Foot Care Products That Ease My Love-Hate Relationship With Shoes

When it comes to shoes, they don’t usually get along with my feet. I wear size 6.5 or 7 depending on style, my left feet is a half size larger than my right, I have narrow feet and high arches. I am definitely a mermaid because whenever I wear anything tall, I am subjected to fatigue, then cramps, then cuts and then blisters – in that exact order. All dressed up and hair, face, clothes, accessories etc. have all come together stylishly and immaculately, but the one style element that makes the look incomplete every single damn time is the SHOES.

Admittedly I am not into shoes like most girls do, because the majority of these sexy pretty heels are too damn painful and uncomfortable for me to wear. I probably ogle at shoes as frequently as the next girl out there, but I automatically do a quick scan to determine the possible pain-factor and cramp-inducing first, regardless of styles. Platforms, pumps, wedges. Even ballet flats too because they bite my feet as well.

In my shoe cabinet at home, I have an entire basket full of foot care items such as comfort insoles, arch support cushions, back-of-heel cushions – in many sizes and brands. When I’m out wearing heels, I also have a couple of bandaids readily tucked into my purse in anticipation of a blister or two on my feet. -___-

zalora-shoes.jpg - shoes, heels, stilettos, pumps, wedges, platforms

In the words of Coco Chanel, “A woman with good shoes is never ugly.”

There’s no way I can wear my flat sandals out all the time. As comfy as they are, they are very casual and make me look sloppy (for eg. I can’t wear them to business meetings). It’s not possible for me to cruise through life barefoot or wearing flip-flops all the time, so to ease my relationship with shoes – literally – I have added some alternative solutions and new remedies to my foot care basket. Read on to find out what these nifty foot care products are and maybe you’ll find them helpful for yourself too.

Artiscent Foot Scrub, Foot Glide Anti-Blister Stick, Dermal Therapy Blistop, Kneipp Magnesium Calcium D3 Tablets, Cramp 911 Muscle Relaxing Rollon Lotion, Crampeze Tablets.

The Artiscent Foot Scrub, from Bangkok, pampers, relaxes and cleans while boosting the circulation in my feet. This natural scrub contains beneficial herbs and oils which take away dead skin cells and soften calluses from feet.

I apply Foot Glide Anti-Blister Stick around my toes and back of heels before slipping into heels as it helps to prevent annoying skin irritations, chafing and painful blisters. This mini push-up stick is made with natural ingredients and the application is easy, non-greasy and mess free. It’s waxy so I apply a small amount inside the shoes as well. Available at Watsons.

This Dermal Therapy Blistop is a blister prevention spray that creates an invisible layer of film to protect the skin on feet where blisters can occur from friction. It acts like a second skin, water resistant and is totally transparent. However, I find that it doesn’t work as well for me and I went through one small spray bottle very quickly. Available at Watsons.

This handy little Cramp 911 rollon lotion is a remedy for muscle spasms and cramps that I get on my shins whenever I’m standing/walking in heels for too long. This product works very quickly and effectively, it relaxes the stiff muscles and the small size is great for portability inside teeny party clutches. I got this from Walgreens in the US and planning to get more.

I try to take these effervescent Kneipp Magnesium + Calcium + D3 tablets regularly as magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the muscles and the nervous system, and absorption is better when combined with calcium. Meanwhile, D3 vitamin is also essential for bone health. One orange-flavored tablet a day dissolved in cold water makes for a refreshing drink and helps prevent those feet and shin cramps at bay. Available at Watsons.

After a long day in heels, 4 out of 5 times I’d be jolted awake rudely in the middle of the night while sleeping and experience sharp shooting pains in my shins/calves. So I must groggily drag myself out of bed and lean against a wall while stretching my legs to relax my muscles. Crampeze Night Cramps tablets provide relief from these sudden night cramps. The natural formula contains magnesium + vitamin B6 and this product can be found on the shelves at Watsons.