Wedding Feets

It's a joyful day for you, but it can be torture on your feet. Here's how to keep your tootsies feeling as great as you do.

Most new brides agree that on their wedding day, something did not go as planned. Uncle Joe got bombed, the florist forgot the pew flowers, or your brother fainted dead away in the middle of I do. But don't let something as manageable as foot pain keep you from dancing at your own wedding. These dos and don'ts will help protect your tootsies.

1. Do visit a foot specialist one to two weeks before the wedding. This way you can ensure proper treatment of any existing injuries.
2. Do soak your feet in cold water prior to the wedding. "This will decrease inflammation and pain," Positano says. "Soak the feet in cold water in the morning or place portable ice packs on both feet throughout the day. An ounce of prevention is well worth it, and limos usually have refrigerated compartments to keep ice packs in the car."
3. Do take an aspirin. Taking an anti-inflammatory medication like aspirin or Tylenol early in the day will help control swelling and inflammation.
4. Do watch your salt intake. "It may not be a bad idea to limit excessive salt intake in food the day of and a few days prior to the wedding. "Salty foods may lead to swelling and water retention in the lower extremities."
5. Do purchase wedding shoes at the end of the day. It's best to try them on when your feet are most swollen. "This will promote a better fitting, less tight and uncomfortable shoe
6. Do wear your shoes around the house prior to the wedding. Everyone advises this, but few brides do it. "Wear the wedding shoes for a few hours consecutive days prior to the wedding-it will soften the fit and makes the shoe less rigid.You'll be more comfortable on the wedding day."
7. Do choose high heels wisely. Even if you've a fetish for a tall stiletto, forgo the high heel for something practical like a wider-based heel. "The thinner stiletto is less stable, puts more mechanical stress on the foot, ankle and knee, and can cause loss of balance, resulting in falls. The wider heels will provide more stability and better balance."
8. Do bring an extra pair of shoes. By the time your feet are really aching, no one will even notice that you've slipped into something more comfortable. "It's not unusual to notice that half way through the wedding the bride has already taken off her shoes due to foot swelling and discomfort, explaining that bare feet create another risk. "This predisposes her to a step injury, where one of the guests steps on her foot and breaks some bones." Remember that if you've tailored your dress for high heels, you'll need something similar. Have mom stash the extra pair in the ladies room so you can commandeer them at will.
9. Do carry moleskin for developing blisters. Serious hikers know the joys of mastering a hot spot before it becomes a blister. Moleskin is not made from any animal, despite its name, and will help that developing blister if used correctly (there's the rub). Do not just stick a slab of moleskin on the irritated area like a Band-Aid (the wrong way). Instead, cut a hole out of the moleskin big enough to place over the irritated area so the shoe no longer rubs against your skin (the right way). You may need to create several layers.
10. Don't buy a shoe that has a narrow toe box. Most brides spend a good part of the evening on their feet, which results in swelling in the foot. "The swelling coupled with a tight fit is a very dangerous situation. "Usually the tendons, the muscles, the ligaments, and the bones are forced to work harder, leading to inflammation, pain, and loss of function, especially if the bride already has a bunion deformity on the big toe."
11. Don't mess around with hammertoe calluses. "Some brides go to a pedicure shop prior to their wedding to have these calluses removed and they end up with very painful and potentially serious infections due to improper and unsterile removal of these calluses." Furthermore, wearing a tight shoe will make the situation even more serious.
12. Don't wear heels higher than one to two inches during the reception. It shouldn't come as any surprise that brides who dance to fast music in high heels increase their risk of ankle and foot trauma-usually in the form of a fracture, or severe ankle sprain. " I call this fracture the Gloria Gaynor fracture because the bride is usually dancing to a fast disco song in high heels. One bride I treated twisted her foot and broke her ankle in one place, and also broke the metatarsal bone."