With Memorial Day kicking off beach season, it’s time to start planning amazing days at some of our local gems, whether you’re visiting Philip B Healey and Tobay beach or heading a bit farther out and around Nassau County. Of course, getting ready for a beach day involves lots of packing—the umbrellas, chairs, blankets, snacks and sunscreen. People put so much effort into making sure the car is set up perfectly…only to slide into a pair of flip-flops and run out the door.
Now, flip-flops do have their place during a day at the shore. But if they’re the only footwear you bring, your perfect beach day may end with some very sore feet. So, what are the best beach shoes for your feet? Keep reading to find out!
Best Beach Shoes for Your Feet: Bring a Few Pairs ![bare feet in sand]()
If you’re trying to find the best beach shoes, we highly suggest packing more than one pair for your day of fun. After all, at most Nassau County beaches, you’ll be parking in a lot that’s quite a hike away from the actual surf and sand. Plus, you’ll be carrying all that gear we mentioned earlier. So, if you’re wearing flimsy flip-flops while taking that walk, or planning to cruise the boardwalk later in the day, your arches will be unsupported and you could end up with lots of foot pain.
A better option? Start the day in supportive footwear such as sneakers. Then, when you drop your gear and set up for the day, switch into sandals. At this point, you could slide on some flip-flops. While they won’t provide much arch support, they will protect you from hot grains of sand which, in the middle of summer, can store enough heat to actually give you burned feet. However, if you want a better option, you can search for sandals with built-in arch support—the Archie’s footwear line has lots of attractive and supportive options.
What about when you’re getting in the water? If you just plan to dip your toes in the surf, it’s probably fine to just slip off your sandals by the water’s edge and wiggle your toes in the cooler sand. But if you want to wade in deep, it may be worth packing a pair of water shoes. These can stay on your feet as you traverse the ocean floor, protecting you from rocks, shell shards and other hidden objects that could cut or irritate the delicate skin on the bottom of your feet.
In and Out of Your Beach Shoes, Don’t Forget the Sunscreen
Once you’ve picked out the best beach shoes to cover up your soles, it’s time to protect the tops of your feet as well. You see, most people spend their first few minutes at the beach lathering up with sunscreen. Unfortunately, they often forget to protect their feet—and that’s a problem, since the skin on our feet get less sun exposure throughout the year, making them even more vulnerable to burns. (By the way, you can also get skin cancer on feet, something our podiatrists in Massapequa screen for in our office. But, while some cancers on the skin of your feet may be related to sun exposure, they are more often related to a viral infection, and look different than other cancers. For that reason, it’s important to contact our office if you notice any changes to the appearance of the skin on your feet. That way, Dr. Mark Gasparini or Dr. Novneet Chhabra can check out the changes and rule out any cancerous lesions.) To protect that skin, be sure to apply sunscreen to every exposed skin surface on your feet—including the backs of your heels—before slipping into your sandals. Even the best beach shoes slip and slide a little, so skin that starts the day covered by sandal straps could be exposed later on, and left unprotected if you didn’t give them a good coating of sunscreen earlier.
How Do I Stop My Feet from Swelling at the Beach
The best beach shoes and plenty of sunscreen can help prevent foot pain and burned skin after a day by the shore. But with the heat and humidity that come along with a beach day, many people with experience mild swelling in their feet. Now, this swelling isn’t dangerous. But it could be uncomfortable when you take off your sandals and get back into your sneakers for the walk back to your car. So, if you want to minimize the amount of heat-related swelling in your feet, make sure to drink lots of water throughout your beach day. And, instead of plopping down in your beach chair and staying put for the next six hours, try to walk regularly throughout your day at the beach. The combination of hydration and movement can help your body flush excess water from your system, minimizing swelling in your lower extremities.
How do You Treat Beach Feet in Massapequa
If you follow our tips for picking the best beach shoes for your feet, we hope you’ll feel great at the end of a day filled with surf and sand. But if you come home and notice symptoms of beach feet—including foot pain, fatigue, swelling, arch pain, blistering, peeling or burned skin—we’re here to help. Just call our office at 516-804-9038 or click this link to request an appointment.