Tips to help your feet go the distance in the Melbourne Cup
The spring racing carnival is upon us again with the race that stops the nation, the Melbourne Cup, being run at Flemington on Tuesday 1st November. Over 300,000 people will pour through the gates over the Flemington carnival and there will be many thousands of people with sore feet by the end of the race day. This is particularly true with thousands of females who sacrifice comfort for good looking heels to match their outfits. It is often quite a sight to see thousands of ladies walking home bare feet with their heels or strapless shoes in their hands, walking gingerly suffering from foot pain.
Podiatrist tips to help your feet through the spring racing carnival
See a podiatrist – regular visits to the podiatrist can help maintain your feet whilst reducing callus, corns and pressure areas. A visit to the podiatrist before the races will get your feet in the best possible condition to help you get through the day and prevent blisters.
Choose comfort and fashion – throw away the uncomfortable heels and go with something more comfortable. You can still look good in a comfortable pair of shoes and these days the shoes are very fashionable. Try bared.com.au – these shoes are designed by a podiatrist with comfort and fashion in mind. They are also great for people who wear orthotics.
Lower the heel – the lower the heel height of the shoe the less pressure on the forefoot and metatarsal joints. Try and stick to 1 – 2 inches and be careful of flats. It might seem like the best choice but most women are suited to a small heel. Flat shoes will generally place more strain on tendons and ligaments.
Rest your feet – try and rest your feet where possible. A mix of sitting and standing can be quite helpful and might help you to make it to the end of the day.
Stretch your calf muscles – you might look a little weird but stretching your calf muscles but your feet will love it. Tight calf muscles put extra strain on other muscles of the feet and lower leg when walking. Try and do some light stretching throughout the day or whenever your feet are sore.
Bring a change of shoes – Flats are usually not great but if all else fails then they will feel like heaven. The good thing is ballet flats and thongs don’t take up much room so will easily fit in a bag. Wearing flats home will at least look a lot more elegant on the way home than bare feet.
Enjoy the day and back a winner
Overall enjoy the day and hopefully you get to back the winner of the Cup like this Melbourne podiatrist did in last year’s Melbourne Cup. To read more on the story visit “How to buy a Melbourne Cup winner without really trying”.
Finally if foot pain persists following a day at the races or if you need podiatry treatment and advice please contact us to make an appointment with one of our friendly Melbourne Podiatrists.