Sorting out horrid feet (awful picture included)

[Desperatelyseekingcommonsense]

Finally bought an Electric foot file and spent ages yesterday stripping back layers and layers of dead skin. It’s made a huge difference. Today my feet are feeling not sore but sensitive and a little dry do I need a urea based cream for dry feet or just a thick moisturiser and cotton socks.

If you maintain your feet, do you file them weekly or just moisturise. I spend a lot of the day standing up in safety boots (heavy with steel reinforcements and no breathability) would wool socks help?

Really would like to be able to wear sandals this summer.

You need to buy Footner socks about 3 weeks before you get your feet in sandals. I find using them regularly gets rid of built up hard skin.

you will have flaky skin on your feet for almost 2 weeks but it really gets rid of built up hard skin.

it is a constant battle though. I think having a foot file in bathroom and give your feet a quick file every time you come out the shower will help you keep on top of it ( less if feet are sensitive)

Good moisturiser on feet n cotton socks overnight

It looks as though your feet are constantly slipping around inside your boots - the combination of pressure from standing, the friction and the hardness of the boots is creating the calluses.

Don't overfile them; that causes more damage and encourages even more callus formation.

You could make an appointment with a Podiatrist privately, as they can remove more without causing damage.

However, right now, you need to protect them.

Have a nice bath and gently pat your feet dry. Apply a good covering of a high urea foot cream and put on socks after you've sat for a while (for your own safety when you get up).

Hopefully, you've got a couple of days off now. Spend the time being gentle on your feet (cream at night) and then on the last night, rather than hacking away at them again, just use a rough towel to rub a little more of the callus off, reapplying the cream.

Turning to your boots, you probably need insoles with an arch support, as they help stop your foot sliding around. If the callusing is appearing on the sides, it's possible that you actually need a larger size for the width at the toes to go with the arch support/heel cup and then to tie your laces in a way that means your heel stays securely at the back instead of sliding forward and jamming into the sides.

I find that hiking/mountaineering/outdoor sports socks are better, as they wick away sweat rather than leave you with damp feet like cotton does and are often cushioned whilst reducing friction. They can be expensive, but I think it's worth it.

I use my electric foot file every week, followed by a slathering of Flexitol Rescue Heel Balm all over the feet. I put cotton socks on overnight to keep the cream in place, so to speak. For your feet, if you are wearing heavy safety boots I'd go for woolen socks. Good luck !

@NeverDropYourMooncup you are right, callusing is on sides / heels. I’m a 42 and ended up with mens 7 boots but they are too wide especially at the heel. I hadn’t made a connection between that and the sorry state of my feet I thought it was as they are always sweaty.

Right have ordered some merino hiking socks off Amazon. Some flexitol foot balm. Will contact stores on Monday and get them to source me a pair of womens size 8s. Once they turn up I’ll have a look at whether I need more arch support to keep my feet in place.

Thanks everyone, I feel really positive about my sandal prospects!

Footner socks a couple of weeks before sandal season. After they've done their job, slather with foot cream before bed and wear cotton socks so your feet moisturise over night.

Moisture EVERY day! It’s a pain but it keeps my feet sandal ready every day 😄

I think you'd really benefit from a visit to a podiatrist - they can skim away at the callouses with a blade. Much more effective than a salon pedicure! Then use a foot file a few times a week to keep on top of it and moisturise daily after your bath or shower. In my experience Footners are good as a cosmetic treatment, but I think for callouses you need someone (safely!) using a blade to skim away.

I'm on my feet all day at work so like to look after them, also swim a lot so like them to look sandal ready all the time.

Most nights I put moisturiser on my feet and give myself a quick footrub, then put some cotton socks on overnight.

Twice a week I rub some of my superdrug glycolic acid toner (which I use on my face) over my feet, it helps keeps them extra soft.

Every couple of weeks, I trim my nails first and then soak my feet in warm soapy water for half an hour or so. DP bought me a foot spa for Christmas, but I just used an old washing up bowl before that. Then I dry them off and use an electric scholl footfile thing for 5 minutes or so. Then use a body scrub and rinse it off and put . The next day I'll usually paint my toenails and shave my big toes.

*put moisturiser and socks on. I don't use any particular moisturiser, usually whatever bath set I got for Christmas.

I also use foot deodorant and tend to change my socks on my lunch break in the summer, I get very sweaty feet!

Find a decent nail bar that does pedicures. When I get my feet done they shave, scrub, file, buff, massage etc but the shaving is the best bit (although horrendously ticklish).

I'd go to a podiatrist if you can afford it to get the thick skin off. Then you can maintain in between.

I wear safety shoes every day too. I go to the podiatrist (modern word for chiropodist) every 6 weeks.

when you order those new boots, order ones where the protective toecap and midsole are made from a composite material (also described as metal-free) as they will be lighter than actual steel toecaps.

I get very dry skin on my heels and I've used so many different foot files and creams. I like the idea of creams but I don't do it enough for it to work, I tend to forget to apply. I recently saw an advert on social media for a glass foot file and its absolutely brilliant. I use it after a shower/bath and it's gentle but takes off so much hard skin yet doesn't leave my feet sore. I was a bit wary about ordering as I've not heard of them before but it arrived quickly with no issues.

https://glowxie.co/

Good job. You need flexitol 10% urea or allpresan foam cream 10% urea, apply twice a day for a month then once a day. Your feet will be as smooth as a baby's bum. Also drink lots of water. Feet need internal fluid as much as the rest of us.

I saw a thread years ago that fungal infections like athletes foot can look like this, and when very bad only oral tablets will help.

Also one podiatrist was on saying she would never use metal on feet, causes the skin to develop even worse calluses as 'protection'. She said the most she uses is pumice stone.

My advice - go and see a private podiatrist! They will work wonders. In my area it costs about £25 a visit.

I have a full routine and the podiatrist said to carry on as she couldn't find any hard skin to remove

Microplane foot file on dry feet weekly or when needed
Exfoliating gloves and bar soap on feet daily
3 times a week I use a foot scrub
Every night I slather my feet in a urea based foot cream and socks

When we had a house with only a shower, my feet were hideous but now I have a daily bath, they're fine so if you can give them a regular soaking that might help.

I use the Boots marshmallow cream daily. It’s great! The very dry skin could also be a fungal infection so treating with Lamasil Once might help. My podiatrist said you can repeat this after a month.

Honestly I would just go to a salon and get a proper pedicure if my feet looked like that. I worry about using those foot masks that make your skin peel. It’s also worrying that your feet feel sore, you might have done too much

Isn't that athlete's foot? On your newly filed feet, use lamasil once and see how they are in a week.