1. Support your feet! Hiking, walking and sightseeing are at the heart of our summer holidays. If you have an active summer planned, make sure that you are wearing the correct shoe-wear and if necessary, supportive innersoles. This will help to avoid injury to the legs and knees.
  1. Funky fungus! Keeping cool is essential but be wary of traipsing around the hotel pool barefoot. Public areas that are wet, like the pool and the showers, are host to all kinds of fungal and even viral infections. Protect your feet from athlete’s foot and verrucae by wearing sandals around these areas.
  1. Running on the beach? Running on the beach provides a great workout with an incredible view. Try to run close to the water’s edge during low tide for a level, hard (but forgiving) surface. A high tide tends to create a more angled slant which can cause knee, foot and hip problems. Make sure you run out and back to prevent injury. If you have ITBFS or runner’s knee already, consider sticking to the road or trails. If you are doing a lot of beach running, look for a shoe that has a tight mesh, to allow easy evaporation of water and sweat and to keep out the sand.
  1. Feel the burn! If you’ve been wearing closed shoes all year, and plan on wearing flip-flops this summer, don’t forget that your feet will need sunscreen too. There is nothing quite as silly as bright, red feet so use a high SPF to avoid the burn!
  1. Blistering this summer? Those new flip-flops or hiking boots could make you wish you were going barefoot. Blisters occur when shoes (and sometimes socks) rub repeatedly against the skin and can be aggravated by sweat, heat and friction. Make sure you ‘wear-in’ your new hiking boots and carry well-fitting, sweat absorbing socks for optimum comfort. Never pop a blister. If this happens spontaneously, allow the blister to ‘dry out’ and if necessary apply an antiseptic cream.
  1. Change it up! Don’t be tempted to wear your flip-flops all day, every day. These flat shoes don’t provide the adequate support your feet need and can cause painful heels and arches; podiatrists see many patients just after the holidays complaining about this. Try wearing a closed shoe, or a shoe with more arch support to prevent the onset of plantar fasciitis and other foot problems.
  1. Shoe shopping! Always buy your shoes in the afternoon. They are at their biggest due to swelling and heat. This way, you can avoid buyer’s regret and blisters.