Toby Saltzman is a freelance travel writer and editor and publisher of the travel website, www.travelterrific.com. Her globe-trotting job takes her to destinations around the world and requires her to spend countless hours on her feet, visiting various tourist and cultural attractions.
After years of experience caring for and treating her feet, Saltzman has some basic tips on how to keep feet healthy and happy, no matter where travellers adventure to this summer.
1. Wear comfortable walking or athletic shoes
It may sound simple, but wearing comfortable shoes is essential when spending hours of vacation time on your feet. Comfortable shoes can help to alleviate the discomfort caused by corns and calluses and help to prevent blisters.
For those travellers with corns and calluses, plan to see your podiatrist before embarking on your trip. You may wish to ease the discomfort by packing over-the-counter cushion treatments to protect feet while on vacation. Blisters are one of the most common travelling foot injuries. Avoid missing out on enjoyable vacation excursions by using over-the-counter treatments such as Dr. Scholl's® Cushlin® UltraSlim Blister Treatment to help heal and prevent blisters.
In addition, comfortable shoes with proper arch support delay the occurrence of tired, achy feet, a common culprit that hampers the enjoyment of much anticipated travel activities, such as hiking. Many over-the-counter insoles and devices can improve the arch support of a shoe, allowing for more "on your feet" time during a vacation.
2. Do not pack shoes that need to be "broken in"
Always avoid shoes that require a break-in period and instead, purchase shoes that feel comfortable right away. This also applies to packing for a vacation. If the shoes hurt your feet at home, they'll hurt them on the road as well. Always be conscious of how vigorous the vacation activity is and how comfortable your shoes are.
3. If shoes do not have sufficient padding or support, improve the performance of your shoes by adding inserts/devices
Quite often the shoes that "best match" a vacation outfit - whether for an afternoon shopping in New York City or an evening of entertainment on a cruise ship - are not beneficial to our foot health. Wear shoes that support feet, allowing for ease of movement wherever your vacation adventure may take you. For additional support, there are a variety of over-the-counter inserts that provide additional cushioning and support, such as Dr. Scholl's® Advantage™ PowerWalk Insoles.
4. Soak feet nightly
Treating feet each night with a specially designed soak such as Dr. Scholl's® Smooth Touch® Instant Foot Bath will help to ease the discomfort of tired, achy feet. It also moisturizes and softens corns, calluses and rough, hard skin; a luxurious comfort that can be enjoyed in the privacy of a hotel room that will prepare your feet for a comfortable travel adventure the following day.
5. Moisturize and exfoliate feet
Moisturizing and exfoliating feet can help to reduce the build up of dead skin that results in corns and calluses. It is also a nice, relaxing treat at the end of a long day of sight-seeing. Dr. Scholl's® Smooth Touch® Peppermint Foot & Leg Lotion softens skin, as well as provides a soothing peppermint fragrance.
For more information on footcare visit www.drscholls.ca.
