FashBlog.com

Before you start wondering about the title of this piece, consider the thought you give your feet during the year. If you’re honest, you probably think more about them in the summer months for the sheer fact that they’re more exposed, and thus noticed. (Those of you who are lucky enough to live in warm climates all year around obviously don’t fall into this category, but with the chance to go barefoot all year, you may not get as excited about it as we northerners do!)

Anyway, I’ve heard from several women who say that they never polish their toenails during the cold months, since doing so, to them, is a waste, as no one sees them. Then there are others who give themselves pedicures as routinely as manicures without a moment’s hesitation because they like to look down and see their feet looking as good as possible. Where in this range do you fall?

My mother used to comment that she wished she had “pretty feet” like me. Since I was a teen at the time, I had no idea what she meant; after all, weren’t all feet basically the same? As I got older I realized they weren’t. As I saw more summers and talked to more gals, I found out that keeping feet looking nice wasn’t easy, and it often takes more time than we have at our disposal. I’ve heard about women who need to shave their toe hair, women who have to abrade their calluses with pumice stones, and problems with bunions and corns-not to mention irregular shaped toes, long second toes, and feet that look like barges from almost six feet up. No wonder a lot of gals don’t both with toenail polish; it seems like it won’t do much in the struggle against foot issues.

At this point in my life, I have almost all of the problems listed above-except for corns, and that’s because, with “D” width feet, I don’t even attempt to wear pointy toed shoes. Wearing pointe shoes for years of ballet cause huge bumps that seem to be oblivious to pumice-and necessitate padding the tips of my big toes so they’re even with the second ones. Plus, in view of the fact that feet get larger after childbirth, and bear the marks of many years of abuse, it’s little wonder that I sometimes find closed-in shoes easier overall. But most of us like the feeling of runing around shoeless, in flip-flops or even sandals because it's comfortable. Heck, even allowing the breeze to hit our tootsies for a short while each day is a treat after keeping them cooped up for seven months.

So what are the options? Well, there are choices to make in shoes that make our feet appear smaller. (I take an 8 ½ which isn’t that bad, but needing a wide width is often difficult, and the ones I find can make easily my foot look larger.) But I found some guidelines: First, look for open-toed sling-back styles. They have the advantage reducing the appearance of a long foot by not extending the shoe body over the heel, and the sight of one inch worth of toes somehow reduces the look of length as well. Supposedly, short wedges can cause the foot to appear narrower and textured material, side-cut outs and decorations like stitching or studs also keep foot from looking their true size. (This is probably due to placing attention on the stylishness, instead of the expanse of the shoe itself, as might be seen with a plain, closed toe flat.)

So, if you have a shoe with open toes, consider it as a chance to show your attention to detail-paint those toenails and no one may even notice your other foot flaws. You don’t need to get an expensive French pedicure, glue decals on your toenails or buy toe rings to look glamorous-one coat of simple color will show that you don’t ignore a feature that some consider quite sexy! Plus, don’t forget to use body lotion to eliminate any dry skin on the toes' knuckles or heel areas, and you’ll be surprised at the improvement in your feet, no matter their size, width, or shape!