Happy Endings

Your feet probably get less respect than a boy band reunion tour. You kick soccer balls, stub them on midnight bathroom runs, and pound them up and down stairs. Run 3 miles and you can pack on more than 150 tons of cumulative pressure on each foot.

These amazing biological contraptions have 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments. And with 300 foot aliments, lots can go wrong, and according to the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, at least three-quarters of Americans suffer some form of foot problem at some point in their lives.

To help keep you in the running, a podiatrist and shoe fit expert share their tips to make your feet top dogs.

Skip athlete’s foot. Keep feet clean and dry, and wash daily especially between the toes, says Cary Zinkin, an academy spokesperson and private practice podiatrist in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He also recommends wearing socks with wicking material to pull sweat away from your feet. Don’t bundle your feet up after a workout; wear flip flops to allow your feet to thoroughly dry while exposing your toosties to sunlight—the bane of the fungus that causes athlete’s foot.

Prevent blisters. “Blisters are caused by poorly fitting shoes, skin friction and moisture,” says Zinkin, who is also a marathon runner. “They’re common for everyone from weekend warriors to pro athletes.” His recommendation: Dab on Body Glide, which looks like a push-up antiperspirant and can coat places on your feet prone blistering. Check it out at bodyglide.com.

Avoid pain, ramp up. Plantar fasciitis is a painful affliction that happens when the tissues running from the heel to the ball of the foot become too stretched. Because those tendons have a lot of weight and tension, doing a new activity may cause the condition. For example, if you have never been on a StairMaster, or haven’t been playing basketball then join a competitive league, you may be a candidate for plantar fasciitis. “Slowly build up and follow your trainer’s advice,” says Zinkin. “You may be feeling the beginnings of plantar fasciitis if you have pain in your arches when you wake up and then hurts later in the day. If so, time to back off on the workouts.”

Be shoe smart. The simplest and best way to keep your feet healthy is to buy the right shoe. “If you don’t have the right shoe for your workout, it’s like playing golf with a tennis racquet,” says Warren Greene, Runner’s World brand editor, who offers this checklist for your athletic shoe shopping:

• Stick to specifics. Running shoes aren’t designed to support much side-to-side movement and may be okay for elliptical workouts, but buy court shoes for activities such as Tae Bo or basketball.
  
• Enlist an expert. Specialty retailers will study your gait and body type to guide you to the best shoes for you. Find one at runnersworld.com/storefinder.
• Shop after lunch. Standing and walking will cause your feet get bigger in the afternoon—maybe even a full size larger than your normal dress shoe size. Measuring at this time of day will reflect the size your feet will be when exercising.
  
• Leave room. To avoid jamming your toenail in the front of the shoe, which can cause the ominously named black toe, leave about a thumbnail width in the front of your shoe from your longest toe (which may not be your big toe).