You get dressed up to go out with friends or attending a wedding or reunion. You’re looking good and feeling good. That is until your standing or dancing for hours on end. That’s when your feet start “to bark”.
Maybe it’s because your shoes don’t fit well or they lack the padding that offers more comfort, either way, you find yourself taking off your shoes and walking out the door with them in hand. Now you find yourself stepping on small pebbles and generally attracting everything on the ground onto your foot.
While shoe inserts and pads can help, some shoes look better than are meant to be worn into the wee hours of the night.
If you’re evening bag is large enough, or you have some space in the glove compartment, we love these compact flats that were made for those moments when tired feet need a break. They’re particularly great if you don’t want the party to end but you don’t want to be barefoot, just feel like you’re barefoot.
Either way, you will still need to show your feet some love when you get home or the day after. Here are some ways to soothe sore, swollen feet after a night of dancing:
Soak in Epsom Salt: Fill a basin with warm water and dissolve Epsom salts and soak your feet for 15-20 minutes to relieve muscle tension and reduce inflammation. Better yet, take a bath and treat your whole body to a post dance relaxation session.
Massage Your Feet: Use your hands or a foot roller to massage your feet, focusing on the arches and heels. This increases blood flow and reduces soreness. Tennis balls also work, if you have one handy.
Ice Therapy: Apply an ice pack or roll your feet over a frozen water bottle for 10-15 minutes to reduce swelling and numb pain.
Elevate Your Feet: Lie down and elevate your feet with pillows for 15-20 minutes to help reduce swelling.
Stretch Your Feet: Gently stretch your toes, arches, and calves. This helps alleviate tightness and prevents cramping.
Drink plenty of water: Water not only will rehydrate you after your party workout, but it will also reduce any potential foot cramping.
Moisturize and Rest: Apply a moisturizing foot cream with soothing ingredients like aloe or menthol and let your feet rest by staying off them for a while. Slide your little piggies into some fuzzy socks for an extra snuggle.
Over the counter pain killers can help reduce discomfort and swelling.
Wear Compression Socks: If swelling persists, compression socks can help reduce swelling and improve circulation.
Give your feet a break: After you’ve done all of the above and feel great, it might be tempting to do it all over again the next night. Give your feet a break and invite the girls over for dinner instead.
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