For me, one of the positive things to have come out of lockdown is a new-found love of running. Thanks to Couch to 5K I can now shuffle around my local park without requiring medical assistance. Unfortunately, my feet, unaccustomed to such abuse, are suffering. A mysterious and particularly livid bruise has appeared on the top of one foot, and it simply refuses to get better. Convinced I have bunions, I head to Feet for Life on Wimpole Street in search of professional advice. There I meet Junaid Ahmed, a podiatrist with over 20 years’ experience. He immediately sets my mind at rest, reassuring me that my bunion-related fears are unfounded. The bruise is merely a symptom of trainers that are half a size too small (now I feel a bit silly). A medical pedicure allows him to fully assess my feet. Patiently chipping away at the dry skin on my heels and filing my nails, he explains about the most common types of problems his clients bring to him. He prescribes a simple rubber pad to be worn over my toe to protect the sore area and assures me that it was sensible to seek advice. Our feet suffer endless abuse, so where they’re concerned, prevention is definitely better than cure. Going for regular treatments like this ensures that any problems lurking under your socks can be picked up early. Often a bad back or a knee issue can be linked to a foot problem, and the solution can be as simple as placing an orthotic in the shoe. I’m sent home with some Barefoot Cannabis Therapy – the best foot cream, he tells me – and instructions to use it daily and only file my feet once a week. The treatment has left me with the summer ready baby-soft feet I have dreamed of – I’ll be proud to don my strappy sandals now.
18 Wimpole Street, W1G (020 7631 0724; feet4lifeuk.com)