Spring is here and everyone is getting excited about their plans for the good weather. Perhaps you are thinking of taking a much-longed-for holiday abroad – a week in the sun, or a city break. Or your plans might involve some great days out closer to home, a shopping trip with friends, a visit to historic gardens, or a walk on the coast. But if you suffer from foot pain, you might be worrying about how much you will be able to enjoy yourself this season. So many pleasurable trips involve a lot of time on your feet. At Foot Solutions, our friendly team of experts will be able to help. Here’s our best advice for overcoming foot pain and having a fantastic summer…
Pack your travelling shoes
Foot pain is always tough, but it can make things particularly difficult when you are away from home. What is more, issues with your feet and ankles can easily lead to problems with your knees, hips and back, making things even more uncomfortable. So begin at your feet, and pack some travel essentials to help them feel good when you are away from home. This could include taking along bandages, antibiotic cream, nail clippers, tweezers, and an emery board.
Make sure you check your feet over after a long day of hurrying around on the go. Give them a bit of a pamper each night before bed! Look up some stretches specifically for your feet, and massage them too. For this, you could use a tennis ball placed beneath the foot, or a frozen water bottle can be particularly pleasant to reduce swelling and inflammation. Roll your ankles to loosen things up, and keep your feet elevated.
While travelling often includes a lot of time on your feet, it can also mean time spent sitting down. And sedentary time can be just as bad for your feet! Consider wearing compression socks to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis and encourage blood flow to your extremities. You can also try not to sit with crossed legs for long periods.
Finally, a top tip is to drink lots of water. Although this might not seem particularly foot related, maintaining a good level of hydration will help with circulation, and decrease the inflammation that causes feet and ankles to swell.
First steps to happy feet
For all these tips on maintaining healthy feet when travelling, probably the most important factor in reducing foot pain is your choice of shoes. With the warmer weather fast approaching, it’s time to put away the heavier footwear and embrace sandals and runners. But many people dread exposing their feet, worrying about foot problems such as bunions and calluses, which can be unsightly as well as painful. And many sandals are thin, flat, and offer little support to your feet, which will only make foot pain and other conditions worse. Unsuitable footwear increases the risk of fractures, damage to the ankles and toes, and problems such as Morton’s Neuroma. So when choosing sandals this season, look for options that not only look great, but that will offer you the comfort you need. Here at Foot Solutions, we have a great range of women’s sandals from top name brands such as Xsensible, Solidus and Joya. These high quality shoes will cushion your feet in all the right places and ensure that you are protected as you enjoy a full and active summer.
Get a proper fitting
However, even if you’ve found some really fantastic shoes, they won’t ease your foot pain unless you are wearing the correct size. Foot Solutions has an expert team of experienced pedorthists on hand to help you to find footwear that suits your feet and your lifestyle. We will offer you a 30 minute foot assessment completely free of charge, to allow us to find out exactly what support your body needs. Using the latest biomechanical technology we will scan your feet, and then use digital analysis to help identify any issues you may have. The advice we offer is tailored to meet your unique needs and you can book an appointment at your local store at a time that is convenient to you.
Little extras to make you comfortable
At Foot Solutions we pride ourselves on going the extra mile for your feet. We’re not just an ordinary shoe shop – our talented team of expert pedorthists aren’t just fitting you for a pair of brogues! Instead, their careful assessment of your foot health will not only find out what shoes will suit you best, but also if there are additional measures you could take to help with your comfort. This could include orthotics, comfort as well as footwear. Our full solution approach means we can have a huge impact on the health and happiness of our customers.
Stories of success
At Foot Solutions, we believe health begins from the feet up. The difference we can make to the overall health and wellbeing of our customers through expert care of their feet is what drives us – there’s nothing better than knowing we are truly helping! For instance, we helped Darin Egan stay on course for an epic adventure back in 2012. He came into our Stillorgan Village shop when preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro! We were keen to ensure he didn’t experience any foot pain during such an amazing undertaking, and so we put him through our complete foot and gait analysis. This thorough examination told us that he would need custom arch supports, as well as some excellent training shoes and walking boots. And Darin says it was well worth his visit, “In September I successfully climbed Kilimanjaro and with the help of Foot Solutions I was pain free and comfortable all the way!”
Likewise, Foot Solutions was able to help Trina Horgan get back to enjoying holidays and an active lifestyle. Trina experienced foot problems for ten years, suffering from both heel spurs and plantar fasciitis. These conditions were having a serious negative impact on her life.
‘I bought over-the-counter orthotics five years ago in Foot Solutions. That was around the same time I had surgery on my feet, and they worked well in alleviating the pain. But after a while I noticed that the pain was coming back. I’d be on crutches in the morning. I love going for a walk, but it got to the point that I’d have to ring my husband to come and collect me because my feet were too sore to make it home. I also had to stop going to the gym as I couldn’t run on the treadmill.
‘It also interfered with my holidays. We have a mobile home in Kerry, where myself and my husband enjoy a regular morning walk in the roads around the mountains. I felt I couldn’t do it any longer because I was worried I wouldn’t be able to make it back! So I went back in to Foot Solutions and told the women inside about my problem. They fitted me for custom orthotics and I also got a lovely pair of runners.
‘The difference was unbelievable! It took about two days to get used to the supports, but after that I was flying it. We were able to go on our walks around Kerry. I can walk into work in Cork city every morning and spend all day on my feet without any problems. When we go for a walk now my friend says she can barely keep up with me! The women in Foot Solutions even helped fit the orthotics for my Converse runners, so now I can wear those again as well.
‘The visit to Foot Solutions has made a huge difference to my life. I can’t recommend them highly enough to anyone suffering from foot pain.’
So as you can see, foot pain may seem inevitable but this is not the case! You don’t need to put up with discomfort and pain. Before you cancel your plans to do the things you enjoy, consider making an appointment with Foot Solutions.
Don’t let foot pain or foot discomfort stop you from making that trip!
If you’re living with aching or painful feet, there are solutions and options for relief. Talk to us at Foot Solutions, this is what we do. You deserve to live a pain-free, happy life and that begins with having healthy, happy feet. Our stylish and comfortable range of sandals are designed to protect your feet as you work and play throughout the summer. Don’t compromise on comfort or style, and don’t let foot pain stop you in your tracks!
Do the things you love this summer. Come and talk to us at Foot Solutions. With our free foot assessment, we can give you expert advice on how to get your feet looking and feeling great this summer. Book an appointment now!
