How Feet Beat the Heat

Summer heat and poorly fitting shoes can make for a prickly combination. Britain's Foot Health Council offers this acrid statistic: in summer, the average pair of feet produces a half-pint of sweat a day.

Not only is this uncomfortable, it also submits feet to potential problems, say Christine Miller of the Pimlico Podiatry Practice in London. She advises that during hot weather, people should avoid slip-on shoes, mules and flip-flops. "Too much toe-crunching involved, too many opportunities to develop calluses," says Miller.

For the best foot care in high heat, she adds, never wear shoes with heels more than 2 inches high, and strappy sandals should be worn "only if the straps leave corns or bunions exposed." Miller adds that shoe soles should be flat and spongy, except for a gentle slope upward under the toes, and shoes should fit properly.

And how do you tell what constitutes a good fit? One method that shoe experts use for determining the correct length is by standing barefoot on a piece of thin cardboard and marking the place reached by the longest toe. Cut the cardboard into a thin strip and insert into the shoe. There should be about one-third of an inch (one centimeter) between the end of the cardboard and the heel of the shoe.