With the summer season imminent, socks and heavy shoes will soon be hidden away in the back of the wardrobe until the temperature drops dramatically once more. Many will choose to embrace the all-too-rare sunshine by donning flip flops, or other shoes which expose the feet either fully or partially.

Flip flops. Image credit: escape2me.com

But are your own feet ready for such footwear?

It is quite likely that you have neglected your feet somewhat during the colder months. This means you will need to make certain preparations (meaning basic pedicure) to make sure people are looking at your ‘little piggies’ for all the right reasons when it’s bright outside. Be sure to heed the following 5 tips for beautiful, flip flop-fit feet…

Tip #1: Dead Skin Removal

Your feet are designed to shed thousands of skin cells every day. However; these dead cells can easy build up when your feet are confined to shoes often. Unless you address your tootsies with a pumice stone or Ped Egg on a regular basis then, you could end up with unattractive areas of hard skin, especially around the heel area. Hard, dry skin can eventually crack and this is extremely painful!

Sitting in the bath is probably the best position to be in when attempting to scrub your feet anew with pumices since the skin needs to be softened through soaking before scrubbing can begin. This is important for the prevention of irritation. Adding a little soap to the water can also help to soften the feet.

Be sure to never scrub too hard – you don’t want to hide your raw feet in Doctor Martens all summer, do you?

Tip #2: Overnight Moisturising

Once you have removed all of the dead cells from your feet, intensive moisturising will be required to see the skin remaining supple for as long as possible. Although there are many intensive foot moisturisers on the market, I find overnight moisturising is far more affective then simply rubbing your feet with such lotions (even if your moisturiser does happen to be a cheap one!).

For overnight foot moisturising, you will first need to smooth your selected moisturiser over each – after washing them first, of course – and then place a pair of socks on top (don’t use your best/favourite pair!) You don’t need to rub the lotion in fully when indulging in this treatment – in fact, surplus product equates better results in my experience!

Be sure to smooth the moisturiser in and around your toenails too, for this can help to greatly improve their condition.

Tip #3: De-fuzz

Before painting nails, don’t be shy to ask your beautician to remove annoying toe hair

Although many wouldn’t admit it, women have hairs sprout from their toes every now and again. This is not at all uncommon and so there is no need for embarrassment…unless you do nothing about the gross fuzz, that is!  Hairy toes is not an aesthetic that screams summer belle and so it is imperative that some serious plucking or waxing occurs before the tootsies of those affected go anywhere near a  pair of toe-revealing shoes!

Toe hair can be removed quickly with a razor but should you choose this method, you must be sure to re-shave frequently since it does not take very long at all for the hairs to grow back. Be careful not to catch any skin with the razor also – cuts are not a good look either!

If you happen to have any spa breaks booked soon and you’re looking to undergo a leg wax, don’t be afraid to ask the beautician to continue to process down to your toes – this is not a rare request!

Tip #4: Select a Quality Nail Varnish

Nail polish. Image credit: kinnelonconserves.net

If your toes are going to be on display for all to see whenever the sun has its hat on, it makes sense to decorate them to match the rest of your attire. Bright, vivid colours are ideal for the hottest season of the year but it is important to invest in quality varnishes in order to prevent cracking, and chips from occurring.

If you are not a fan of coloured nail varnishes, at the very least you should paint each of your toenails with a few coats of clear nail lacquer. Doing so will not only look more attractive than bare nails but will also suggest you are in good health – glossy nails are a sign that your body is receiving all of the nutrients required to function optimally.

Painting a layer of clear varnish over dry, coloured nails is also advisable for extra protection against chipping.

Tip #5: Choose the Right Pair of Flip Flops

The icing on the cake: flip flops

There really is little point in taking the time to prepare your feet for the summer if you then inadvertently wear a pair of shoes which make your feet look worse. Just because a pair of flip flops perfectly suits your tastes and coordinates well with the majority of your warmer months-wardrobe, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the thong will sit comfortably between your big and first toe. Take your time when selecting summer footwear or you could end up with unsightly blisters!

If thong-rubbing is something you experience often with flip flops, you might be better off selecting a pair of open toe sandals or shoes instead. Protective padding/plasters specifically for flip flop thongs are available in many high street chemists.