Podiatry: Looking after your feet

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Useful links

• Common foot problems
• General foot problems  
• Fungal nails
• Arthritis
• Diabetes and the feet
• Benefits of walking 
• Personal Footcare Guidance (Scottish Government)
• Purchasing self-care equipment

Personal footcare films

• How to care for your feet
• How to look after your toenails
• Self-care: Looking after your feet
• Looking after your feet when you have diabetes
• Personal footcare video (NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde)

Looking after someone else's feet

• NHS Western Isles: Carers Training and Footcare (Information video)
• Personal footcare video (NHS Fife)
• – English subtitles
• – Cantonese
• – Mandarin
• – Urdu

Footwear information

Well-fitting footwear is really important in resolving, or helping reduce, pain and callus/corns. The Podiatry Service go to great lengths to get their patients pain-free and mobile, and strongly encourage patients to make suitable, well-fitting footwear a priority.

The Podiatry Service have produced the following factsheets:

• Footwear for swollen or wider fitting feet – online or mail order
• Locally available footwear for swollen or wider fitting feet

Please always consider the advice given by your Podiatrist before selecting the style and size of footwear to purchase. General advice given is that suitable footwear should:

• be comfortable for you and deep enough to accommodate an insole
• have a secure fastening over the top of the foot eg lace or Velcro
  • Remember to properly secure laces or velcro straps once your foot is inside the shoe, with the heel right at the back
• be wide enough and not tight across the foot
• be long enough; there should be a 1-2cm gap between longest toe and end of shoe when you are standing
• have a firm support at the back of the heel
• have a thick sole (for cushioning / shock absorption)
• have a removable insole if possible.