Winterize Your Feet

By , Vionic Shoes
Along with sweater weather, hot cocoa and building snowmen, winter also brings dry air, cold feet and the risk of slipping on ice. Here are five tips for protecting your feet during the long winter months.
 
1. Pamper Your Feet
Constantly running the heat in your home, car and office can cause dry air that zaps the moisture from your skin. Even if your feet will be covered in boots and closed-toe shoes for most of winter, treat them as though you’ll be showing them off in sandals. To keep your feet silky smooth:
  • Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! A great way to hydrate your skin is from the inside out by drinking a lot of water.
  • Even though you (probably) won’t be wearing sandals very often in the winter, keep your nails neatly trimmed to help prevent infections, ingrown nails and other issues.
  • Use a foot scrub on a weekly basis to remove dead skin cells to keep your feet smooth.
  • Moisturize your feet after your shower or bath, making sure to massage the lotion into the driest areas of your feet, such as your heels.


2. Slip on Slippers
If you’re one of the many Americans who experience heel pain or plantar fasciitis–especially upon your first step out of bed in the morning–your home’s hard flat floors could be to blame. Our feet were biomechanically designed to walk on soft, natural surfaces like soil and sand. Protect your feet from your home’s hard floors with a pair of orthotic slippers with arch support. Bonus tip: Can’t make it outside or to the gym for your workout? Try these exercises you can do in your slippers!
 
3. Choose the Right Boots
Snow, ice, sleeting rain–your feet will be exposed to all the elements this winter. That’s why having the right pairs of boots in your closet is important.
Traction: Prevent slipping on wet, icy surfaces. Look for a boot with a grooved rubber outsole to provide some traction.

Ankle Stability: If you’re prone to rolling an ankle, boots are a great way to provide some extra support while staying chic.


Water-Resistance: We’ve all been there: You excitedly wear a new pair of boots out for a night on the town–and then the rain or snow comes. You return home to find water spots on your brand new boots! Look for water-resistant boots that have already been treated with a protective coating to help against inclement weather. 

4. Support Your Feet on the Slopes
If you’ll be hitting the slopes this winter, make sure to use orthotics, or shoe inserts, in your snow and ski boots. With a deep heel cup and contoured footbed, they provide natural alignment from the ground up and support your feet from inside your boots. Bonus tip: For extra warmth, try the Vionic Cold-Weather Relief Orthotic lined with luxurious shearling.
 
5. Let 'Em Air Out
During the winter months, we tend to keep our feet wrapped up in snuggly socks and closed-in shoes and boots which can cause your feet to sweat more than usual, making them more prone to fungal and bacterial infections. Make sure to wash and dry your feet at the end of the day and let them air out. Bonus tip: Consider applying foot powder in the morning before slipping on your socks to keep sweating at bay.
 
Now that you know how to care for your feet this winter, make sure you care for your mental and physical self with 6 Tips for a Zen Holiday from celebrity fitness trainer and Vionic Innovation Lab member Juliet Kaska.


 
About Vionic Shoes with Arch Support
Feet were designed to walk on soft, natural elements like soil and sand, not the hard, flat manmade surfaces that make up so much of our modern world. Vionic shoes, developed by renowned Australian podiatrist and founder of Orthaheel® Technology Phillip Vasyli, hug your arches like a natural footprint, giving you all-day support and promoting a more active lifestyle. Many Vionic shoes, sandals and orthotic shoe inserts have earned the APMA Seal of Acceptance, which certifies they are beneficial in promoting foot health. For additional information about Vionic, please visit VionicShoes.com.