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Nasty climbers feet

Original Post
JeffL · · Salt Lake City · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 65

How do you take care of your nasty feet? I'm talking about try skin on the bottom of the toes, mangled toenails, etc. Seems like when we alternate between climbing shoes with no socks, and damp ski/snowboard boots in the winter, our feet never get relief.

eli poss · · Durango, CO · Joined May 2014 · Points: 525

nail clippers and a bar of soap. Wash your feet every day and keep your toenails short. take your shoes off and let your feet air out when you get home and try to wear flip flops as much as you can. If you wear them a lot, spray them with disinfectant spray about once a week to kill the smell-generating bacteria that will undoubtedly start to grow for the smell, I put dryer sheets in my shoes (regular and climbing shoes) as soon as I take them off.

Obviously YMMV but feet hygiene extremely important when you climb

Wilson On The Drums · · Woodbury, MN · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 940

pics or it didn't happen

christoph benells · · tahoma · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 306

tryactin

christoph benells · · tahoma · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 306

tryactin like a man!

little baby feet

Steven Groetken · · Durango, CO · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 390

Nasty feet are a sign of pride for some, just like fighters flaunt the cauliflower ear.

FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276

Dry, scaly skin on your feet may be a fungus.

Try using Lotrimin Ultra.

Lex Bally · · Decatur, GA · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 135
eli poss wrote:Obviously YMMV but feet hygiene extremely important when you climb
+1 for the good hygiene. I have struggled to keep foot stink down since I started climbing, and a good bar of soap is gold. I also keep my toe nails as short as I can cut them at all times to prevent any nail issues from developing in the first place. Once you get a hangnail, it's a pain to get rid of.

As for dry/cracked feet, I highly recommend O'keeffe's working hands (works great for hand calluses as well). Fantastic moisturizer, particularly for issues involving really thick and callused skin.

Unless, as mentioned above, it's a fungal issue. I'd stop by the local pharmacy for that.
Joy likes trad · · Southern California · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 71

clean and dry at least once a day

Jonathan Cunha · · Bolinas, CA · Joined May 2014 · Points: 63

I did use crazy glue to keep my big toe nail attached during a recent climbing trip. Worked pretty well--trust me, you don't wan to see the pics...

Robert Mooring · · Lafayette · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 300

Pedicure once or twice a year- the dead skin literally flies off its rad. Plus bonus foot and calf massage. And you will score points with your lady for being willing to do something like that

Robert Mooring · · Lafayette · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 300

Also i was hesitant at first because I thought I needed the calluses for cramming my feet into cracks.

Nope

Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425

putting lotion on your feet at night helps too. I wear flip flops like all the time in spring summer and fall, so my feet can get dried out and cracked.

Justin Brown · · Bend, OR · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 120

For dry cracked feet use Rhino Skin Solution repair Cream.

RhinoSkinSolutions.com

Leify Guy · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 367
Jonathan Cunha wrote:I did use crazy glue to keep my big toe nail attached during a recent climbing trip. Worked pretty well--trust me, you don't wan to see the pics...
Mine is currently super glued on... I keep my toe nails short, but they still seem to be slowly getting more and more beat up and dying/ getting misshaped, anyone have any info to avoid toe nail damage?
Joy likes trad · · Southern California · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 71
Leif E wrote: Mine is currently super glued on... I keep my toe nails short, but they still seem to be slowly getting more and more beat up and dying/ getting misshaped, anyone have any info to avoid toe nail damage?
buy bigger shoes and climb better in cracks (don't get your toes stuck)
caesar.salad · · earth · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 75

My personal remedy is never wash anything, don't wear socks, bathe once a month, and rub feces into any wounds.

But seriously, I use Hardcore Hand Care for any dry skin (the key ingredient is lanolin, so really anything with that will work, even Bag Balm). Super gluing your stuff back together is fine in the short run, but when done in a non-sterile environment, you are essentially gluing in bacteria and dirt.

Joy likes trad · · Southern California · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 71
caesar.salad wrote:... lanolin...
Avoid this product at all costs
Marc801 C · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 65
gription wrote: Avoid this product at all costs
Why? Some quick googling shows that some percentage of people are allergic but nothing serious jumps out.

beautifulwithbrains.com/201…

dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/wo…
Finn The Human · · The Land of Ooo · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 106
Suburban Roadside · · Abovetraffic on Hudson · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 2,419

I have not read very many of the posts

Get a pack of Butt Wipes, from the baby supply aisle
they come in sealed plastic envelopes ( refill paks ) & plastic tubs,
Then add 1 cup of White Vinegar, I have also used Apple Cider Vinegar,
to the package.
When you take off your climbing shoes grab a wipe , one for each foot.
Get in-between the toes.
Also Do this every night,
in the extreme cases soaking in a 50/50 solution &
Using the wipes both before and after soap and water.
Dr Bronners, pure-Castile soap w/ tea tree oil,
Out-grow nail solution for toe nail issues.
Tea Tree oil in the wipes or alone, has also helped .
Also soaking in Epsom salts helps keep feet and toe nails healthy.

Back when I climbed every day, in the dark ages,
shoes were fitted so tight that my pinky toe, toe nails almost went away

Does anyone remember wearing EBs on opposite feet?
Green run outs; a type of shoe, = Foot vices, torture,
anyone remember green foot from wearing those?

Foot care, includes proper hygiene, sometimes, for some, stink foot can be mitigated but
For others it is part of the perfume of life

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

General Climbing
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