I just bought sandals, my first purchase after a four-month shopping fast. They’re caned mules the colour of hazelnut gelato with a block heel that’s that perfect in-between height: a little lift without the crampy arches. They’d look right at home on the cobblestone streets of some tiny Tuscan town, preferably paired with a tomato-red polish.

I was about to premiere them on a recent balmy day—but then I glanced south of my ankles. “We forget about our feet all the time,” Leeanne Colley reassures me. “It’s been so long since everyone’s pulled their feet out of their socks and slipped into their summer stuff—it’s definitely time.” Time to tackle the calluses and overgrown cuticles, and get our feet sandal-ready again. Here, the nail artist extraordinaire and owner of Toronto’s Tips Nail Bar lets us in on how to do it.

Get smooth

To smooth out any roughness on the heels or sides of the toes, Colley recommends reaching for a foot file a few times a week. Make sure to do this before stepping into the shower as it’s harder to tell the calluses from the healthy stuff when skin is damp. You also want to avoid anything that cuts the skin, like cheese-grater type tools or foot shavers. “Calluses are there for a reason,” she says. “It’s a protection, like padding in the places where you put the most weight when you walk.” Removing too much could lead to even thicker calluses because the skin will be working overtime to rebuild itself. Another safe way to get softer feet is to use peel masks. “They’re the grossest but coolest thing!” Colley says of the skin shedding that occurs in the following days. “I would do that now versus in the summer when you’re outside wearing open-toe shoes,” she cautions. “You’ll want to wear socks for a while, even around the house.”

Start scrubbing

You’ve taken care of calluses, now it’s time to get the rest of your feet feeling silky smooth. That’s where exfoliation comes in. Colley likes using a salt or sugar body scrub to get rid of any dry skin. For heavy-duty buffing, apply the product to dry feet. For something a little lighter, do it while you’re in the shower. Either way, you want to follow up your scrub with a good rinse and some lotion. “In the summertime, make sure to use a moisturizer that’s not too greasy, especially if you’re wearing sandals, because you don’t want to be sliding in your shoes,” says the pro. 

Clean up your cuticles

Just like you have to be careful when buffing off calluses, you also want to go easy on your cuticles. “Cuticles are a barrier for bacteria, so if you remove too much, you’re setting yourself up for a possible infection,” says Colley. That’s why she says cutting and trimming should be left to the professionals. Instead, she suggests applying a cuticle softener to dry—not wet—feet, so you can clearly make out what’s dead and what’s not. Let the product sit for a couple of minutes, then gently push back the skin with a cuticle pusher.  

Do the prep work

“If your toenails aren’t prepped, your polish won’t look great,” warns Colley. For professional-looking results, cut your toenails straight across using a toenail clipper, then file them into your desired shape with an emery board. You’ll also want to grab a soft-grit buffer to slough off any remaining dead skin on the surface of your nails. Next, give your nails a good cleanse with a lint-free pad (paper towels also work) soaked in either acetone or isopropyl alcohol. “Really rub your nails and around the side walls of your toenails to get any oils or debris off,” says the pro. This will ensure a seamless finish while also helping your polish dry quicker.

Put the finishing touches

Many polishes these days have a built-in base coat, but if that’s not the case with your chosen colour, make sure to apply a base coat to prevent any nail staining. Once that’s dry, paint on your polish and wait about two minutes between coats. “Toenails lose their shine a lot faster than your fingernails,” says Colley, “so use a top coat will keep them glossy.” You can also refresh your polish with more top coat and some cuticle oil when you notice it start to get dull. “That’ll really keep it lustrous,” she says. Finally, make sure to use a scrub and moisturizer a few times a week to maintain your pedi. “We should be doing that for our whole body, but it’s important to remember our feet, too,” says Colley. “We really do tend to neglect them.”

 

Shop the advice

RevlonRevlon Foot Smoother, $15, amazon.ca

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The foot file

It’s got two washable, long-lasting surfaces to soften and smooth, a nice long handle to for an easy reach and a plastic loop so you can hang it in your shower (and help you remember to file on the regular). So long, dry, rough heels.

 

Tips Nail BarBodtini Sugar Exfoliating Body Polish, $40, tipsnailbar.shop

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The sugar scrub

This sweetly-scented polish counts on sugar to gently exfoliate both your bod and your feet. It creates a nice creamy lather and moisturizes as it buffs so you don’t have to worry about getting that tight, uncomfortable feeling after.

 

TweezermanTweezerman Stainless Steel Toenail Clipper, $11, tweezerman.ca

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The nail clippers

Fact: Not all nail clippers are created equal. These ones from Tweezerman are specifically designed for toes and check all the boxes: a straight edge to reduce risk of toenail splitting and ingrown nails; strong, sharp blades for precise cuts every time; and stainless steel all over for easy maintenance.

 

CNDCND Cuticle Eraser, $18, shoppersdrugmart.ca

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The cuticle remover

A creamy blend of four alpha-hydroxy acids that gently dissolves the bonds between dead skin cells and sloughs them away to reveal nice healthy cuticles. Bonus: It also conditions the nail plate and surrounding skin and helps prevent hangnails. 

 

Baby FootBabyFoot Skin Exfoliator, $30, thebay.com

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The foot mask

If you’ve never done one of these foot peels, you have to try it! You slip on the paper socks soaked in the gentle peeling solution and leave them on for the indicated time before rinsing. Then, in the days that follow, the outer layers of your skin will start to shed (it’s strangely satisfying), leaving you with soft, buttery smooth feet. Such a trip!

 

essieEssie Nail Lacquer in Go Ginza, $11, shoppersdrugmart.ca

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The nail polish

Pedicures offer the opportunity to be a bit more daring with colour. Imagine this creamy lavender shade—so pretty!—with a pair of black open-toe mules or white strappy sandals or cognac slides. So much more versatile than you might think!

 

Origins Reinventing the Heel Mega-Moisture For Dry, Cracked Feet, 439, origins.ca

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The foot lotion

Rose fruit and jojoba oil soothe soles, salicylic acid nixes rough patches, shea butter softens and tingly menthol serves up a cooling kick. Pamper your feet with this do-it-all cream.

 

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