Get your feet ready for spring!

It’s been a long winter here in Ontario, and the snow seems reluctant to disappear, but spring is finally on its way. Time to prepare your muscles and your footwear for sunshine and fun, with a little help from foothealth experts Hunt Footcare!

Many of us will be keen to get out and about in the sunshine, and finally banish our winter boots to the back of the cupboard. Across Ontario, thousands of us will be putting on lighter shoes or sneakers that have not been properly stored, cleaned or prepared for spring. And that can lead to problems further down the track. So, here are a few ideas to ensure you and your feet are full of the joys of spring!

First of all, take a good look at your shoes.

• Are they really worthy of being seen for another season?
• Are the heels worn, or the uppers cracked?
• More importantly, do they still fit?

One night in front of the tv, try all your shoes on. Walk about in them for a few minutes, to soften them up if required, then check they still fit properly and support your foot. If they feel loose, or they let your feet turn either inwards or outwards, it’s time to consign them to the Great Shoebox In The Sky, and buy a new pair.

For shoes that still fit, and are in good condition, give your footware a little TLC. Clean off last year’s mud from running shoes, and replace worn shoelaces. Feed leather shoes with a good quality shoe cream or polish, and refresh nubuck with a stiff brush before waterproofing.

Now for the sniff test. Wear each pair of shoes for five minutes, then take them off and sniff. Chances are they are remarkably smelly after just a few minutes, due to the bacteria which have lain dormant over the winter and have just reactivated with the heat and humidity of your feet. That doesn’t mean your shoes have reached the point of no return. Drop into any of our Hunt Footcare feet clinics in Stratford, Ingersoll and London, and we’ll deoderize your shoes for you, leaving them fresh and bacteria free for the summer.

Just as your footwear has spent much of the winter resting, so have some of your summer sports muscles. Rushing out to walk, hike, bike or do some gardening can result in pulled muscles and tendons that you simply don’t use in winter activities.

Take time to gently stretch your leg and foot muscles before exercise, and ensure that your leg and foot muscles are kept warm both during and after sports. The sun may feel warm when you’re moving, but a spring breeze can quickly cool muscles down faster than required, especially if you’ve risked wearing shorts too early for our Ontario weather!

If you do overdo the activity, and pull or strain a muscle, don’t suffer in silence. The experienced team at Hunt Footcare can help with a wide variety of chiropody and podiatric services including the treatment of sports injuries, sprains and strains. Call us for an appointment, or call in to one of our three Ontario foot clinics in London, Stratford and Ingersoll.