Athletes foot

How is your january going?

On the wagon,lots of exercise and an annoying itch in between your toes?

Seriously; Gyms and public swimming pools are notorious places to pick up foot fungal infections. So beware. It is something to do with the pH and lots to do with the plentiful barefeet around in a warm, damp environment.

If you suffer from this common skin infection then you are aware of how unpleasant it can be.

It is a fungal infection that sits in between the toes and gets very itchy and sore. It also has a tendency to be very smelly which can be distressing. As a fungus thrives in dark, moist areas. So athlete’s foot thrives in between your toes.

Treatment

As with most things, prevention is better than cure.
Keeping toes clean and dry is the best way to avoid infection.
Wearing flip flips or our Beech Sandals (http://www.supplefeet.com/) is very important whilst swimming or at the gym.

Management
Use an anti-fungal to eliminate the infection.

At Supplefeet we do not recommend using the talcs or creams as they can make the area being treated more moist and so the cycle of infection is not broken.

We recommend anti-fungal sprays if possible:
Grisol™ - an effective anti-fungal spray that is easy to apply.
Lamisil™ - cream or spray.

We do use the cream in the early stages if the skin is broken and sore, as the cream is soothing. However it is best to move onto the spray as soon as is feasible and keep that in your gym bag.

This is an uncomfortable condition that is easily rectified.

High heels

One thing that always seems to surprise our clients is that we are not averse to, and positively encourage, the use of high heels. The image of chiropodists is such that unless we extol the virtues of "traffic warden shoes" then we are not conforming to our image!


At Supplefeet we truly believe that along with a perfect heel height for all, there is lots of scope to continue to wear and enjoy high heels.


If you are walking up hill and dale everyday then you need a shoe that can accomodate all the mountain paths, steep climbs etc. Clearly this is not everyday occurence nowadays and so wearing a heel can actually enhance your natural foot arch and be more comfortable on hard flat surfaces.


Top tip: look for a heel that suits you (the Supple perfect heel height test) and sits under your true heel.

Men: Best to avoid too flat shoes also. The old fashioned brogue has a heel, the flat Converses do not.

Painful Nails

I am being pathetic about a bashed thumb nail. I caught it on a padlock today and it hurts! I can see the blood blister forming under the nail. It occured to me how super sore bashed up nails can be. When you get a blood blister under a nail it increases the pressure and is called a subungal haematoma. Common in marathon runners who need the nail pierced at the end of the race to alleviate the pressure. If you get it fast enough the blood can really spurt out! Otherwise the blood dries and the nail blackens and often falls off.

My poor thumb is nothing compared to that but it is always good to be reminded just how sore nails can be. If necessary we can numb the toe to sort out the nail properly.
So do as I did not; avoid hitting the nail if you can.

Dirty feet

Dirty Feet are a fact of life. If you walk barefoot or in sandals etc (which you should when you can) they will get dirty. Keeping the dirt on feet can be a precursor to callus and hard skin formation. Small bits of grit and grime being pushed into the skin on the ball of the foot act like irritants and cause hard skin to form over many years. So scrubbing feet is a crucial part of your everyday routine. As vital as cleaning your teeth.

I recommend proper nail brushes, even good pan scourers will do. We use a Heals pan scourer, very colourful but quite harsh. I know this as my daughters little friend used it to scrub off some eye make up! When I told her Mum she had used a pan scourer that was kept by the bath it explained why she had scrubbed off a layer of skin! So these things are not gentle.

The skin on your foot is 5 times thicker than anywhere else so scrub away the dirt. Don't rely on the shower soapy water just sloshing over your feet. Get scrubbing!

Chilblains.

What would you wear if you were standing waiting to witness the inauguration ? Warm boots of course, preferably with a lambswool lining and two pairs of thin thermal socks. Perfect.

However so many ladies go out with hats, gloves, warm coats and just a leather shoe and nylons on their feet!

When the weather gets cold we are more liable to get chilblains and if you get your toes super cold and then warm them up too fast, the resuilt is chilblains. Painful and itchy they are a result of the blood vessels contracting and rapidly expanding causing swelling and tenderness.

They are common in more senior folk but also very common in children. If you get them then keep your toes warm and dress the chilblains in a light covering of antiseptic cream and a light dressing if needed. Do not scratch them, it will only make them worse.

So please make sure your child has not only warm gloves but also warm shoes and socks on in these cold days.

We know this as lovely walks in the woods with our dog have been ruined by crying children with cold hands and feet becoming utterly miserable!

Shoes; the return of Docs.

My obsession with shoes is still really in its infancy; I still covet some of the fabulous names in shoe design and crucially construction. I have a large stack of magazines from over the years that are starting to take over, so I have been de-cluttering.

What is fascinating to me are the adverts for shoes. The language of describing these is changing so much but to include words such as fierce and gladitorial when discussing feet is new.

Shoes are not only higher but come with their own ad campaigns now. It was not always thus; I recall Bally, Ravel and much gentler shoe shops!

However I also was a Doc Marten girl. In my student days it was jeans cut at the knee , black tights and docs. So it is really heartening to see Doc martens come back into fashion and in such fabulous colours. I may have to get another pair!

Ugg Boots; My opinion

Ugg boots: love them or hate them they are an amazing success.
The woes of wearing them were discussed on GMTV yesterday as they have been making headline news as being bad for your feet.
That is not entirely fair.
They are a remarkably comfortable shoe and the quite expensive price tag has made them ultra fashionable. Kate Moss and Sienna seen wearing made them uber-trendy.
They are also a great antidote to the extreme high heels we are seeing at the moment which are clearly damaging to feet if worn for too long. It is little wonder that Uggs are a slipper for the feet.
And that is the downside, too flat and too unsupportive they can quickly become "down at heel." Sagging and Bagging and causing a shuffling style of walkng is not great. If your Ugg boots do bag & sag alarmingly then get a new pair (if beyond redemption) and put in an insole (try the interpods from Supplefeet). As they are so roomy it is usually no problem to get an insole in.

And there is more than one style of Ugg, so choose the pair for you.

As for causing athletes foot; hardly a fair accusation as they are made of super absorbent materials that wick away moisture so you are less likely to get a fungal infection wearing Uggs. However if do you have athletes foot, a hot, warm environment will not clear it up. You need to treat the infection with an anti-fungal cream or spray.
So wear and enjoy. All shoes in moderation!

Until the next time


Emma Supple

A look at the benefits of running

As the foot experts our aim is to get you walking pain free. We also work with you to get you running and as the London Marathon approaches again (Sat 26th April 2009) you may be taking part or using it as the impetus to get you moving.

It is natural to run. It is not simply a learnt skill, it is part of life itself. Running brings rewards beyond the triumph of the finishing line. I have never been a fast runner but running is part of our lives. We need to keep moving.
“We need to eat, to rest but we also need to run.”

Runners always say that if you run you will see a difference between your life with running and without it. With running, they say, you are productive and you give your brain the time and the chance to create new things.

I have been working at the first aid tents at the London marathon for many years; I remember when the race used to finish over Westminster Bridge. In those early years, the devastation on feet was astonishing. People wore dreadful shoes and were poorly prepared; it felt at times like working in a war zone. Huge blood blisters, feet torn to shreds, damaged toenails… all very painful.

One year I administered foot first aid at the half way mark as we used to live in the Isle of Dogs and the race passed by our house. I like to think I contributed to some people actually completing the race because of what we were able to do at mile 12!

Nowadays the first aid medical team is very well organised and comprises of physios, sport doctors and podiatrists. The runners themselves are so much better prepared and manage their own blisters etc themselves with dramatically better shoes and much more information and improved training schedules our role is much less now. One year it rained so hard that all the string knots on the kit bags had swollen up so I spent more time cutting open kit bags than treating feet!

Supplefeet reminder at this time of January Fitness!

Watch children who not only run everywhere but have a third movement which is skipping!

Tips for running and for training for the marathon

Taken from an interview in the Telegraph with Haile Gerbrselassies; World record Holder 2.04:26 Berlin 2007

Mind preparation is key
Let you win yourself first. Before you “win” the marathon or race, if you win within yourself first you can do whatever they want.

How?
First do enough training. Then believe in yourself and say “I can do it”. Tomorrow is my day. And then say: the person in front of me is just a human being as well.

Be committed
Go through the plan you have and say “I have to do it”. Tell your brain like some high official.
“Do It!”
“Come On,”
“I have to do it.”

“Always if you mentally win you can win physically.”

Supplefeet recommends Runners Need in Liverpool Street for your running shoes.

Do book a Video Gait Analysis with our Podiatrists at Supplefeet and we will analyse your running style and advise on any areas to be strengthened and recommend orthotics or insoles as necessary. This will help to avoid unnecessary sports injuries.

Choosing shoes in the January sales?

Choosing shoes in the January sales? Then don’t forget this heel-to-toe checklist for value, stability and fit.

1. Happy feet are usually dressed in softer, more pliable leather. It has memory and molds to the foot. Well made shoes also have flexible leather soles. A leather lining is best as it absorbs excess moisture and has enough “give” to allow the foot to swell slightly.
   
2. Invisible construction is important. The better crafted a shoe is the more seamless it should look with no visible glue or staples. Unfinished insides are not comfortable, no matter how cute on the outside.
   
3. Less weight often correlates with greater quality. Heavier shoes (other than work boots) signal bulkier, less refined components.
   
4. High heels can feel wobbly if they’re very thin at the top where they are attached to the sole. Wedges and chunkier heels are more stable because the weight is distributed over a wider area.
   
5. Buying too tight and hoping the fit will ease up over time- is the number one mistake people make. If a shoe pinches, no amount of stretching will make it comfortable.
   
6. Buying too high. We all have a perfect heel height. Check yours and match the heel height to that. Simply extend out your leg and see how your foot falls in relation to your leg. If it points down like a dancers foot then you can wear very high heels; 3-4 inches plus. If it is more at right angles then you are better off in flatties and in between the 1 to 2 inches is best.
   
7. Buying too short is also a no no as this is the way to bunched up toes and sore toenails. Watch too in sandals as the foot should sit squarely on the sole of the shoe and not spill over.
   
8. And finally, watch for that plumb line. Pay attention to where the heel sits on the shoe and avoid heels coming out at weird angles from the shoe. The best is for the heel to sit nicely under the seat of the heel.

"Defying the credit crunch in sky-high heels with price tags to match!"

Good luck in the sales.

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