Relief for Tender Tootsies

I’m on vacation this week, but wanted to repost a review of what I still consider to be one of my top summer can’t-live-without-it products. Not only are these an absolute lifesaver for me, but I’ve also discovered that they’re very handy for the kids as well. Each summer my kids get little sores on the bottom of their toes from touching the rough bottom of the swimming pool. One of these special band-aids is the perfect fix.

Originally posted 6.24.2009

Summer is here and sandal season is in full swing.

Since moving to Georgia 10 years ago, I’ve amassed a sizable collection of adorable sandals and peep-toe shoes.

This time of year, a stroll through the shoe department at a place like Target, for example, leaves me swooning. So many trendy, chic summer shoes at uber-affordable prices.

Problem is — some of these shoes, while I swear they were the “most comfortable shoes I’ve ever tried on” before I left the store, turn out to be not-so-comfortable once I get them home and wear them in real life.

(Please tell me this happens to some of you, too.)

In fact, I have a few pairs of summer sandals that can rub such a blister (usually on my pinky or big toes), I’ve literally found myself in tears, dreading each remaining step I need to take until I reach home.

(The things I do for fashion…)

But despite the fact that these shoes inflict enough pain to bring a grown woman to her knees, the fashionista in me cannot bring herself to part with them.

In the past, my solution was to stick band-aids over the tender areas on my feet, hoping the extra cushioning would help ease the blistering pain.

And it did. For a couple hours, until the band-aids inevitably rolled up and fell off.

Then the pain would come back with a vengeance.

Oh, the humanity. What’s a fashion-conscious girl to do?

Just when I thought all hope was lost, I stumbled across this little gem of a product:

Band-Aid Advanced Healing Blister Cushions ($4.99) feature a gel pad that relieves pain while helping to protect the blister. The bandage is tapered on the sides, making it easier to wrap around toes, in particular, and also provides a super-duper seal to protect the blister from dirt, water and germs.

The folks at Band-Aid also point out that these “cushions” are waterproof and provide a “superior adhesive” that can be worn for several days before changing, even in the shower.

And, let me just say, they are absolutely right about that.

I had one over a blister on my pinky toe today and then spent three hours in the pool with my kids. I had forgotten I even had the band-aid on (it’s that comfortable) and, when I removed it, I noticed the skin had remained completely protected (the skin under the band-aid wasn’t all white and icky, like it would have been if I had worn a regular bandage in the water that long ).

Seriously. These are the best darn things for summer shoe survival. I keep a package in my car and a few in my purse because you never know when those supa-cute sandals might just start rubbing you the wrong way.

And really, who has time for that?

It’s summer, after all.

Time to be footloose and fancy free.