How to Keep Kids' Feet Safe This Summer

Keeping our children’s feet and ankles safe is important for all seasons, but between open-toed shoes and outdoor activities, this is especially true for summer. We at Goldsmith Podiatry want your child to have a sprain and pain-free break, so let’s go over our top tips for summer foot safety.

Choosing the Right Shoes

Shoes are their first line of defense. For active play, sports, or long walks, you can never go wrong with sneakers. But for casual wear, sturdy sandals with decent arch support are a good choice over flimsy flip-flops, which offer no real support and can lead to strains.

Also, remember to check your child's shoe size often. Little feet grow surprisingly fast, and shoes that are too small can cause problems like ingrown toenails or blisters.

The Smart Way to Barefoot

Encourage smart barefoot time. Always have kids wear water shoes or flip-flops in public areas like community pools, splash pads, locker rooms, hotel bathrooms, and public showers to avoid infections like plantar warts, or potentially worse, broken glass.

Staying Hydrated

Summer heat can lead to tired and swollen feet, even in active kids. Encourage plenty of water breaks throughout the day. Staying well-hydrated helps prevent painful foot and calf cramps that can strike after active play, and it also helps reduce overall foot swelling that can make shoes feel tight.

Applying Sunscreen

It’s easy to remember sunscreen for faces and shoulders, but the tops of feet and ankles often get forgotten. But these areas are just as susceptible to the sun! A painful sunburn on the feet can make walking or wearing shoes incredibly uncomfortable, and repeated sunburns increase the risk of skin cancer later in life. Make sure to apply sunscreen generously to all exposed areas of their feet and reapply it often, especially after swimming.

Watching Out for Wounds

With more time spent outdoors and barefoot, kids are more prone to cuts, scrapes, and bug bites, so inspect their feet daily for any new wounds, blisters, or suspicious red spots. Also, clean and cover any cuts or scrapes promptly with a bandage to prevent bacteria from entering, and keep an eye out for signs of infection (increasing redness, warmth, or swelling).

Caring for Toenails

Increased activity can lead to toenail trauma. Remind kids (or help them) to trim toenails straight across, not too short, to prevent painful ingrown toenails. Also, ensure their shoes aren't pushing on their nails after a growth spurt.

Your feet are more than just your foundation—they're messengers of your overall health. If you notice any of the symptoms above, don’t wait. Contact Goldsmith Podiatry today at (212) 877-1002 to schedule an evaluation with Dr. Howard Goldsmith, Dr. Rosanna Troia, or Dr. Kristina T. Ruff. We're here to help you stay one step ahead of foot-related health problems—because healthy feet support a healthy you.