comfort zone

› By Angelique Anacleto

Happy feet, happy life? When your dogs start howling, it’s time to re-examine your foot comfort before complications set in. And dressing to impress in December can be especially rough with pinched, chafing styles or challenging, sky-high stilettos. Our toolbox defends against painful shoe hangovers during nonstop celebrations.

Comfortable shoes can definitely be fashionable says Dr. Sheila Noroozi of Family Foot & Ankle—Ocala.

“We recommend Vionic shoes, sandals and boots since they have built-in arch support for plantar fasciitis heel pain and joint fatigue,” she says. “We sell these, or visit vionicshoes. com. Clarks (clarksusa.com) and Merrell (merrell.com) brands similarly o er support.

“Try to stick to one-inch heels or less. Wedges are better than pumps for less strain on arches and Achilles tendons. And always bring a pair of comfy shoes for changing.

“Then recover with either ice or a soothing Epsom salt soak with lavender oil or bath salt. Topical treatment containing arnica plant also has antiinflammatory properties.”

Strutting vertiginous heels inevitably yields not-so-sexy hazards: blisters, corns, bunions, plantar fasciitis, shortened Achilles tendons, scrunched hammertoes or ankle sprains. However, if you must hobble in a delicious pair, test these heel hacks.

› Professional models bind third and fourth toes together with medical tape to lessen pressure on the nerve between.

› Apply petroleum jelly or antiperspirant to decrease rubbing.

› Because achy heels mean sparse arch support, silicone heel cups, a moleskin heel grip or orthotic gel insoles add cushion to prevent feet sliding around.

› Chunkier heels provide wider surface area to distribute weight.

› Limit wearing to three hours a day.

› Massage by rolling golf or tennis balls underneath feet. Then pick up small objects with toes to stretch rigid muscles.

› For DIY shoe-stretchers, insert Ziploc bags half-filled with water into toe boxes, then place shoes in freezer. As water hardens, leather should expand. Or loosen with a warm hairdryer.

› To protect nerves and soft tissue, podiatrists can inject dermal fillers into the balls of feet (metatarsal cushions). Botox inhibits sweaty swelling; then hyaluronic acid augments pad volume for three to four months.

Comfort reigns supreme. The ubiquitous socks-andsandals trend rocked fall runways, lending a vintage, street fashion vibe. If that’s too over the top, hidden liner booties can ease friction.

Sprinkle in lower kitten heel looks, or indulge in fuzzy-lined slipper loafers. Mix a harder edge to dressier ensembles with chunky combat boots, mod ankle boots or sporty sneakers à la Big Bang Theory actress Kaley Cuoco.

Early registration (Through November 5)

5K run/walk: $30

5K virtual: $25

Late and race day registration (November 6-11)

Race day registration is from 7:15-7:55am

5K run/walk: $35

5K virtual: $25