The humble foot - it carries the weight of the world and yet gets very little thanks in return. Laura Hewson looks at how to keep feet sweet and avoid any false steps.
Why do so many people hate feet? They tickle, they smell, they're not nearly as attractive as hands and they're often woefully neglected.
But it's never too late to send a little love their way.
Here are some top treats for feet.
Soak: Tired feet really benefit from a relaxing soak to relieve aches and stress and to soften the skin.
Fill a foot bath with warm water and add a few drops of essential oils such as peppermint, rose, geranium or lavender.
Alternatively try The Body Shop Peppermint Cooling Foot Soak or Origins Foot Rest - both are pepperminty to encourage circulation and help cool feet.
Soak feet for 10-15 minutes and, as an added extra, put pebbles or marbles in the bottom of the foot bath to roll your feet across while they soak.
Scrub: After soaking, get rid of any dead, hard skin with a good scrubbing.
Try using a loofah or nail brush then pumice, or file feet to encourage soft, glowing skin. This can also be done in the shower with a nice grainy foot scrub.
Again, Origins and The Body Shop offer good options, or try one from Freeman's Barefoot range, which is sold at pharmacies.
Massage: If you can handle the thought of someone touching your feet, and someone can handle touching them, massage is a true treat for sore feet.
Some people even find it quite pleasurable.
Use oil or moisturiser to prevent pulling on the skin and keep pressure lighter on the top of feet where the bones are closer to the surface.
DIY massage is not as satisfying but is still possible and beneficial. Try one of the many self massagers on the market or you can even just roll your foot over a golf ball.
Moisturise: One of the things to watch out for in summer is keeping feet moisturised.
Wearing open shoes such as sandals lets the fatty heel "spread", which can cause splits in dry feet that leave you open to a painful infection.
If your feet are excessively dry or you have cracked heels, choose a heavier product that contains shea butter or rose oil. Then pop on some cotton socks to lock in moisture.
For a local product look for Crack-Free Hands and Heels, which is made in Dunedin and sold in pharmacies.
Pedicure: For about $40-plus a salon will soak your feet in a relaxing foot bath, massage your feet and calves, clip nails and cuticles, file off tough skin then paint your nails in any colour you like.
You just need to sit back and relax. Or, if you can't bear to have someone else touch your toes, you can DIY.
The Manicare and QVS ranges are available from pharmacies and have everything from nail clippers to buffers to cuticle sticks.
Remember to cut the nail straight across to avoid ingrown toenails and smooth edges with an emery board.
Be especially careful with cuticles - push them back with a cuticle stick and avoid cutting them yourself as this can lead to infection if done badly.
Apply a base coat to nails then one or two layers of the varnish. It doesn't have to match your fingernails.
Use cotton wool balls to hold toes apart while the polish dries.
Caring for kids
When it comes to choosing kids' shoes they don't have to be expensive, but podiatrist Lauren Farnden advises against anything too heavy or inflexible.
"School shoes are often heavy so watch this. Children have these skinny legs with bones still growing, then go charging around all day with that much weight on them."
It's also important to get the right size and fit and to be aware of what's happening with their feet.
"Listen if kids start to complain about growing pains, have pain in the night or start avoiding sport," Farnden says.
"Don't ignore it. Exercises or insoles might be able to fix it."
Foot offenders
It should come as no surprise that high heels are not great for your feet or legs.
If worn too often, they can cause lower back pain, foot problems and in extreme cases even shorten the calf muscles, making it hard to rest the heel on the ground when barefoot.
But did you know that jandals are also a potential threat? The clenching motion needed to hold the jandal on puts extra pressure on feet, which is a real worry for anyone with arch or knee problems or for those who live in their flip-flops.
Out on a limb
It's easy to ignore feet. They're just so far away. You can't even see them most of the time.
But ignorance is not bliss when it comes to feet, according to podiatrist Lauren Farnden of Roslyn Podiatry.
"Maintain your feet," Ms Farnden says. "Most people wait till things go horribly wrong to see a podiatrist. If they come in straight away its easier to fix."
So just what can go horribly wrong?
Verrucas: A verruca is a wart that has been pressed into the sole of the foot. They can be picked up in public places such as pools, gyms and showers so wear jandals in public places and avoid contact with people who have them.
Clean your showers at home with products containing bleach and avoid getting splits in skin by moisturising regularly.
Corns: A corn, or callous, is a plug of hard skin that is caused by pressure on the foot from things such as ill-fitting shoes.
Corns need to be removed with a scalpel (by a podiatrist!) then prevented from returning by wearing more comfortable shoes or getting some insoles fitted to protect feet from further pressure.
High arches and flat feet: These conditions are genetic and may not even need treatment. But if in pain, get some insoles fitted and consult a podiatrist.
Excessive sweat: There are more sweat glands on the feet and hands than anywhere else on the body. Excessive sweating is often genetic or can even indicate a more serious condition.
Foot odour: Caused by the natural bacteria in skin, this is unfortunately a fairly common problem. The easiest thing is to change socks often because the bacteria breeds and can spread.
Wash and dry feet well, especially between toes, to avoid athlete's foot. There are a lots of home remedies ranging from vinegar to green tea, but Ms Farnden recommends Gran's Remedy and to follow the instructions exactly.
Go barefoot more often and give shoes a chance to air out and dry off between wearing them.
If the smell is accompanied by redness and itching it could be fungal infection that needs special attention.
Bad circulation: The feet are quite a distance from the heart, and gravity makes it even harder to pump blood back up. This is worse for people with high blood pressure, diabetes or varicose veins.
Keep circulation flowing by walking more often and elevating your feet regularly. Massaging the feet and calves also helps improve circulation.
Ms Farden's best advice for healthy feet?
"Do things like dancing or pilates, which increase core strength, and walk barefoot on the sand at the beach - fresh air and salt water are really good for feet."