A leading foot health expert has revealed three disastrous—and surprisingly common—mistakes people make when it comes to looking after their feet.

Maddie Tait, a London-based podiatrist, says that wearing shoes that are too small, failing to moisturise the feet, and relying on flip-flops can all lead to painful problems including blisters, swelling, cracked heels and callouses. 

In a recent video posted on her TikTok account @mtpodiatry, she said the single most damaging habit is wearing shoes that are too tight.

‘Your feet will swell and expand during the day,’ she said. ‘So, you’ll most likely cause a blister quite quickly.’

Blisters are small, fluid-filled pockets that form under the skin due to friction—typically on the feet. 

While painful, the NHS warns against popping them, as doing so can increase the risk of infection.

To help a blister heal and prevent infection, pharmacists can recommend a plaster or dressing to keep the area clean and protected.

Last year, a poll of 2,000 adults found 44 per cent of people had developed foot issues like bunions and callouses from wearing shoes that are too small.

The survey, commissioned by DB Wider Fit Shoes, also found that bunions impaired 36 per cent of people’s ability to walk.

Bunions are bony bumps that form on the joint at the base of the big toe, forcing it to lean inwards towards the smaller toes. They can be extremely painful and are typically caused by ill-fitting shoes or inherited structural issues in the foot.

If you’re unfortunate enough to develop a bunion, treatment options include surgery or non-surgical measures such as pain relief and wearing wider-fitting footwear.

Another common issue is calluses—thickened, hardened patches of skin caused by repeated pressure or friction. 

These can often be managed at home by soaking the feet in warm water, although in more severe cases, a referral to a foot specialist may be required.

The next mistake podiatrist Maddie Tait warns against is failing to moisturise your feet—especially during warmer months.

‘During the summer being on the beaches or on the sand or in the sun, our feet need a bit more moisturiser,’ she said.

‘We can develop cracked heals or corns or callus so, make sure you moisturise your feet throughout the year, but definitely in the summer.’

The foot expert warned not moisturising your feet, particularly in the summer can result in corns, calluses, or cracked heals

In contrast to calluses, corns are smaller, typically round or oval, and can be quite painful do to pressure on deeper layers of the skin.

The NHS advice for corns is also to soak them in warm water to soften them, but again, in some cases they may need specialist treatments.

If either a corn or a callus or corn appears inflamed or is oozing pus or clear fluid it may be infected and need antibiotic treatment. 

The third mistake she warned against was wearing flat flip flops when you’re out walking. 

She said: ‘I don’t mind them around the beach, or around the pool, but I would not recommend that you walk too far in the classic thong style sandals.’

While wearing flip flops for short distances isn’t likely harmful, walking in them for long periods of time can put you at risk of problems.

Previously studies have shown that when people wear flip-flops, they take shorter steps and often curl their toes to keep them on.

This has been found to the natural gait and reduces muscle engagement which over time can cause foot and joint pain. 

It isn’t only dangerous to your foot health as other studies have shown wearing flip flops while driving is linked to serious road accidents.