With the warmer weather finally on its way, it’s time to get those holiday heels at the ready and dust off your summer sandals.  We know that ditching your socks for the first time can feel a little daunting so to make sure your feet are ready for their yearly debut, the health and beauty experts at Boots UK share their advice to help you get your feet feeling fresh and fabulous.
 
#1: Nourish winter-worn feet
“Feet can experience a rough ride during winter, so before you do anything, get them ready to face the world!” explains Boots Pharmacist Angela Chalmers.  “The skin on your feet is 20 times thicker than that on the rest of your body, so it needs a harder working product to keep it in tip top condition – particularly in the summer when skin is prone to drying out which can lead to cracked heels.  Choose a specialist foot moisturiser to ensure it penetrates deep into the skin.  For an extra helping hand, pop on a pair of socks before you get into bed over your moisturised feet for a good overnight treatment.  This will leave feet feeling silky soft and ready to say hello to summer.”
 
Boots Intensive Foot Softener 150ml (£5.99) softens and conditions dry and cracked skin, helping to prevent further damage. The deep penetrating, easily absorbed formula encourages the formation of smoother skin whilst helping prevent against further cracked skin.
For soft and soothed feet, why not try Boots Luxury Deep Moisturising Foot Cream (£3.99) a medicated and antiseptic foot cream with natural extracts of mint, lavender and marshmallow to nourish and soften hard dry skin.
 
#2: Shake up your footwear
If you are looking for an excuse to add more pairs of shoes to your collection, Angela gives her top tip on why there’s no need to feel guilty.  “You should avoid wearing the same shoes every day – mixing up your footwear actually supports good foot health and helps prevent the development of blisters.  If you’re a flip flop fan, look for the best supporting styles - think ankle or heel straps, and nothing with too thin a sole to ensure feet are given as much help as possible.  If your flip flops are more ‘slip flops’, try a spritz of hairspray to help them stay in place – for a while anyway!
 
For an extra helping hand, try Boots Pharmaceuticals Anti Blister Stick (£3.89) for instant and invisible protection to help stop shoes rubbing.  If you will be spending time in heels this summer, try the Boots Pharmaceuticals Ball of Foot Pads (£3.49), which help to provide relief from pressure and prevent the buildup of hard skin.
 
#3: Keep the clippers handy...
Angela Chalmers continues “Ever wondered why your nails seem to grow faster in the summer?  Evidence shows that vitamin D helps nail growth and because we all get a bit more of this sunshine vitamin in summer our nails can benefit too!  Remember to trim in a straight line – don’t be tempted to round-off the corners!”
 
If you find regular clippers tricky, try Boots Pharmaceuticals Toe Nail Clippers (£8.49) – this style is more commonly used in Chiropody practices and gives more control.
 
#4: Colourful tips and toes
No7 Advisor Samantha Greaves says “If you’re a loyal gel nail fan about to spend the summer dipping in and out of the sea and swimming pools, remember that repeated exposure to water will reduce the lifespan of your gel pedicure and chlorine will start to bleach the colour.  You may want to swap for a regular polish as, although it will still be affected in this way, it is easy to remove and re-apply.  A good tip to give it staying power is to apply your top coat while your nails are still wet from the colour to allow it to penetrate through the polish, helping everything bond to the nail bed.”
 
For a gel finish without the fuss, why not try the hot colour for this summer - coral pink - with No7 Gel-Look Shine in Grapefruit (£7), or try contrasting with a cornflower blue (Bluebell), and for summer-time glamour try Rose Gold.
 
#5: Healthy happy feet  
“On average, our feet carry us the equivalent of five times round the earth in our lifetime – so it’s not surprising they need a bit of TLC!” explains Boots Pharmacist Angela Chalmers “Au natural toenails are rarely seen as many people worry about discolouration so they tend to cover them up.  Discolouration is usually caused by nail fungus - one of the most common foot problems affecting approximately 48% of people by the age of 70.  Speak to your pharmacist about the different treatment options available.
 

*Online research carried out by ICM Unlimited with 2,000 people in Great Britain. Fieldwork was undertaken between in March 2015.
 
About Boots UK
Boots UK (boots.com), the UK’s leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, is part of the Retail Pharmacy International Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise.  With 2,511* stores in the UK, Boots UK is committed to providing exceptional customer and patient care, be the first choice for pharmacy and healthcare and offer innovative 'only at Boots' exclusive products such as the UK’s leading skincare brand No7, all delivered with the great value customers love. Created over 165 years ago, the Boots brand is still at the heart of the communities it serves.
*As at 31 May 2015 excluding equity method investments.