Dang, I missed it.  What, you ask? My husband’s birthday?  An anniversary? A big sale at Macy’s?   

NO!  I missed August 7 which is one of the lesser (or not at all) known holidays of the year—Wiggle Your Toes Day!  

This day—shockingly of which the origins are unknown—celebrates all the piggies: the ones who went to market, stayed home, ate roast beef…you get the idea 

And right now, you’re wondering, does Dr. B have a toe fetish?   

Oh lawdy no! 

You see, women always take great care to make their lady parts look all shiny and clean before their appointments with me.  One recently even went so far as to put some shimmery powder all over her poof. (And this later caused a small contact dermatitis that itched so bad she wanted to get her mushroom scrubber out). 

But I can tell far more about how a woman is feeling, how she’s surviving, by looking at her toes.  See, in those fancy stirrups a woman’s feet are literally in stereo to my face…and while women care about how their cookie looks and smells…to me, the feet are more telling.  

Recently, I had a woman who chose the most beautiful shade of midnight blue on her perfectly polished piggies.  She told me that was her big treat to herself, a pampered pedicure next to the Petsmart.  

My pedicure inspired by my patient!

Self-care of our feet is necessary!  Whether you have dainty little nubbins or Ronald McDonald worthy shoe size (remember you always have a friend wearing big red shoes). 

In honor of (the belated) Wiggle Your Toes Day, give your feet (and your toes) a little extra attention. Here are some things we can do to love our feet toe-day! 

Take a walk in the fresh grass and give your phalanges a little vacation. They’ll thank you. While you’re giving them some freedom, provide them with a buff, too. That’ll give them something to wiggle about.  

Let your toes feel the grass or the sand on the beach if you’re near the shore. There’s nothing like a natural foot buff from walking through the sand! 

Dangle them in the water at the pool or let them feel the cool pebbles along a shoreline if you live by a stream or a lake.  

Take them for a swim. Some spas even hire fish to nibble your toes to give them a fresh look (does this give you the willies?). Afterward, they’ll give them a gentle massage…the spa employees, not the fish! 

Recently my dancer son, who abuses his little feet, but oh they serve him well…got some disposable foot wipes to freshen. Because nobody likes stinky feet. But don’t freak out if your feet don’t smell all the fresh. We have more than 250,000 sweat glands on EACH FOOT so if you’re wearing shoes all day, it’s pretty normal for them to start stinking after several hours. 

When you get home after a long day, give your tootsies a little soak in some Epsom salt and lavender oil. Then pull on fresh, clean socks and you’ll be feeling refreshed in no time. 

Those canvas shoes—Vans, Toms, etc.—can help keep the air flowing around your feet, too. And during hotter months, they’re THE way to go if you want to keep your feet cool.   Just wash them frequently because those dudes can start stinkin’ as well. 

Calluses and cracked heels got you down? Gently exfoliate those babies with a pumice stone and lotion them up at night before bed. Better yet, use a foot peel and watch the layers of moisturizer-neglected literally fall off your feet. It’s gross. And your kids will love seeing how much sloughs off your feet…Trust me. 

Taking care of your feet is such an easy way to take care of the rest of you. And take it from me: next time you’re about to find your feet in those stirrups, don’t worry about your hoo-hah so much!