Better Boot Buying

Hard to believe, but it’s already December. Where did the year go? Anyways, as we get closer to winter, the boots start to make their way out slowly but surely. Ladies, this means everything from rain boots, to cowboy boots, to snow boots make their way outside. Gentlemen, I know what you’re thinking. Why does she have snow boots? It’s Texas. Well, they were either a) on sale, b) look good, or c) see choice A. For this week’s blog we’ll look at a few of the different boot styles and look at the pros and cons of each. For next week’s blog we’ll share some tips on what to look for when you’re out there boot shopping.

Riding boots:
The good: Natural materials like leather allow airflow that keeps your feet dry.
The bad: Synthetic materials do the opposite. Heat & moisture build up leading to odor.

Rain boots:
The good: Eh. Wear cushioned insoles in these to get something in the “good” category.
The bad: The rigid shape of these limit natural foot movement & gives no arch support.

The Cowboy boot:
The good: Wear only for a short period of time and allow the toes to stretch
The bad: Cowboy boots bad? In Texas? Yeah right. But seriously, watch out for a narrow toebox area than can rub the foot the wrong way and cause a blister.

Snow boots:
The good: Get a rubber sole with deep grooves for proper traction….if it ever snows.
The bad: The sole can become slick and lead to trips or falls……if it ever snows.

Trendy ankle boots:
The good: Pick a pair with a heel no higher than 2 inches to avoid balance issues.
The bad: Lack of ankle support + a high heel can lead to imbalance.

These are just a few examples. Next week we’ll look at some other buying tips.

Cellulitis and Your Feet

Rashes can come in all shapes and sizes. They can start with as something as small as a bug bite, and range to something more widespread like poison ivy. It’s important for you to make sure that a rash from out of the blue is properly checked out. Cellulitis is a type of skin infection that affects the deep tissues. It’s commonly seen on the legs. This appears as redness in the area with an increased temperature of the skin and swelling of the leg. There aren’t any clear boundaries to it and there can be a streaking appearance. This can also be accompanied by fever and chills. It could be a warning of a more serious condition and shouldn’t be ignored.

Cellulitis can be caused by a number of things, such as bacteria seeping into a break of the skin like an ulcer or heel fissure. It is also commonly contracted as a secondary infection to Athlete’s foot. Cellulitis can also arise without a break in the skin, as such in thrombophlebitis. So to summarize it can be caused by many different factors, but ultimately it’s a bacterial infection. Those with weak immune systems (i.e. diabetes, AIDS, chemo patients) are more susceptible to cellulitis.

So how can your local friendly podiatrist help you out? Well it depends on the severity of the infection, but most of the time an oral antibiotic is prescribed. Remember with antibiotics, you want to finish the entire prescription, even if you feel better before it’s up. Otherwise this could lead to something called rebound phenomenon where the cellulitis can return with a vengeance. Locally the cellulitis can be treated with a topical agent and a dressing. The dressing serves as protection during the healing process to prevent re-infection. Your podiatrist will also address the direct cause of the cellulitis if possible, for example taking care of the Athlete’s food if the dry skin led to cellulitis. For this rash and any other shade of red of your feet, come by and see Dr.Grimm or Dr.Pattison at Foot Associates of Central Texas.