When your feet are happy, you can run well. But many of us runners don't understand our feet. We stress our feet without giving them time to recover and heal. In the summer, they become callused or blistered. In the winter they become dry, resulting in skin cracks.
Calluses are abnormal amounts of dead, thickened skin caused by recurring pressure and friction, usually on the heels and soles. Calluses are a sign of poor biomechanics or ill-fitting footwear. Calluses continue to grow as they toughen—interfering with the fit of your shoes—which in turn can cause blisters. Once you have experienced a blister deep under a callus, you'll likely work hard to treat calluses. After showering, buff calluses with a pumice stone or callus file to remove dead skin. Then apply your choice of cream or lotion.
Fissures are cracks in callused skin. These can split open into the deeper underlying tissues, may bleed, and can become painful and infected. Use a moisturizing cream to prevent fissures.
Athlete's foot is a skin disease caused by a fungus. The warm and humid environment inside shoes, foot perspiration, and changes in the condition of the skin create a setting for athlete's foot—usually between the toes or under the arch. Typical symptoms include itching, dry and cracking skin, and inflammation with a burning sensation. Blisters and swelling may develop if untreated. When these blisters break, small, red areas of raw tissue are exposed. Burning and itching increase as the infection spreads. Treatment includes keeping feet clean and dry, changing socks frequently, and applying antifungal powders and medications.
Toenails should be trimmed regularly, straight across the nail—never rounded at the corners. Leave an extra bit of nail on the outside corner of the big toe to avoid having it ingrown. After trimming, use a nail file to smooth the top of the nail down toward the front of the toe and remove any rough edges. Nails that are too long can wear holes in your socks, cut into other toes, and rub against the front of your shoes and catch on your socks, leading to black toenails.
Black Toenails are caused by a blood-filled swelling under the nail that results from trauma to the toe as it repeatedly bumps against the front of the shoe. If there is no pain, no action is necessary. If pain and pressure increases, the pressure must be relieved. Swab the nail with an alcohol wipe, then use the end of a heated paper clip, gently rolling it back and forth between your thumb and fingers while applying light pressure to drill a hole in the nail. Blood will ooze through the hole. Keep slight pressure on the nail bed to expel the built-up blood. Apply an antibiotic ointment and cover the nail with a Band-Aid. Loss of the nail usually follows. It can take six to nine months for a new nail to regrow. Prevent black toenails by wearing shoes with a generous toe box that are also the proper length for your feet.
Toenail Fungus causes nails to become thick, deformed and brittle, with a brown, white or yellowish discoloration, making it appear that you have debris under your nail. Over time, this can affect the fit of your shoes. Tea Tree Oil and Vicks VapoRub are often used for nail fungus. First trim the nail back as far as possible and scrape out as much of the loose nail as possible. Then apply a thin coating to the affected nail twice daily. For strong cases, prescription medication, either antifungal pills or ointments, is necessary.