Take Extra Care to Keep Feet Comfy During the Heatwave

-        Cocorose London Founder Offers Tips for Women UK-wide

Cocorose London’s founder and shoe guru, Janan Leo, is reminding women across the UK that hot weather can play havoc with the feet and that careful planning is needed, if stepping outside.  

The number one issue women will face, according to the founder of the much-loved indie British shoe brand, is likely to be swollen feet and ankles, caused by something known as heat oedema.  An increased blood supply to the skin causes fluid to move out into the tissue that surrounds the vessels that normally retain it and it is this fluid within the tissue that causes the swelling.  

Women who ‘live’ in trainers, may feel that their feet feel more cramped inside their shoes. If the trainers offer little comfort support, this is going to be painful.  In Cocorose London trainers, this should be less of a problem for wearers, thanks to the very generous pillowed Achilles heel padding, the soft premium leathers used in the trainers, which provides more ‘give’, and double-cushioned insoles.  

If women choose comfort trainers that cosset the feet and also keep their hydration levels high by drinking more water, foot swelling should not pose an issue.

Foot perspiration is another problem women will encounter, which underlines why opting for trainers and shoes with a leather insole is key.  Cocorose London trainers, loafers and ballerinas come with a leather inner sole, to enable the feet to breathe.

Other issues will also be encountered in hot weather.  “Extremely hot pavements can give the feet second degree burns, so make sure you choose footwear that has a robust outer sole”, says Janan.  “Even if you are not walking in bare feet on pavements, the balls of your feet will still burn if the heat penetrates the sole.  Choose to wear footwear that has a thick and robust outer sole, like the rubber soles on our trainer collection. 

“Having a good quality outer sole is important at any time and will also avoid painful stones and sharp objects penetrating the shoe and impacting on the feet.

Dreaded blisters may be inevitable, if you are wearing heels, tighter fitting shoes, or shoes made from inferior quality fabrics or leathers, during the heatwave.  

“When we design Cocorose London shoes, we always seek to incorporate added layers of protection against blistering,” says Janan.  “This starts by us handcrafting our shoes at every stage but also sees us adding double-cushioning within our trainers and shoes, to protect the balls of the feet, and then putting in extra protection around the ankle opening and heel.  By using the best quality materials we ensure the whole design allows the shoe to follow the natural movement of the feet, keeping the friction that causes blisters at bay.”

Janan also advises that, as well as ensuring your shoes are not too small, you need to watch that they are not too large, as this will catch you out as the temperature rises and will see the foot slipping around in a way that can cause corns and callouses.

Whilst many women will be sensible enough to ditch the heels in hot weather, some may be unable to, because of work rules.  Janan advises that the best thing to do is to minimise the time spent in heels, by popping a little purse containing a pair of her innovative foldable ballerinas or loafers into the handbag and changing into those whenever heels are not absolutely necessary.  The shoes can be swiftly unfolded  and swapped for the ballet pumps or loafers and, thanks to an integral carry bag within the purse, the shoes can easily be carried whilst the flat comfy shoes are being worn.

Flip-flops, although they may be a resort of many, are not the answer to hot weather footwear woes.  The lack of structure and support can put a strain on the arch of the foot, which can lead to inflammation.  Additionally, wearing flip-flops can affect the natural stride pattern and lead to shin splints.

The final piece of advice from Janan Leo is to make sure that you don’t have damp feet when putting your shoes on.  Moisture inside the shoe can cause fungal problems to emerge, as well as encouraging corns and callouses.

Janan says, “This heatwave should truly underline the importance of buying the right footwear and that can be defined as trainers and shoes that come with the right protection, in all the right places.  There’s nothing worse than foot pain or discomfort, so treat yourself to the best shoes you can afford, as your feet will thank you for it.  This doesn’t entail spending many hundreds of pounds, just paying a little more to get shoes that will treat you well.  You will find that a godsend, whenever your feet are really feeling a strain.”

For more information about the range of super-comfortable designer trainers and gorgeous shoes from Cocorose London, visit www.cocoroselondon.com

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Editors notes

Cocorose London is a brand making exquisite flat ballet pumps, sandals, boots, loafers and trainers, all coming with exceptional levels of comfort due to the features built in to them, the leathers and textiles used and handcrafting at every stage. Some are also hybrid shoes, which fold, if required, so they can be carried in a zipped purse and worn when the foot need a little luxury.