ABOUT OUR FEET

Why do so many of us ignore our feet? Is it because of their anatomical location, at the lower end of the body looked upon from high seeing the upper sides and not the soles as frequently?
I consider that to be a crying shame as these feet of ours (other than supporting the body weight), have to trudge around under all circumstances, often in wholly inappropriate footwear or stressed by what might be the ravages of the planet, totally barefoot.

However, that brings forth a reminder of our very early ancestor; Neanderthal man a ‘shoe-less’ individual who according to podiatrists, in so doing, added strength to muscles and ligaments in the feet and legs. In today’s society, toddlers walk bare feet naturally in order that some development of bone and muscles occurs.

The first causes of deformed feet occurred during the Renaissance as aristocrats wore high heeled pointed shoes [history sure repeats itself]!

Culturally, when American and Asiatic Indians, the Chinese, Romans and even the Egyptians did wear shoes- they were of soft fabrics like suede, silk or non-constrictive footwear like sandals.
In no areas were foot diseases as prevalent as in Western society. Commonly seen today are conditions mentioned below:
Athletes foot caused by fungal growth exacerbated by warm, damp conditions where painful, split skin occurs between the toes and/or discoloration of nails with layers that may lift.

‘Bunions’ these appear as a crooked protruding big toe, caused by narrow shoes, arthritis or congenital deformity.
‘Hammer toe’ in this case, a toe attempts to cross another, bent in the middle, making footwear uncomfortable and causes instability to the foot.
‘Gout’ this is known to be one of the most painful conditions caused by a buildup of uric acid in the tissues. Redness and swelling of the big toe are typical signs.

MATSIMELA has launched a new range of foot products, having professional foot care items which include a night time foot balm enriched with replenishing actives and an effective exfoliating foot spray enhancing one’s salon and take home spa experience.