Trick or treat, not trip and fall: Halloween safety tips from Hunt Footcare
If you’re planning to go out trick or treating this Halloween, here are a few tips to keep you and your kids up on your feet all night long…
1. Avoid costume calamities
Halloween costumes come in all shapes and designs, but you do need to find one that fits if you’re going to be able to spook out the neighbours in style! One of the biggest problems is a costume that is too long, and can be easily tripped over by kids when they run excitedly from one house to the next. Watch out too for capes and cloaks, which can flop forward or be blown around little legs by the wind. Also consider how long your Halloween costumes are at the back, so kids don’t end up treading on the costume of the person walking in front of them and jolting them off their feet as a result!
2. Dress your feet for the weather
You’ve got the costume, you’ve got the props, you’ve got the make-up, but what will you be wearing on your feet? The forecast for Halloween in our part of Ontario this year is for rain showers and lows of 4 degrees, so it could be quite wet underfoot, and chilly if you get your feet wet. So, if your costume calls for high heels or involves any covering for shoes made from foam or similar, be prepared, you could end up with very soggy feet!
3. Make sure you can walk the next day…
Chances are, you’ll be doing a fair bit of road and sidewalk walking at Halloween, so make sure you transfer any orthotics you have from your ordinary shoes to your costume shoes. Not only will this make your costume shoes more comfortable, it’ll also ensure you can walk all night and not have sore feet the next day! Or, consider ditching the costume shoes altogether and opting for something more practical (and warm) instead – nobody should be looking at your feet anyway!
4. Slippery leaves and gusty winds
It’s Fall, it’s wet, it’s going to be breezy, so there will be lots of leaves lurking on the sidewalks, ready for you to slip on! Make sure your costume allows you to see where you’re walking clearly, and take a flashlight just in case. Make sure kids are not carrying too much either, so they have a hand free to hitch up costume skirts or cloaks if required. So, bring a backpack for umbrellas, the kids’ props, and even an extra folding bag if you think their treat buckets might start to overflow!
5. Dry those toes – athlete’s foot can be scary…
Feet jammed into unusual shoes and wet from our lovely Ontario weather are the perfect breeding grounds for fungal infections such as athlete’s foot. Feet that are washed, dried and popped into clean socks after a busy night scaring the locals are not! So, before a candy is unwrapped or a slice of pumpkin pie eaten, make sure shoes are taken off, feet washed and dried, and shoes stored where they can dry off too. Then, get the Halloween party started!
To book a foot check, or to discuss any foot-related issues, call us
- London Foot Specialists (519) 432 3636
- Ingersoll Foot & Ankle Clinic (519) 485-1750
- Stratford Foot & Ankle Clinic (519) 271-8834
