Feet Week

The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.

Leonardo da Vinci

Feet. They make their place quietly at the bottom of legs, perpendicular to the body. Although they are rather unassuming, feet are vitally important for humans who desire to remain upright! Some people have strong feelings about feet, whether they love them or are a little repulsed by them. But feet have a tendency to be underappreciated, so Feet Week is the ideal time to pay them a little more attention than usual.

History of Feet Week

While Feet Week might be a fairly new concept, podiatry has been practiced for many generations. In fact, some records indicate that foot care likely existed as early as 2400 BC, evidenced by ancient carvings found in Egypt. In a more modern sense, the western medicine practice of podiatry was established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when societies and schools of podiatry were established in New York and London.

Feet Week came to be when podiatrists in the UK decided that the feet could do with a bit more notice and attention. These Podiatrists believed that people should be seeing a Podiatrist regularly, just like the dentist or eye doctor, and they wanted an occasion marked on the calendar to encourage this.

In particular, Osgo, the Podiatry Association in the UK encourages Feet Week to bring awareness to the need for foot health. A checkup might include addressing problems such as corns or bunions, inflammation due to arthritis, or problems with the nail such as infections or ingrowth. People who have diabetes should be particularly diligent about getting their feet checked as the condition can lead to serious problems with the feet and lower legs.

How to Celebrate Feet Week

Loving the feet that keep you going is a great way to celebrate this week! Whether starting with a little foot rub or getting a full pedicure, Feet Week is the perfect time to keep those feet happy.

Visit a Podiatrist!

Since the sentiment behind Feet Week is taking good care of foot health, the first order of business might be to make an appointment with a podiatrist. The feet can be indicators of not only foot problems, but can be part of the overall health and wellbeing. Podiatrists suggest that regular foot health check ups should be considered in the same way as visiting the dentist or the eye doctor. Feet Week serves as an excellent reminder to make an appointment with a Podiatrist.

To clarify which type of Podiatrist is needed, it is important to understand that Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) or Podiatrists are licensed to work directly with the feet, ankles and lower legs, but are not completely trained as medical doctors (MD).

On the other hand, Orthopedists are first trained in medical school and then go on to choose a specialty that allows them to not only treat the feet and ankles, but also the entire body–which may include related issues in areas such as the hips.

Wear Bright, Fun Shoelaces

Whether wearing tennis shoes or boots, popping some brightly-colored shoelaces can give shoes a fun, new look. Then, when people ask what’s with the fun laces, it’s a perfect opportunity to spread the word about Feet Week.

The brightly-colored laces were introduced for the Lace Race was started in 2019 to see how fast people could tie their shoelaces. There were some incredibly quick participants and even some one-handed attempts! All donations from the sale of the laces go to Forgotten Feet, a UK charity set up to look after the foot health for those most in need and least likely to have the means to access Podiatry treatment.

This Feet Week why not see how quickly you can tie your shoe laces?

Sign Up to Participate in a Lace Race

Races that raise money for charities go on all throughout the year, especially in warmer months. Lace Race is one that was started in 2013 with the particular goal of supporting Forgotten Feet, a charity in the UK that supports foot check clinics for people who are less privileged.

For those who don’t have a Lace Race in their locale, consider signing up to run or walk for another charity that helps those in need.

Take a Walk

If signing up to run a race seems like a bit too much, then slow down the pace a little and simply take a leisurely walk wherever and whenever the mood strikes. Wear comfortable, supportive sneakers or shoes that will show your feet just how much they are appreciated.

Listen to Songs About Feet

For a funny, tongue-in-cheek celebration of feet, add these songs to a Spotify playlist to enjoy with friends, at work, or while taking that run/walk:

• “Below My Feet”, Mumford & Sons, 2012
• “Cold Feet”, Tracy Chapman, 1995
• “Get on Your Feet”, Gloria Estefan, 1989
• “Head Over Feet”, Alanis Morissette, 1995
• “These Boots Were Made for Walking”, Nancy Sinatra, 1965
• “Bubble Toes”, Jack Johnson, 2001
• “My Feet Keep Dancing”, Chic, 1979

Buy a New Pair of Kicks

What could be a better excuse to get new shoes than Feet Week?! In keeping with the idea of pampering or taking care of feet, be sure the new shoes chosen are comfortable and supportive to keep the feet and legs healthy.

Taking the best care of feet means making sure that shoes fit correctly. Most dedicated shoe shops offer sizing services, which is especially important for those who have wide or narrow feet. If a shoe store isn’t easily accessible, it’s possible to get an online guide that will help with measuring the shoe size at home.

Enjoy Jokes and Trivia about Feet

Seven whole days in Feet Week means there’s plenty of time to delight (and annoy!) family and friends with a variety of silly jokes and trivial facts related to feet. Try these jokes, puns, and fun facts on for size:

Feet Jokes

• What kind of shoes do lazy people wear? Loafers
• What has four legs but no feet? A table
• What do you call a shoe made out of a banana? A slipper
• Why isn’t your nose twelve inches long? Because then it would be a foot

Feet Trivia

• Feet contain ¼ of a million sweat glands.
• Feet are largest at the end of the day.
• Most people’s feet are not exactly the same size.
• The feet are the most sensitive part of the body with over 8,000 nerves.
• Each foot has 26 bones in it, with the feet equalling almost ¼ of the bones the whole body