The Foot Health Answers You Want This Season

Spring is in full bloom, and that means May is all about breaking out those fun summer shoes! However, with wearing sandals, wedges and flip flops comes baring your feet. Taking care of your feet is just as important as any other part of your body, but they can be easily neglected. We talked with our Wellness panel to get expert advice on foot care.

How do you take care of your feet?

• "I wear properly fitting shoes daily and have a pedicure every 4-6 weeks." -Kristi Jedlicki, director of St. John Center for Homeless Men
• "I give myself a home pedicure every 2-3 weeks and use a pumice stone on my feet every night. I also use lotion daily." -Melissa Little, owner of Little Eatz
• "Pedicures and nightly (almost) foot rubs by my awesome husband." -Cathi Bingaman, director of business development, Park Community Credit Union

What should you look for in a pedicure place?

• "Cleanliness, sterilized equipment, techs wash hands and use gloves, relaxing, no appointment needed, friendly staff." -Tina Nuttall, mommy of two and CEO of household
• "Is it licensed? Inspected? I always look to make sure it looks clean and I ask about the cleaning and sterilization procedures of the tools. And, of course, it's important to me that the staff is professional in how they interact with their customers." -Cathi Bingaman, director of business development, Park Community Credit Union
• “Clean salon, clean salon chairs, clean products. Where do the materials come from when they are giving you a pedicure? Wide selection of quality polish. Excellent customer service." -Holly Clark, EAP manager, Humana

What are the most common foot ailments? What causes them?

• "I think that blisters, corns, and/or bunions are the most common foot ailments, which result from ill-fitting shoes." -Kristi Jedlicki, director of St. John Center for Homeless Men
• "Hammertoe, Bunions, plantar fasciitis — not sure what causes hammertoe and bunions, but plantar fasciitis is from overuse." -Melissa Little, owner of Little Eatz
• "Athlete's foot, bunions, corns/calluses? I think many of these ailments are caused from not taking good care of our feet - not wearing the best shoes, not getting regular pedicures or getting pedicures in salons that might not use the best cleaning processes." -Cathi Bingaman, director of business development, Park Community Credit Union

Do you ever have foot pain? If so, how do you treat it?

• "Often — I'm on my feet for several hours a day. The most I've done is treat myself to regular pedicures and get the almost nightly foot massage from my husband! I have also learned to keep flip flops with me so I can slip them on and off to give my feet a break from heels during the day. They appreciate it very much!" -Cathi Bingaman, director of business development, Park Community Credit Union
• "Yes, I have and usually I just rest it, and put ice on it if needed." -Melissa Little, owner of Little Eatz

What is the biggest mistake people make when buying shoes?

• "They either buy shoes that don't fit properly or buy shoes that are not appropriate for the activity that they intended for, such as playing a particular sport or running." -Kristi Jedlicki, director of St. John Center for Homeless Men
• “Not enough support, but hey, we have to suffer for a hot pair of shoes!” -Tina Nuttall, mommy of two and CEO of household
• “Buying shoes that don't fit or feel comfortable. Buying shoes based on how they look and not how they feel." -Holly Clark,EAP manager, Humana