Spring in your step: Cherry blossom and foot care
Spring is here, and one of the great delights of this time of year is seeing cherry trees finally shrugging off the snow and bursting into bloom. However, we all know that April and May weather can be unpredictable, with cool wet weather, brisk winds and the occasional snow flurry sending the delicate petals flying.
If you’re planning to get out to view the stunning cherry blossom in London, Stratford or Toronto, make sure that you and your feet are ready. A little TLC can help prepare your feet for the springtime changes in temperature and footwear you might require.
5 Hunt Footcare Tips for Cherry Blossom Season (and beyond)
Restore and Revive Winter Skin
Over the winter months, the skin on your feet can dry out in your boots and winter shoes, potentially leaving you with dry, rough or hard skin patches and cracked heels. Now is the time to give your feet some TLC. Gently (and we mean gently) use a pumice stone, foot scrub or exfoliating foot mask to remove dead and hardened skin.
Then moisturise your feet all over with a cream or lotion specifically designed for feet. Foot moisturizers are formulated to effectively penetrate the thick skin of your soles, often containing ingredients such as ingredients like urea, glycerin, and shea butter to promote .deep hydration. Applying moisturiser every day before bed helps keep your feet skin supple and soft to the touch.
Prevent Fungal Infections
Your feet sweat more in warmer weather, which can leave your feet wet in your socks and shoes, and therefore prone to fungal infections. Just as you do in winter when your feet get wet from snow, in spring make sure you wash your feet and dry them thoroughly if the spring sunshine makes your feet sweat. Remember to change your socks for a clean pair made from cotton or bamboo, so your feet remain clean and dry.
Also remember that if your shoes are wet inside, you need to dry them out before wearing again. This reduces the risk of infections and also makes sure your footwear doesn’t smell of sweaty feet!
Trim Your Toenails
According to the Canadian Dermatological Association, your toenails grow at a rate of around 1mm per month. (Fingernails grow faster, at around 2.5mm). Also,
“Starting at the age of 25 years, this rate tends to decrease by approximately 0.5% per year.” (2)
That doesn’t seem a lot but if you haven’t trimmed your nails over the winter months, that’s almost half a centimetre of potential growth!
It’s important to always trim your nails straight across rather than down into the corners, to avoid ingrown toenails (page link). If your nails are discoloured, distorted or show signs of thickening, come and see us as Hunt Foot Care for a diagnosis and expert advice.
Toenail growth and health can be affected by your lifestyle, medical conditions, injury and trauma, and even your weight (3). So if something doesn’t look or feel right, come and see us at one of our Ontario foot clinics. Our team will be happy to help.
Gently Does It
Whether wandering through parks or hiking in the hills, the spring sunshine encourages us to get out and about. The secret to a smooth transition from winter’s relative inactivity to an active summer is by gradually increasing activity levels rather than doing too much too soon. Suddenly going from winter dormancy to weekend warrior can result in overuse injuries such as plantar fasciitis, tendon and muscle strains, and increased likelihood of skin injuries including blisters.
You can incorporate daily calf stretches, ankle rotations, and toe curls to improve flexibility in your feet and legs, and reduce tension in your tendons. There are lots of videos on gentle warm-ups and cool downs for non-athletes, or book an appointment with us for professional advice.
Here comes the sun(screen)
Your feet have been in the dark in shoes, socks and slippers all winter. So if you are tempted to kick off your shoes, and pull off your socks by warm spring sunshine, remember to slap on some sunscreen! According to Melanoma Canada:
“Sunscreen needs to be applied 30 minutes before sun exposure to allow enough time for the ingredients to bind to the skin.” (4)
The tops of your feet are particularly vulnerable, so ensure you apply and reapply high SPF sunscreen regularly (every two hours) even if wearing sandals or deck shoes.
It’s advisable to use sun protection on any exposed skin from April to October, on days when the UV index is 3 or above. The sun’s UV rays in April are nearly as strong as in late summer, despite the cooler temperatures. It’s not just sunny days either: on a cloudy day up to 50% of UV rays can still reach your skin. (4) Different terrains can increase the effects of UV rays, including reflections from light surfaces including snow, water, sand and concrete. (5)
Top places to view cherry blossom near our Ontario footcare clinics
LONDON, ON
Forks of the Thames and Civic Gardens at Springbank
Ivey Park
Western University campus
STRATFORD, ON
Shakespearean Gardens, Stratford, Ontario (other blossoms too)
ST THOMAS, ON
Civic Gardens / Sakura Parkette
TORONTO, ON
High Park (Sakura project grove)
Exhibition Place (near Princess Margaret Fountain and the Princes’ Gate)
Trinity Bellwoods Park
Edwards Gardens (next to the Toronto Botanical Garden)
Japanese Canadian Culture Centre and York University in North York
MISSISSAUGA, ON
Kariya Park (large grove of over 300 cherry blossom trees)
BRAMPTON
Joyce Archdekin Park
For more destinations, see https://www.destinationontario.com/en-ca/articles/where-see-cherry-blossoms-ontario-spring
Expert foot care for all
At Hunt Footcare, our friendly and experienced team are here to help with any aspects of foot care. Just contact us today to make an appointment at one of our three Ontario foot care clinics.
About the author
J.Craig Hunt D.Ch. is founder of Hunt Footcare, one of Southwestern Ontario’s longest providers of professional footcare and foot surgery consultation services. He is Past President of both the College of Chiropodists of Ontario and the Ontario Society of Chiropodists. Read more about Craig here.
REFERENCES:
(1) Canadian Dermatology Association. (n.d.). Nail conditions: General information. https://dermatology.ca/public-patients/diseases-conditions/nail-conditions/general-information/
(2) Abdullah, L., & Abbas, O. (2011). Common nail changes and disorders in older people: Diagnosis and management. Canadian Family Physician, 57(2), 173–181. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3038811/
(3) Tan, A., & Oakley, A. (2024). Sunburn: Management and prevention. Australian Journal of General Practice, 53(3), 96–101. https://doi.org/10.31128/AJGP-09-23-6979
(4) Melanoma Canada. (2021, June 17). 6 tips for a sunburn-free summer. https://melanomacanada.ca/blog/sunburn-free/
(5) Health Canada. (2022, May 18). Sun safety basics. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/sun-safety/sun-safety-basics.html
