To think that no one should be allowed to wear a sandal without some proper foot grooming?!

[williaminajetfighter]

It's that time of year again... Ah summer and its long days of sunshine. I so love it but the one thing I fear most in this change of season? The sandalled "foot claw"!

Suddenly everyone is wearing heel, toe and full foot exposed foot-wear. And the exposed foot often is a scary site to behold: yellowed toe nails, bunions, fungus, severely cracked heels, dry skin. I am constantly shocked by how many people so casually don sandals with their feet looking a hot mess. Certainly not for public view.

AIBU to expect people to invest in a little foot grooming in the summer? Have people not heard of a podiatrist or a pedicure?

This is an honest question as the flagrant disregard for foot hygiene drives me nuts.. But I may be the only person who feels this way?!

I have bunions. Big bunions that glow a very fetching red colour. I wish I didn`t have them, they are sometimes painful and they seriously restrict my choice of sandals and shoes.

Yes, I wear sandals and expose them to public view

But I live in a climate where it would be too uncomfortable to wear full shoes in the heat - especially because of the bunions.

My bunions are due to arthritis, not lack of "foot grooming", but I apologise that my small affliction upsets your sensibilities, OP.

Let`s hope you never develop bunions in your later years

I have nothing helpful to add but just wanted to share that when I was a young teenager I had recurring ingrown toenails on both big toes and when they were past the weeping stage (sorry) to the scabby stage I used to paint over them with the same nail polish I did my actual toenails with. Scab-painting. Classy.

I had to have a little operation to have both nails slimmed down. I think the problem was their width. Haven't had problems since.

Great story, I know! :)

Yanbu

I hate this. But people just don't care it seems

Can I also add, on a completely unrelated note, I think those French manicure pedicure things that people have on their toes (like their fingernails) when they've got the white tip are WEIRD. Why would you want to give the illusion that you've got long (albeit neat) toenails?! Give me a crusty yellow toenail any day over that!

Sh1ney - I care that my feet hurt because they are dry and cracked. I care that if I wear closed shoes or boots I get hot feet and I get grumpy if I have hot feet. I care that my feet look a bit mankit.

I DON'T care whether you or the OP are upset by my feet. HTH.

Well... I can see your point. However, as a possessor of some pretty horrid feet myself, I can also say that if I'm willing to bear the shame it should be no business of yours.

I am about to get drugs for a nail infection (can't polish until that's sorted, I believe) and I scour my feet regularly but they are still dry, rough and often cracked. I just find it too much of an arse to keep them smooth - cream just doesn't seem to cut through. And I often put things like reading, or editing my photos, or watching Pointless ahead of any beauty regime, when it comes to prioritising my time.

SamuAm diving in here to answer this - My husband has horribly dry cracked heels. The cracks are so deep and they are really not nice.
As a retired Chiropodist I can say that the cracks you describe can't just be dealt with simply by putting cream on them.

Imagine fine silk fabric attached to thick leather. The silk will tear before the leather when under stress . This is what is happening to the skin of the foot (the 'live' soft skin being the silk, the hard, dead skin being the leather, causing an imbalance).
While ever this is the situation the hard skin will pull at, and cause the soft skin to tear causing the cracks and a gateway to infection.

Therefore, the dead skin needs to be removed, usually with a scalpel - by a professional - which will then allow a balanced state to return to the foot skin, allowing the tears to heal up, and moisturiser to do its work. Hope this helps.

I just love the phrase foot claws :o

Elquota I haven't, just a multitude of foot creams, which every time I buy a new one someone swears it works miracles and alas, they never do I will try it, thank you.

Thanks for Vicks tips!

OP, fungal nail infections can last years and one possible treatment is steroids - but no getting pregnant or breast feeding when you are taking those. But y'know, anything to not offend your eyes...

Even though I have become a hate figure for most people on this thread I am glad I did get everyone talking about cures for every foot ailments. See...'every cloud...' and all that.

I really was referring to foot hygiene which usually, due to disregard, tends to result in some pretty unsightful visuals.

Of course I shan't be looking down in future. Must make eye contact at all times. Am silly to be so shallow as to notice parts of people other than their smile!

Anyway im off as i just heard that the Daily Mail is doing a special deal of free sandals if I buy a year long subscription-- includes a season's worth of pedicures! Ill be in good company, no?

You know those 'unsightly' visuals are often extremely painful to the owner of said foot? But never mind, as long as your petty little mind isn't offended. Jolly good.

Stunt girl you need to grab a sense of humour and not be so easily offended. It was a light post and I've backed out of it with humour. No need to get so chippy.

I'm with the OP.
Looking after your feet is essential to ones wellbeing as they hold up your whole body.
My mother was not a particularlly glamorous Woman. But she would and still does at 70, take the most amazing care of her feet. I have never seem them Without polish or with dead, dry skin on them. It is very healthy to groom your feet. This goes for both sexes!

I wasn't the first and I doubt I'll be the last

to me the bad side of summer is not so much about ungroomed feet (easy not to look) but about the smelly people in public transport - gross! adults who don't wash daily in the summer! (obv exception for the very ill).

My cousin had her toenails removed because they were ingrowing. 17 years later and she is still without toenails. Her nickname is Pocahontas because not only does she resemble her, Pocahontas doesn't have toenails either. She still paints the skin though to make it look like she has toenails. I wonder if anyone notices? :o

I have sandal toes, which I didn't know were wierd-looking until I was 7, in a new school and doing p.e. in bare feet, and some little cows girls pointed and laughed at my feet, in front of everyone.
I then used to get cramp in my arches from trying to grip my toes together throughout every p.e. lesson.
When I was seven.

Was that you, OP?

Every year about this time I schlep the length and breadth of the high street looking for sandals that don't show too much of my toes. If I think, 'sod it,' and wear whatever I like, I can guarantee several people every day will openly stare at my feet twats.
And, in summer, mine are Flexitolled and occasionally polished.

Some of us try to make our feet presentable and healthy-looking, but, because they're ugly, it doesn't make any difference.

Bit of a pointless thread, really.

I would like to say that although I don't often wear sandals, I have had a verruca on my foot since I was 10 that I just can't bloody get rid of. So what if I wanted to wear sandals? If it was too hot and I was sweaty, yeah I would wear them. It's absolutely none of your business. YABU.

I agree with you stuntgirl!

Yanbu. I know my toes are fucking ugly. My feet are always groomed, try to keep dry skin at bay, always painted nails and I don't have overgrown nails or any type of fungus! But I just am not blessed with attractive feet (second toe is about an inch shorter than the big toe! Weird I know). So I always spare the world the sight of them . I'm considerate of others you see .

I have seen some baaaad feet over the years. Makes me feel queasy. I don't think you can help but look at feet. I reckon because they're not something you see every day in this country due to weather so they're a bit odd and it's natural to be curious. Feet are odd anyway, no two people have the same looking feet . My HV has toenails that are about 2 inches too long and they freak me out. I'm not sure if she forgot to cut or if they're purposely like that like people with long fingernails. Grosses me out and she always wears sandles.

I've given the foot thing way too much thought.

Thank you Eccentric

I will force ask him to go see a professional.

Wow, I think you've had a rough time on here OP. I absolutely get what you're saying, don't think you're trying to have a dig at anyone with more serious genuine illnesses/ailments - just venting your spleen with regard to some of the more unsightly feet on display at the moment!

YANBU - I live in a warmer climate than the UK and am constantly surprised at the number of people whose feet, when on display, are quite hideous. I'm talking chunks of loose skin flapping and hanging off, obvious fungal nail infections, huge, crusty, thick yellow nails - yuck! You wouldn't walk round with this kind of untreated mess on your face, hands or other exposed body part - so why neglect your feet?

And before anyone starts - I have a gammy big toe nail, caused by an injury skiing years ago. It's prone to infection and can look unsightly if not taken care of properly. However, as soon as it's sandal weather, I have a proper medical pedicure and no one would know any different. I also treat it intermittently as needed, as I would with any other kind of skin irritation. Seems somewhat lazy and embarrassing to neglect yourself to the extent of going out with crusty feet on display IMO.

Sorry I did smirk at this. Mil has exactly the foot claw which you describe. Short and wide and hanging over the ever present fit flop.

I have a minor foot phobia. When people come to my house and take their shoes off, I hate it. A friend rested her bare feet on my sofa and I felt a tad woozy.

I have rheumatoid arthritis and deformed feet. I am ashamed of them, so I hide them. My toe nails are in a right old state, despite visiting a chiropodist regularly and I even saw a dermatologist who was baffled. Instead I wear crocs which seems to offend a different group of people. I cannot win!

What I'm trying to say is that I think all feet are gross, even 'well groomed' feet.