Preparing Your Feet For Winter

As the winter weather looms on the horizon for those in northern climates, the last thing many people consider is it's impact on the feet. Cold weather brings several issues that have a direct affect on one's feet, and a little bit of early fall preparation can go a long way in ensuring that the feet stay warm, dry, and comfortable during the upcoming winter season. This article will discuss how one can easily prepare for winter's foot problems.

The most obvious place to start is with one's shoes. Unfortunately, shoes are not as durable as they once were, due to relaxed manufacturing standards that keep costs down. However, people still treat their shoes as if the durability was still there. Essentially, people wear shoes for far too long, well past the point most shoes should be replaced. From a technical standpoint, most of this structural wear is internal, and cannot be seen from the outside of the shoe itself. While this is important from a stability standpoint, the concern for winter use is strictly with wear on the outside of the shoe, as well as the internal lining. Shoes that are visibly cracked or thinned across the outer covering will not be effective at keeping snow and moisture out of the shoe, where the moist coldness can cause damage to the skin under the sock. Likewise, excessive wear on the sole of the shoe can allow the same moisture in, and can also make the shoe treacherous to walk on in slippery conditions. It also goes without saying that shoes with holes in them are not suitable for winter use. In short, shoes need to be in good shape to protect the foot during the winter, and should not have damage, wear, or instability (either through wear and tear or by design such as high heels) that may place the wearer at risk for injury. The fall is the perfect time to evaluate one's shoes, and purchase new shoes for winter use if needed.

Another mistake often made during the winter is the selection of socks that are not sufficient to keep the foot warm. Socks used for dress in the summer are often too thin or of poor moisture wicking capability to be helpful in the wintertime, where the sock needs to be warm and dry. Heavier socks are needed during the winter months, and many people do not alternate socks for the appropriate season. Synthetic materials are better than cotton for keeping moisture off the foot during the summer months when the foot sweats, but may not be thick enough for colder temperatures. A thicker synthetic like CoolMax, or even soft wool will provide greater warmth protection than thin nylon, and even cotton will be helpful for warmth retention. If one's socks become wet, it is very important that they be changed as soon as possible to prevent cold injury to the skin.

The foot and ankle are in constant danger of injury during slippery conditions, such as those found when snow and ice are present. Careful vigilance during walking on these surfaces is important, but the reality is that slips and falls can occur at any time, leading to sprains and even fractures. One way to lessen the injury of these accidents is to ensure that the foot and ankle are limber and flexible. This flexibility will allow for the ligaments of the foot and ankle to accommodate stretching and straining experienced in a slip and fall, and may lessen the likelihood of a serious sprain or fracture from occurring. A partial list of stretching exercises is available at this author's website under the link 'Treatment Instructions For Patients', and numerous other web resources are available to cover ankle flexibility maneuvers.

Finally, foot skin care is frequently neglected during the winter as a result of the feet staying enclosed in shoes. Unfortunately, the foot can severely suffer from this neglect. The skin of the foot will sweat less in the winter than in the summer, to preserve body heat. With less moisture and oil secretion, the skin can become dry and cracked. When there are already calluses built up on the heels from a summer of sandal use, the resulting winter time cracking can be severe enough to cause bleeding and a superficial skin wound in the crevasse of the cracking. Heel fissures are extremely painful, and difficult to treat once they develop without aggressive callus trimming and moisturization. If one were to smooth the heel and general foot skin during the fall season prior to winter, the resulting drying and cracking of the foot skin will not be as severe when the weather becomes cold. This care means the use of pumice stones or an emery board after bathing to remove the hard skin build-up, and daily moisturizers throughout the winter to maintain a soft skin surface.

As one can see, like homes and automobiles the foot needs to 'winterized' to keep it safe from the cold weather and the potential problems that go with it. Unlike the hands, the feet are often neglected during the winter when care is needed the most. By following the above advice, one can better protect these important parts of the human body and stay healthy and active through the spring.


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Dr. Kilberg provides compassionate and complete foot and ankle care to adults and children in the Indianapolis area. He is board certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, and is a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association. He enjoys providing comprehensive foot health information to the online community to help the public better understand their feet. Visit his practice website for more information.