Fall Sports: Keeping Your Feet Fit & Fabulous All Season Long!

For soccer, football, and rugby players – as well as all the other fall athletes – this is the best time of the year. The bright sunny days and cool evenings of autumn provide perfect conditions for athletic endeavors. Whether you’re an experienced athlete or are just starting a couch-to-5k routine, you want your feet to be happy and healthy. Here’s what you need to make sure that your foot health care is top notch:

Choose The Right Footwear

The best thing you can do to keep your feet fit and fabulous through the fall sports season is choose footwear that fits properly. For proper foot health care, you want shoes that fit your feet securely, without pinching or squeezing. There should be room for your toes to lie flat, and for air to circulate around your feet. Do not choose athletic shoes that are too tight: blisters don’t improve anyone’s performance! Your shoes should also fit the activity in which you’re engaged. Pick shoes that offer plenty of cushioning and support. If you’re not sure what type of shoes are best for your fall sports participation, talk to your coach or your Advanced Foot & Ankle Center Podiatrist. They’ll be able to steer you in the right direction.

Size Up Your Socks

Socks are more than a fashion accessory! The right socks provide cushioning, an extra layer of protection to your tender flesh (good news if you’re run into by someone wearing soccer cleats!), and wick away moisture: all great features for improving foot health care. Here’s the thing: many people don’t take the time to make sure their socks fit properly. Simply grabbing any old package of tube socks off the sale rack isn’t doing your fall athlete any favorites. Find socks that are neither too large – slipping and sliding in your socks can place unwanted pressures and tensions on the structure of the foot – nor too small, which results in squeezed, confined toes and feet.

Inspect Your Feet Daily

Take a few moments every day to look at your feet. It’s way too easy for us to ignore our feet – for most of the day they’re hidden away in our socks and shoes! – but our foot health care needs attention. You’re looking for any signs of accident or injury, particularly any wounds or scratches. These should heal quickly, without signs of infection. If you see any areas that are red, inflamed, or are hot and painful to the touch, seek treatment from your Advanced Foot & Ankle Center Podiatrist quickly.

Moisturize: Inside & Out

Drink plenty of water and moisturize your feet regularly for fall feet that look and feel fabulous. Staying hydrated is particularly important when you’re taking up a new athletic endeavor, for both your overall and foot health care. The increased levels of physical activity can result in increased perspiration, drying your system out. Replenishing your system with water and healthy sports drinks is a good idea. Regularly moisturizing your feet counters the effects of dry skin, reducing painful splits and cracks.

Fend Off Fungus

Two of the most common foot health care complaints reported by fall athletes are toenail fungus and athlete’s foot. Both conditions are caused by fungal spores, too small to be seen by the naked eye, that flourish in locker rooms, gym showers, and other wet environments. These spores grow and thrive in the warm, sweaty confines of athletic shoes. The result is an unsightly, unpleasant, smelly infection. If you see signs of toenail fungal infection or athlete’s foot, seek prompt treatment from your Advanced Foot & Ankle Center Podiatrist. Fast, effective treatment leaves your feet looking fabulous all season long!