Human feet are really an amazing part of human anatomy that we never even think about - unless one or both of our feet hurt. Did you know that in one human foot and ankle there are 26 bones? Yes, 26 bones. That is one-fourth of the total number of bones in the entire human body.

In your feet there are also 33 joints, more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. And let’s not forget the nerves, blood vessels and skin that wraps the whole thing up so nicely.

By the time we are one-year old most of us are up walking on our feet and we continue to walk on them for the rest of our lives. They take us all kinds of places…grade school, college, work, play and home. They bear the entire weight of our bodies and they move like marvelous divinely engineered machines as they transport us from point A to point B over and over and over again year in and year out.

Yet we don’t give our poor feet a second thought unless they are injured, suffer from some disease, or we have abused them to the point that they are in pain. We can treat our feet better. We SHOULD treat our feet better! We only take good care of our feet when they hurt and demand our attention, but with just a little care we can prevent at least some foot pain altogether.

Here are some suggestions that can prevent foot pain:

• Keep your toenails trimmed will help to prevent those painful ingrown toenails.
• Keeping your feet well moisturized will help to prevent hard calluses from forming.
• Wear shoes that fit well and don’t pinch, bind, or rub your feet to prevent blisters from forming.
• Massage your feet to help improve blood circulation. This can help to prevent a great many problems from ever occurring.

And speaking of massage, there’s nothing like a massing bubble bath for your feet. Ahhhh… this Conair Deluxe Massaging Foot Spa is very reasonably priced at only $39.99, and regular use could help save you many times that cost in treatments for your aching feet. You’ll save money not to mention pain. And your feet will thank you!

All ladies know that high heeled shoes are not designed with comfort in mind. They are designed for style, they are designed to accessorize ensembles, and they are designed with the purpose of showing off feet and legs to their best advantage. Any comfort afforded is strictly accidental!

Every woman I know, given the choice, would always choose comfort - sandals or tennis shoes for any and all occasions. There are, however, times that only a pair of heels will do. There are occasions when heels, and only heels, are appropriate.

And then there are those times when we…well… we just want to show off a little bit. We want to look cool, sophisticated and, yes, sexy!

Valentine’s Day is one of those occasions. The man of our dreams, our knight in shining armor, invites us out for a special, romantic Valentine dinner or dance. A comfy pair of tennis shoes or well-broken-in flats won’t do any more than a comfy pair of jeans and a t-shirt. No indeed! The occasion demands an eye-catching ensemble and a pair of really, REALLY sexy heels.

The Sidewinder Red from Max Studio is just what you are looking for. The upper is made of red satin and there is a skinny 3 ¼ inch heel. The open toe is knotted at the vamp and braided beautifully up to the adjustable ankle strap. The Sidewinder Red by Max Studio is a beautiful, sexy, smashing shoe that is priced very reasonably at only $134.99.

It’s not often you find an Italian-made loafer with this much beauty and style that’s also low-heeled, comfortable, and with a roomy, square toe box.

For those of you who love Italy’s impeccable workmanship but need a shoe that won’t torture your tender feet, this Via Spiga Alixar fits perfectly.

The Alixar comes in either a glossy patent or smooth leather upper. The square toe front has an apron style overlay and a faceted faux gemstone detail, with impressive stitching details overall. It’s the details and fine workmanship that make Italian-made shoes so special, and this shoe has them all - metallic hardware accents, a leather lining and leather topped insole, matching leather-wrapped low heels, and a smooth leather sole.

Look at what a beautiful shoe this is… yet built not just for style, but for comfort.

It’s no wonder the Alixar is a popular shoe, since it’s a fusion of the casual slip-on with dressier accents, and it’s COMFORTABLE. Get it now at the best price we’ve found, with free shipping and free returns at ShoeBuy.com.

(And if they’re out of stock, which they may be at this price, here’s another place to get the Via Spiga Alixar.)

Pain in the heel in one of the most difficult types of foot pain to treat. Many conventional treatments only work imperfectly or temporarily. Here are a couple of heel pain relief techniques that have given me relief in the past - perhaps they’ll help you, too.

1. Contrast foot baths.

This treatment often provides fast relief for any type of foot or heel pain, and it’s virtually free. All you need is two containers - one with hot and one with cold water. Here’s what you do:

• Soak your foot for 5 minutes in cold water.
• Now put your foot into a container of hot water. The temperature of the water should not be cool, lukewarm, or warm - it.should be as hot as you can stand.
• Soak the foot in the hot water for 5 minutes.
• Now move your foot back into the container of cold water.

Repeat the procedure until the pain is gone. This process is often called “water massage,” since it has a similar effect as massage by opening and closing blood vessels.

2. Put some heat on your feet!

Ointments such as Zostrix Cream are enriched with capsaicin, a natural ingredient in hot peppers that also has analgesic properties. Capsaicin cream can therefore be very helpful in relieving foot pain. (If you also suffer from burning feet because of neuropathy, this type of capsaicin cream can sometimes be helpful in cooling the pain.)

Just be forewarned - when you first apply the ointment, you will feel a burning sensation for a short time. But the more you use capsaicin cream, the less “burn” you will feel. And since capsaicin cream is a topical medicine, you tend to avoid the side effects from oral pain medications.

Just be sure to talk with your doctor before you begin, since capsaicin cream therapy is not right for everyone.

You can get many more tips like this from the foot pain book featured on this site. It’s called Banish Foot Pain Once and For All, and I highly recommend it.

If there’s one thing I’d like to tatoo on the forehead of every shoe designer in the world, it’s this: Comfortable Doesn’t Have To Be Ugly.

And if there’s still room on their thick skulls, I’d add this: Beauty Does Not Equal 3″+ Heels!

Take this attractive Roma Pump from SoftWalk. The “Truffle Nubuck” version on the left has lots to recommend it fashion-wise. The colors are contemporary, the detailing is attractive but not overdone, and it doesn’t look dowdy or old. Even the non-slip tread looks like fashion detailing.

Wear the Roma Pump with a tweed pencil skirt and opaque tights in a dark chocolate brown, and no one will know you’re comfortable.

The SoftWalk Roma Pump is equally - maybe even more - attractive in black. This shoe can easily work with wide-leg pants, tights and a short skirt, or even a wrap dress.

The super-cushy egg crate foam allows you to stay on your feet a lot longer. The quality and workmanship is also pretty good for an import. The price is fair, too. And if you’re like my daughter, who has a very high instep, the stretch leather topline makes the shoe that much more comfortable.

For those of us who can’t even tolerate a 2″ heel - much less the gorgeous but tortuous 3-4″ heels that are so commonplace today - the Roma Pump can solve a lot of
fashion problems without making you blind with pain. Get it here.

I just love my Spira Walking Shoes! I got my Spiras over a year ago, and they have made a huge difference in helping relieve heel and arch pain after a day of walking, shopping, or just doing things around the house.

I have the Spira Women’s Classic Leather Walker in white, but now that Spiras come in other colors, I’ll be getting a pair in black, too! One great thing about Spiras is they wear like crazy. My Spiras look practically new, even after a year.

Spira Walking Shoes are really unique because they have an actual stainless steel spring in the heel - yes, a bouncy metal spring! They not only cushion my steps, they make my whole body feel more energetic. The Spira WaveSpring™ technology isn’t available in any other shoe, so you have to get genuine Spiras to be sure you get all the benefits.

I really feel my Spiras also help with those aches and pains from arthritis, probably because the extra cushioning absorbs the shock from walking and standing for long periods of time. If you have a lot of pain in your heel or forefoot after standing or walking, try a pair of Spiras and see if they don’t make a real difference!

Aching heels need these Silipos Heel Cushions! Before you spend hundreds of dollars on custom orthotics, try getting relief from heel pain with these soft and gentle cushions! These super-cushy silicone heel cushions might be all you need to relieve sore, aching heels as well or even better than those expensive orthotics. I’ve NEVER gotten custom orthotics that helped my plantar fasciitis, but heel cushions provide a lot of relief.

Plus these heel cushions also absorb shock that aggravates pain in your joints. The extra soft blue silicone insert makes these extra comfortable!

When the foot pain really starts getting to me - and when I find myself wishing I could wear those gorgeous shoes everybody else gets to wear - I’m really grateful for FootSmart. I’ve been buying from them for years. You can’t beat their prices or their customer service, they are real pros when it comes to comfortable footwear.

If you haven’t bought through FootSmart before, a great way to try them out is to check out the FootSmart Clearance section. Click here to go visit this very helpful place to get shoes and accessories that can really help ease that foot pain.