You can feel a South African summer coming before the calendar says it has arrived.
The afternoons stretch a little longer. Music travels through open windows. There is a buzz on the neighbourhood pavements as the sidewalks begin to hum with activity and sizzle in the heat. Chairs are pulled outside, the coals are lit, and a quick visit becomes the whole afternoon. As the smell of lunch on the braai drifts through the streets, slops are kicked aside, and shoes become optional, whether in the park, at a family gathering, or beside the pool.
That small moment, when the shoes come off, says something bigger - the season has opened again. There are people to see, places to go, and always one more song before it is time to head home.
But the feet stepping into summer have already carried a full year.
They have stood through long shifts and in endless queues, crossed city pavements and walked the grocery aisles, helped us keep fit whether jogging, hiking or chasing a soccer ball, and carried us home. They are rarely the part of the body we stop to thank, yet they carry almost every part of life.
“Foot care is often spoken about as something cosmetic, but it is really about comfort, movement and being able to show up for everyday life,” says Lynsey Hammond, MD at KROKO. “Our feet carry us through work, family, errands and celebrations. Giving them some attention before summer gets busy can help stop a small problem from keeping us out of the moments we want to enjoy.”
This is not about picture-perfect feet. Spring-ready feet simply need to be comfortable, protected, and prepared for wherever the day leads.
Before summer really finds its rhythm, here are four things worth checking.
When a small corn becomes a big distractionCorns and calluses form where the skin is repeatedly exposed to pressure or friction, with footwear often playing a role. Closed shoes can hide them through winter, but a long day standing, a sandal rubbing in the wrong place, or more time spent barefoot can make the discomfort much harder to ignore.
“Corns should not be ignored simply because they have been hidden,” says Hammond. “They can become painful enough to affect work and everyday movement, especially for people who spend long hours on their feet.”
Well-fitting shoes with enough room around the toes can help reduce pressure, while protective cushioning may help areas that are prone to rubbing. Soaking the feet in warm water can soften hardened skin before gently using a pumice stone.
Corn treatments containing salicylic acid are also available and should always be used according to their directions. Cutting or attempting to remove a corn yourself should be avoided. People with diabetes or poor circulation should seek advice from an appropriate healthcare professional before treating foot problems at home.
When winter is still showing on your heels
Dry, cracked heels often go unnoticed until the slops and sandals return. Months spent in closed shoes, combined with dry conditions, can leave the skin around the heel short of moisture. Deeper cracks may eventually become uncomfortable or painful.
Regular moisturising can help keep the skin supple, while urea-based foot creams are commonly used for dry, thickened skin. Applying moisturiser before bed and wearing cotton socks afterwards can help keep it in contact with the skin overnight.
If cracks become deep, painful, inflamed, or do not appear to be healing, they may need professional attention.
When barefoot freedom meets hot ground
There is a particular freedom that comes with kicking off your shoes on a warm day. But after months inside winter footwear, suddenly going barefoot everywhere can be a shock to the feet.
Hot paving, rough surfaces, stones and thorns all become part of the equation. Sandals can also introduce friction in places that closed shoes did not.
Ease into longer periods of barefoot walking and pay attention to the surfaces beneath you, particularly as temperatures rise. While sunscreen usually goes onto faces, shoulders and arms without much thought, the tops of exposed feet also need protection.
If a blister appears, deliberately popping it is generally best avoided because the skin over it helps protect the area underneath. Small cuts and abrasions should be cleaned and protected while they heal.
When water season brings an unwanted extra
Public pools, communal showers and changing rooms bring more time spent walking barefoot across warm, damp surfaces. These are also places where the virus responsible for plantar warts, commonly known as verrucas, may be encountered.
Plantar warts are caused by certain strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can spread through direct contact and contaminated surfaces.
Wearing slops or water shoes around public swimming pools and in communal showers or changing areas is a simple precaution. Over-the-counter treatments are available, although persistent, painful, or uncertain skin changes should be assessed by an appropriate healthcare professional.
This summer, KROKO is asking South Africans to look down, not with judgement, but with appreciation.
Those feet have already taken you far. A few minutes of care can help them carry you into every gathering, every dance, every long afternoon and every walk home still to come.
Because summer is better when sore feet are not deciding when the day ends.
For more information about KROKO’s foot and skin care range, visit www.kroko.co.za.
Proudly South African and established in 1936, KROKO has been trusted by generations for everyday foot and skin care. Its range includes treatments for corns and calluses, cracked heels, warts, minor cuts and scratches, foot odour and sweaty feet.