can be a busy, stressful season, so treat yourself to relaxing warming foot soaks once a week or so. Add a dash of cider vinegar which could help ease muscle soreness.”
Fab soaks with Function:
- Cedarwood oil -is a herbal antiseptic and brilliant anti-fungal aid. Making it a good choice for zapping any unexpected fungal feet raids.
- Epsom salts – yes, yes, (eye roll) our nannas used to go on about this detox trick when we were younger. But there’s a lot of truth in some early methods. And it is still a favourite among most leafing foot specialist’s, as it’s an absolute hero, drawing toxins from the body. This is also because our feet sit at the base of our body, making it a place where toxins settle. Epsom salts are also fantastic when you’re in need of a good night sleep. But be warned, deep sleep can also entail some wildly vivid dreams!
- Wintergreen oils said to be a natural option to meds such as Aspirin. It’s super power - aching and swelling of course. Go green or go home!
- Juniper berry oils your oracle potion for muscle pains, especially for inflammation caused by PMS and arthritis. It’s also a very great nature’s own diuretic! Perfect for after a long-haul flights or lots of winter ‘zzzzzzz-ing’ and cosying! Oh, and quite coincidently, gin gets its flavour from the Juniper Berry too ;) ….. ‘chin, chin’!.
