Say bye-bye to blisters

Wear wool-blend socks. Buy leather. These are the kinds of secrets shoe store managers and podiatrists divulge for keeping feet healthy during the summer.

If you are looking to avoid limping down the sidewalk, cringing from blisters rubbed raw, or enduring aching feet at the end of the day, here are some easy “steps” to follow.

Make sure your shoe fits. Simple as it sounds, Mark Metzger, owner of Highcliffe Clothiers, in Washington, said that in his more than 20 years of experience he has noticed that seven or eight out of every 10 men wear the wrong-size shoe. He noted that as each person ages, the arch of the foot falls and the foot’s shape changes. “Over the years I’ve changed from an 8 1/2 to a 9 1/2,” he said.

Vincent Cullen, manager of Comfort One Shoes on M Street, went further, insisting that customers should get their feet measured based on “Eurofit,” which measures from the heel to the ball of the foot, so the heel can have adequate support.

Cullen also recommended “a roomier toe box,” for better blood flow. “You’ll have less foot fatigue.”

Men, according to D.C. podiatrist Dr. Raymond Merkin, should buy shoes with thick rubber soles. Women, he said, should try to change into high heels at work instead of walking around the city in them. If they buy sandals, Cullen adds, they should make sure to find a style with a back strap.

Everyone agrees that flip-flops, beaded or not, are bad news for your feet.

Metzger said to rotate shoes. “You’d be surprised how many men wear one pair of shoes all week,” he said. “In a perfect shoe world, you should have half a dozen [pairs].”

Putting on cotton or wool-blend socks is the best way, even on a hot day, to protect from blisters and foot fungi by wicking away moisture.

“Put a splash of powder in your socks to keep fresh,” Metzger said. Merkin recommended spraying your feet with antiperspirant before putting your socks on. “If skin is damp or moist,” Merkin said, “you are more likely to get blisters.”

Finally, buy leather, not synthetics. “It breathes,” Cullen said.