In this capitalistic society we live in, most folks are out to make a buck using the internet. Duh! So, when I did a search for “healthy feet”, I was hoping to get some information concerning what healthy feet look like or how to maintain them. What I found were several blogs from internet shoe stores expounding upon what types of shoes to get for the new year exercise regimen and several other podiatrist sites as well as one site for senior citizens giving them very good and sound advice on how to care for the aging foot.I also found this awesome comic from “Cathy” on women’s shoes which is just awesome!

Cathy © 2009 Cathy Guisewite. Used by permission of Universal Press Syndicate. All rights reserved.

Original found here: http://www.foothealthfacts.org/content.aspx?id=1141

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been shoes shopping and had these thoughts running through my head as I look for a pair of shoes to go with the perfect summer dress. Alas, my summer dress always ends up with kinda frumpy shoes because I like my feet.

Hmm. Does anyone actually look at their feet? I mean really look at them. Since beginning this journey, I have started looking at my husband’s feet, really looking, and you know what? They are astounding. He has really strong, sturdy ankles with those fat blue veins running along the tops of the feet. His toes are all tough looking – you know, they’ve got the look of a foot that is tested and used regularly. I’m not judging a prettiest feet contest, I’m looking  for indicators of what I perceive as a strong foot: more visible veins, toes that are more spread apart and strong ankles.

I look at my friend’s feet. Most of the female feet are soft and feminine with few having visible veins or toes that spread out when they walk, which makes a lot of sense if you consider the types of shoes most women wear – higher heel with small toe boxes that press the toes together.

On the other hand, most of the male feet are hairy (couldn’t resist), but they also are more likely to have bigger toes that are spread out more as well as the big, blue veins on top. When you consider the typical male shoe, lower heel with large spacious toe box (unless you have a stylish guy who gets the narrow pointy shoes – I don’t know very many of those guys), the fact that they have more spread out toes makes a lot of sense. Also of note, a lot of my male friends wear tennis shoes (sneakers, running shoes, athletic shoes – whatever you like to call them) all of the time.

I also must observe here that my friends tend to walk more than most because of our pedestrian friendly location, which would add to the opportunities for the feet to get a workout. I now wonder, what do the feet of my friends and family who live across the country in more driving-is-a-must locations look like? Do they have visible veins and strong ankles? Or are their feet more on the smooth and pinched side?

I have come to really appreciate the new “healthy” look of my feet. My toes are spreading out; my veins are getting bigger and a I’m developing a few more of them; and my feet are actually getting more compact due to the arch holding up rather than splaying outward. I actually want to look like a walk barefoot all the time. I think those feet are beautiful and healthy.

On my search for healthy feet, I did locate one article that has “10 Tips for Maintaining Healthy Feet”. It’s good, and it’s from Southern CA, UCLA. So, a few things do not apply for everywhere, but most of the tips are excellent general rules of thumb. It is here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/67876.php

My two favorite tips are :

Cut toenails straight across to avoid ingrown toe nails.

Alternate your shoes everyday because your feet sweat and your shoes need a day to dry out.

My least favorite:

Avoid walking barefoot – I think they are mostly talking about the chances of stepping on something that will give you a disease or stepping on glass or other sharp object that will give you a serious cut. To remedy this, I recommend the Vibram 5 Fingersâ„¢, but I think I’ve said enough on those already 🙂

Anyway, take a look at your feet – are they “heathy feet”?