How to Prevent Foot Pain During Winter Traveling

Whether trailing your tour guide down one narrow street after another in Rome, searching for sales in Oxford Street or climbing back up from the Grand Canyon, your feet will either be your best friend or your worst enemy. Aching feet may not really kill you, but they're very likely to kill your vacation for you.

Here's what you need to do to start off on the right foot on your journey:

Bring the right shoes. Simple, right? But do you really do it? Even if you think you'll be taking taxis or public transportation, don't kid yourself: you need a pair of walking shoes. There are plenty of comfortable shoes that look stylish these days. So you can walk and look good at the same time.

Pack those insoles--and wear them. If you suffer from chronic foot pain (from bunions, flat feet, hammer toes, heel spurs, among other pleasant conditions) and your podiatrist has prescribed insoles for you, bring them with you. In fact, if you're not wearing them now, shame on you. These appliances really work, but you must wear them every single time you're on your feet--and that includes holidays.

Don't wear new shoes. New shoes or boots on a vacation are the kiss of death for your feet. Chances are that your shoes will break your feet in instead of the other way around. If you want to bring a pair of designer shoes on your trip to wear to dinner, buy them a few weeks before you leave and practice in them.

And this means not just a few rounds about the house, but outside as well. Shoes can feel fine at home but begin to hurt as you stroll up and down hilly streets, stumble over ancient cobblestone or sprint to get across the streets in Paris or Malta. And that means blisters, heel and toe pain at the least--and a twisted ankle on the worse side of things.

If you can't wear them, bring them. No one says you can't wear stiletto heals if you want to. Or sports shoes with your laces undone. You just have to wear them at the right time and place. And that can be anytime if you bring those fancy shoes with you. This gives you a good excuse to buy a nice tote or bag for your shoes. (I do this everyday when going to work.). So while just walking around or walking to your destination, wear your comfortable shoes and carry your special heels with you and change into them when you get to the restaurant or cinema.

Rain boots can be a pain, but pack them anyway. If you're headed to a place like Malta in the winter when it's the rainy season, don't fool yourself: it's going to rain. And where there's a rainy season, there can flooding. Nothing is more uncomfortable than cold wet feet for the whole day. If you know there's going to be rain, dress your feet for it. If not, your feet may itch, chaff and blister from wet shoes and socks. Bring along lightweight rain shoes or boots. Make sure they are waterproof when you buy them; those sprays to waterproof footwear are only an extra precaution. Your rain wear should be made to keep out water. The same is true, of course, for snow boots.

Break the blister habit. Even if you do everything right, you're bound to end up with the most common cause of foot pain and holiday-walking misery: the blister. To prevent blisters, apply a liberal amount of petroleum jelly to your whole foot before going on a long walking excursion--a hike over Swiss Alps or a trek along Fifth Avenue. Stock up on blister remedies from Scholl foot products which you can easily get from your pharmacy. These include blister pads which you can apply to a nasty blister if you get one--and continue walking in relative comfort.

Get a foot massage. What's a holiday without a special treat? After a long day of touring, winter sports or shopping, get yourself a professional foot massage. Just make sure that you don't plan any activities after; you'll just be too relaxed to get up back on your feet.

Ilene Springer lives and teaches EFL in Malta. Read about The Bunion Brigade--her new, easy walking group for walkers with foot problems on An-American-in-Malta.com.