Holiday footwear, are you a shoe-in?

A black pump

It's that time of year where many of us will be attending holiday get togethers, office cocktails, evenings dancing the night away and endless hours on our feet. The choices of what we wear on our feet can make us regret wearing certain footwear. Buying the right footwear for your feet will save you pain, energy and make your holidays much more enjoyable. Beyond the holidays, your feet will thank you all throughout the year.

Here are some tips to begin with for a good shoe shopping experience:

The time of day that you pick for your shoe extravaganza is crucial. Consider buying your shoes at the end of the day since our feet swell. Buying shoes in the morning might make you buy a shoe that will be tight and unbearable in the evening. 

When buying any type of footwear, making sure that your toes fit properly in the toe box is essential. Why you ask? If the toebox is too pointy and narrow, you will have discomfort that will not make you last a whole evening of partying. Your toes will be all cramped up in the toebox, causing painful blisters on the ball of your feet. See shoe diagram below.

Shoe diagram

If your foot is narrow or wide it might be a good idea to ask for a different size in the width of the shoe. A quarter of an inch of space at the widest part of your foot is highly recommended. Sometimes making an outline of your foot while standing is a good idea and might make you reconsider buying the wrong footwear. The heel of your foot should be snug and not loose in the shoe itself. 

Bringing your own pair of nylons is another good idea. You know where your feet have been but you don't know who's feet went in there first. Trying on shoes at the store is a risky business for plantar's warts.  That's a whole other blog in itself.

Kitten heels, pumps, almond toes, sling backs and wedges are some of the many options out there. So many shoes!!! Online shoe planning is always a great idea to start with so you won't be overwhelmed with the choices out there. Shoe envy might take over and you may make impulsive decisions.

Kitten-heeled Mary Jane

If suffering any toe deformities, like bunions and hammer toes, buying a flat shoe, a Mary Jane, kitten heel or a wedge is a better option for foot comfort without passing up on style. 

  

If you are going for a shoe with straps the run across your toes, make sure that straps are not digging into the top of your toes, they might shear off the skin and you will end up with more than a blister! You might need that skin.

Another tip is to feel the inside of the shoe for any seams and ridges that may bother you and create painful pressure spots that lead to corns if ignored and not properly cared for.

Last but not least: Never shop for anything on an empty tummy! Eat well and drink lots of water to keep hydrated.

And don't forget to put your best foot forward!

Happy feet equals Happy Holidays!

Gift certificates are now available for the holidays! Know someone who might need to get their footsies ready for the party season? Check out my new price list!

Putting my best foot forward.

My introduction in the world of aesthetics began at a very early age. Being the youngest of my siblings, I grew up in a family of esthetician and hairstylists. It was a given that I was going to become one of them sooner or later. Little did I know that it wasn't the countless color palettes, compressed powders, many shades of foundations and brushes galore that would hold my true attention. Or the endless jars of moisturizers, exfoliants and masks. Don't get me wrong, I'll always enjoy a great moisturizer that makes my skin supple and soft.

When I began my education in the field, some of my fellow students were going to specialize in different fields in the world of aesthetics. Make up artists, award winning nail technicians and talented body therapists.   I know now, after some 15 yrs in the industry, that it isn't the beauty of aesthetics that intrigues me the most but how health is the basis of beauty for me. 

My true passion is footcare, I've become truly dedicated in learning as much as I could in the field, furthered my studies, specialized myself in it. Educating my clients while performing footcare is most important, with tips and tricks to maintain their feet between pedicures. You see the type of pedicures I perform are very close to being medical, dealing with corns and calluses, thickened and coarse toenails. I quite enjoy the challenge of it and I'm always excited to see what I can do to help maintain the health of them

Hopefully, you will be entertained and educated at the same time. I will talk about different types of problems and solutions for your feet and skin, all within my scope of practice and keeping it as simple as I can.

Any questions are welcomed, don't be shy about the good, the pretty and the ugly of some feet.

Putting my best foot forward on the path of healthy feet and skin.