How to: get sandal-ready feet

The original title for this blog post was ‘how to get your feet ready for summer sandals so they don’t scare people’, but that seemed a bit too long and potentially insulting. I mean, as far as things go, feet have to be pretty low down on my list of things that are sexy, but it’s hitting the time of year where we all want to show off our new sandals and folks, that means it’s time to get those tootsies out.

Salon pedicures are absolutely lovely, but after hiding my feet away in socks and boots for 6 months they just aren’t going to cut it. Hell no. One of the best souvenirs I got from a holiday in Turkey was a scalpel-like foot scraper. It’s a bit like an extreme ped egg, but it removes so much dead skin you’ll probably go down a shoe size (grim, I’m sorry). Amazon stock something similar and I think they are well worth a few ££ but if you like something gentler, then the standard ped egg or a MicroPedi will also do the trick nicely.

Once all the dead skin is off, give your feet a scrub with a pumice stone to remove any last traces and prepare them for a lovely bit of moisturiser to follow up with. It’s entirely up to you if you want to go the whole hog and persuade someone to give you a foot rub – I personally can’t think of anything worse, but that might just be me! I tend to slap a crap load of body butter on my feet before bed and then wrap them up in some Kiko Moisturizing Foot Socks. And then let them work its magic while I sleep. Much easier and no-one has to come near my feet.

I had a chat with some girlfriends over afternoon tea a few weeks ago about hair removal and it seems that some are up for more removal than others – ranging from simple bikini waxes right through to what sounded like an entire top to toe wax. If you do get a few fuzzy bits on your toes, then the ready-made wax strips for eye brows are a quick way to remove them – they’re nice and small so good for targeting little areas.

Stylfile's are a great shape for filing down toenails - the handy S shape makes life a LOT easier. Just remember to keep a straight line across the nail to avoid the potential for ingrowing nails. Tweezerman's cuticle pusher is also good for pushing back any excess skin around the cuticle area. Try to do this while the skin is nice and soft (after a soak in the bath is best) to ensure it's quick and easy and won't end up splitting the skin.

Bright toenails are always a must for me in the summer, so pick your favourite shade and finish off with a couple of coats and a nice glossy top coat. For some reason polish on my toes always lasts for at least three times as long as it does on my finger nails so I never bother with gels, but if you find it chips easily, then a gel pedicure is a great option!

What are your top tips for prepping your feet for summer?

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