FOOT HEALTH HELP

SHOP SMART

Michelle Champlin from Dubai Podiatry Centre recommends purchasing your pumps after 3pm as the end of the day is when feet are most swollen. She also advises wearing pop socks when trying on shoes: “Fungal infections and plantar warts are common in Dubai and this limits cross-contamination,” she says. Remember too, the cheaper the high heel, the more likely you are to compromise on comfort.

GET THE RIGHT FIT

According to the UK’s Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, 90 per cent of people wear the wrong shoe size. Get your feet properly measured – take your footwear to a podiatrist or try Michelle’s DIY test: draw round your foot on a piece of paper, then place your shoe over it and draw round this. You could see where your foot/toes are being squashed.

BE PEDI PARTICULAR

Over-pedicuring, common in the UAE warns Michelle, can result in various issues, including ingrown toenails and fungal nail infections. She advises making sure the pedicurist cuts straight across and not down the sides of a nail and that instruments are sterile.

PRACTISE TOE TLC

Faced with tired, achy, sore feet? At the end of the day, try a cooling foot spa, a moisturising massage or a foot workout with the Footerella, an electronic device launched at Arab Health 2010. Similar to a SlenderTone, it delivers a ‘workout’ for the feet to tighten and tone, with programmes for different footwear styles.

Finally, you should visit your podiatrist regularly for a medical check-up to keep hard skin and corns at bay. It’s also worth investing in an annual biomechanical assessment to check there are not any more serious problems.