Our dear poor feet go through so much. They have to hold up our bodies all day long and they’re the first to suffer when we increase our exercise. Despite and on top of all this, we are so mean about them! We expect them to do all this work for us and offer absolutely no thanks. In fact, many of us claim to hate our feet.
Taken for granted and worn out, I think it’s about time for our feet to get a little love.
Why We Should Learn To Love Our Feet
Achillie’s heel may have been his weak spot but as for us goddesses here on earth, our feet give us power. We use them to keep us moving forward, enable us to dance wild and free and when the day’s work is done we reserve the right to put them up. Yes, our lovely feet empower us and women have relied on the amazing design of our feet since the dawn of time.
In fact, that’s why the thickest skin on our bodies is on our feet and our hands. It was there to protect us when we walked barefoot and climbed trees.
Not ready to worship your feet?
Interesting Fact
Did you know that the reason our feet and hands wrinkle in the water is for survival? It’s so that we don't slip, either in water on rocks or when we come out of water.
So I’m on a mission to help women love their feet. In this post I’m going to talk you through the best ways to care for your feet, pamper them and give them the nurture they deserve.
Here are my top tips for soft feet:
Caring For Your Feet In High Heels
In the 2021 Amazon Prime interpretation of Cinderella, the leading lady asks whether the fairy godmother might make her shoes more comfortable and is met with the quippy reply, ‘even magic has its limits!’ Guaranteed, I’m not the only woman who laughed and nodded along. There are some high heels more comfortable than others, but ultimately our human heels were not designed to be 3 inches or more above our toes for sustained periods.
It’s thought that up to a third of women who wear high heels suffer from permanent damage, including lower back pain, sore calves, pain in the feet, crooked feet and even shortening of the Achilles. Still, if you’re not ready to hang up the high heels I completely understand and endeavour to support you anyway. So here are a few ways you can care for your feet in high heels:
Choose kinder shoes - If it’s the height you’re after then you might consider a block heel as opposed to stilettos. A skinny stiletto heel puts all the pressure onto the balls of your feet and also throws you off your natural point of balance. Although a block heel will still give you the height, the wider heel spreads the weight across your feet more evenly. It won’t protect your arch from aching but you may avoid other pains brought about by needle-thin heels.
Pump it out - Falling asleep on a plane journey is never comfortable but, would you rather you slept with a neck pillow tucked around you, or without? Placing pads inside your less comfortable shoes can do a lot to delay and lessen the aches that are likely to come from a day, or night, in high heels.
When it’s all about looking slender and pointy, shoe designers rarely spend much time inserting little tootsies cushions into the insides of high heels, so we must do so ourselves. There are a few options here but the gel cushion pads seem to be the most superior as they protect the ball of the foot and can be reused. You can pick these up at most chemists local to you.
Extra tip - pop gel heel pads in the fridge or freezer so they’re nice and cold, especially in the summer and if your feet are already in discomfort.
Do everything else I advise below - Your feet will be better prepped to step into the high heels if they’re well cared for before and after. Think of a night in your favourite stilettos as equivalent to a giant greasy burger and fries - it’s probably not going to do you any harm if you’re being ‘good’ to your body the majority of the time.
Keep those feet snug
It’s official, wearing socks is good for your feet. Of course it is. Socks create a barrier between your feet and all those hard, rough surfaces they come into contact with. Plus, keeping your feet warm helps keep your whole body temperature in check which leaves your body energy to burn in more fun ways.
Hard skin on your feet
Why do we get hard skin on our feet? Consider what happens to guitar players, especially beginners. They develop calluses on their fingertips. It’s caused by the pressure of steel strings on delicate skin tissue. This is exactly what happens to our feet - We develop hard skin on our feet because, no matter how well we take care of them, they are regularly rubbing against or pounding hard pavements and uneven ground. It’s unavoidable and not doing any serious damage but hard skin can make our feet sore and not so silky smooth.
Tackle hard skin on your feet with water, dry exfoliation and moisture.
Step One - Give your feet a lovely soak in warm water for at least 10 minutes. This will give your skin a much-needed drink and soften hard skin for our next step.
Step Two - Next, use a pumice stone to wear away tough calluses by rubbing it over your skin in small circles. This should loosen worn-out skin.
Step Four - Rinse your feet again to rid them of any dead skin cells.
Step Five - Massage a moisturiser into your feet to soften your skin. Try our Sleepy Joyce Foot Cream for an all-natural smoothness.
Foot Yoga
Yes, it’s a thing! When we work out we’re advised to ensure we warm-up and cool down properly. This stretches our muscles out ready for exercise, gets the blood circulating and generally helps to avoid injury. Foot yoga may sound like a totally bonkers idea but actually, it makes a lot of sense. After all, if they’re moving about all day surely they need a good ol’ stretch every so often? I’m not about to teach you foot yoga here but ever-faithful youtube provides some good 5-10 minute foot exercise videos. Personally, I like the ones that require minimum effort and can be done whilst watching Netflix, but there are plenty of options to choose from.
How To Keep Soft Feet
Give your feet a rest
If you have a foot injury or if they’re just overworked and aching then it’s the same as any other muscle pain, meaning the only way to allow it to heal is to rest it. Admittedly, this is tougher with feet. I’ll give it to you, we’re fairly reliant on them. Although, that’s also a pretty good reason to look after them. The good news is that feet don’t take too long to spring back into shape WHEN you rest them for a while. So, when your feet are suffering, walk to the shops and do the school run as usual, but take a couple of days off activities such as running, or tap dancing. And maybe cleaning? Yes, I’m quite sure housework is bad for your feet - what a shame!
Treat your feet with all-natural foot cream
Your feet need to take in moisture just like the rest of your skin. Except, the products we use on our feet should be tailored to our tootsie's needs. My Sleepy Joyce Foot Cream, named after my Nan Joyce who loved to doze in her chair, is designed to keep your feet soft and beautiful. As with all of my skincare products, Sleepy Joyce Foot Cream is made with 100% organic natural ingredients. I recommend using it at bedtime because, not only will it soften your skin, but it also contains lavender and chamomile that help to calm muscles and can naturally aid sleep. Just before bedtime is the ideal time to massage those aching muscles and ease them into a proper night’s rest so that they may recover and remain - happy feet.