Foot issues heighten in summer due to poor-fitting shoes

Foot experts have revealed why there may be a an increase in women suffering with blisters in the summer months; they wear the wrong size shoes.

Summer shoes should be at least half a size bigger than winter shoes to allow for swelling, yet 94% of British women surveyed on behalf of blister plaster experts, Compeed, were unaware.

“When the weather warms up, our feet swell in the heat which means we have to squeeze our feet into our summer shoes,” reveals consultant podiatrist, Emma Supple.

“This makes skin more prone to blisters and getting generally sore and uncomfortable and is why we always recommended people buy their summer shoes half a size bigger than their winter ones. It can take weeks for feet to get summer soft and ready to be put through their paces in sandals or flip flops.”

The survey of 1,087 UK women aged 16+ across the UK, also revealed that the unseasonable weather earlier this year may have delayed socks-off season for longer than usual, with just over a third revealing that will only do so when the temperature is above 17-degrees.

One in three women questioned say they suffer from blisters as soon as they wear their summer shoes or flip-flops for the first time or as soon as their feet get hot and swollen, with 32% of 16- 24 year olds say they have been left unable to walk due to painful blisters.

“We have been suffering through what has felt like a much longer winter than usual,” continues Emma Supple. “This means it is likely women across the country will have kept their feet encased in winter socks and shoes for weeks and even months more than usual.

“Throughout winter we ignore our feet, we never look at them and we neglect them badly. So when we finally take our socks off, our feet are really prone to debilitating blisters when we wear sandals and flip-flops. When we then wear the wrong size shoes it is a recipe for a foot disaster.

“I always recommend people carry Compeed blister plasters in the credit card sections of their purse just in case, especially at this time of the year as feet emerge from the winter shadows.

“Blisters can be extremely painful and even debilitating, stopping people from carrying out their everyday lives properly. But when properly treated blisters can quickly become pain-free, allowing you to carry on.”