May 2022 - Uufey Shoes

Suitable Footwear For Work

Correct footwear is essential when working especially if you’re on your feet for a long period of time, as it has been proven that 79% of retail workers are on their feet for four to ten hours a day. As well as this, health care workers such as nurses can be on their feet up to 12 hours a day which is a lot, so correct footwear really is important.

One of our favourite customer reviews is from Debbie, who is currently a nurse and wears her Uufey Shoes with pride, here’s what she had to say!

“I identified that when I consistently wear unsupportive shoes, I suffer achy arches, joint pain, and other uncomfortable problems. Since trying @uufeyshoes the story is different for me. If your profession involves anything from running alongside a gurney to standing for hours in an operating room, the right shoes are a must. You need shoes that can accommodate your feet (breathable), durable but also lightweight and slip resistance” You can view nurse Debbie’s post’s over on Instagram on @behealthywithdebs.

Suffering from pain due to your workplace

Many workers suffer from aches and pains due to being on their feet for long periods of time. As stated by the CCOHS “standing is a natural human posture and by itself poses no particular health hazard. However, working in a standing position on a regular basis can cause many aches and pains such as sore feet, swelling of the legs, general muscular fatigue, lower back pain, stiffness in the neck.” Retail workers also face these issues especially as they are often stood in the same position scanning items until they can get their break or go home, so having shoes that are non-slip and comfortable is super essential to everyone especially workers on their feet for long periods of time!

According to TUC studies found that “it is estimated that around 80% of the adult population has some form of foot problem. This can vary from aches and pains to swelling and comes to fungal infections and varicose veins. While not all of these are a result of work activities, a large proportion is.” When choosing footwear, you should, always opt for a pair with arch support.

Preventing and relieving pain

Arch supports evenly distribute weight by putting some of that pressure across your feet versus leaving all the pressure in the heel or the ball of the foot. You can also buy arch support pads, which will help to ease the pain when wearing less supportive shoes.

Relieving foot pain can be a long process, but here are some at-home remedies to try to ease your foot pain,

Get a tennis ball to self-massage your feet.
Wear supportive shoes.
Try soaking your feet in saltwater
Try giving yourself breaks during your day and exercise.

You can also purchase some of our foot care accessories we have an 8-piece Plantar Fasciitis relief & Foot Pain Kit which you can use alongside the at-home remedies above.

If you’re finding that nothing is really easing or helping at all with your foot pain or any pain caused by being on your feet all day it may be best to maybe make an appointment with your local GP.

Uufey 31st May 2022

Health

Itchy Feet: 4 possible reasons and preventions

Itchy feet can be caused by many issues such as dry skin, harsh soaps, medical conditions and much more carry-on reading or causes, cures and remedies to help prevent and put a stop to your itchy feet!

1. Athletes’ foot

Athletes’ foot is a contagious fungal infection that causes itchy skin problems on your feet. An itchy, stinging, burning rash forms on the infected skin. Below are things that you should avoid as this can bring on athletes’ foot.

- - Things like damp socks
  - Damp shoes
  - Warm, and humid conditions

The following symptoms could indicate if you begin to suffer from Athletes Foot. The foot itself and between the toes become really itchy. Skin is dry, cracked, flaky or redness appears.

Suggested Remedies for Athletes’ Foot

- - Wear clean cotton socks
  - To help towards keeping your feet dry, change your socks and shoes often.
  - Make sure your feet are completely dry after washing your feet especially in between your toes.
  - Tea Tree Oil according to ‘Medical News Today’ they said “One study found that solutions containing 25 per cent and 50 per cent tea tree oil worked significantly better than a placebo in relieving athlete’s foot between the toes”

2. Psoriasis

Another reason why you may be suffering from itchy feet is Psoriasis, plaque psoriasis can occur on almost any part of our body, including our feet.

What ‘Plaque Psoriasis’ looks like and how to treat it

This type of psoriasis causes red, dry patches of skin known as plaques. These plaques are usually covered in silvery scales and can be itchy and sore. In more severe psoriasis, plaques may also crack open and bleed.

To help ease this form of psoriasis, take care to avoid injury to your hands and feet as even minor trauma can worsen your psoriasis. Another way to look after your psoriasis or even get rid of the condition altogether you can try at home remedies such as,

- - washing the area gently in warm, not hot, water with a moisturizing soap or even soaking in a warm bath for around 15 minutes, as this helps loosen up the scales and helps reduce the itching and inflammation caused by Psoriasis.
  - An extra tip whilst bathing in your warm (not hot) bath try adding sea salt, oatmeal, bath oil, or a bath gel containing coal tar to the water can further soothe and moisturize your skin, so this will not take away psoriasis but it will help alongside.

3. Contact dermatitis

Contact dermatitis can be caused by something simple such as a change in laundry detergent. So firstly, the most obvious way to prevent/stop your flare-up with contact dermatitis would be to stop using the product that is the cause of this and try sticking to what you know or using sensitive skin products when trying anything new.

Symptoms of Contact Dermatitis

- - Redness
  - Itchiness’
  - A patchy or scaly rash
  - Dry and Cracked skin
  - Bumps/Blisters or both
  - Swelling, Burning and/or tenderness.

Treatment for Contact Dermatitis

- soaking in a comfortably cool bath, according to the ‘Mayo Clinic’ you can also sprinkle the water with baking soda or an oatmeal-based product.
- Omega free fatty acids are known to help reduce inflammation in the body. According to ‘Health Line’ and I quote “This can be beneficial for psoriasis inflammation is what causes the itchy red flakes”.

Omega 3’s can be found in a variety of different foods such as,

- - Flaxseed oil
  - Nuts
  - Fatty Fish
  - Seeds
  - Soy

As well as this, you can maybe book a visit to see your local GP just for an extra bit of advice and they may prescribe you some steroid creams, ointments or oral medications.

4. Dry Skin

Lastly, another reason why you may be suffering from itchy feet could be ‘Dry Skin’ this can occur if your feet are lacking in their natural oils and itchiness can be a warning sign that your skin is in a poor condition.

Unfortunately, scratching is likely to damage the area further which can be very annoying as dry skin can be really itchy but make sure you do not scratch your dry skin as this can also make it easier for any harmful bacteria to infect your body.

How to know if you have dry skin on your feet?

Your feet will be,

- - Often appears on the sides of the feet or the heels.
  - Can appear in between the toes also.
  - May make the infected area itchy, tight, and even painful.

Although having itchy feet may be very irritating, it is rarely ever harmful but if it does cause you a lot of discomfort it may be of some use informing your GP and seek medical help and remedies such as lotions, ointment, and creams!

At-home remedies for dry feet,

- - A foot file or rasp
  - A pumice stone or foot scrub
  - Foot cream or heel balm
  - Moisturizing gel socks or heel socks
  - Liquid bandage

Uufey 24th May 2022

Health

Foot Verrucas: Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Them

First of all, what is a foot verruca? Verrucas are foot warts, small lumps on the skin caused by a virus. The NHS website says “Verrucas appear on your feet. They have tiny black dots under the hard skin. Warts do not cause you any harm, but some people find them itchy, painful or embarrassing. Verrucas are more likely to be painful – like standing on a needle.”

What happens if you leave a Verruca?

While the human body is quite adept at getting rid of some of its own problems, verrucas are somewhat of an exception. If they are left untreated, their infectious viral nature of them can cause them to spread on the affected area and create something known as a mosaic wart, which is harder to get rid of. Not to mention, they can spread to other people. They also tend to grow, usually up to a centimetre or wider. All of this means the pain and discomfort can stay for longer and get worse.

So, what should you do if you have one?

First of all, in the short term, change your socks daily while you have one, and it might be wise to put a plaster over the affected area, definitely if you plan on swimming. Wash the affected area daily, and wash your hands anytime you touch a verruca. As for what you probably shouldn’t do, try not to scratch or pick at it, this will only irritate it and exacerbate the problem. Walking barefoot is also not the best idea, and definitely not in public or shared spaces.

For somewhat a more serious and pointed solution, make an appointment with your GP, your doctor or a skin specialist, or a dermatologist. They can recommend treatment options like cryotherapy, creams and ointments. Cryotherapy is a very interesting solution, you may have heard the term or words like it before, it involves using extreme cold, usually nitrogen or argon gas, to freeze the verruca. The effectiveness varies, but usually, the verruca will fall off after a few weeks, with a few sessions of cryotherapy. Another option you may be offered is a cream or ointment, which, with the gradual, sustained application, can gradually kill the virus.

No matter what treatment option is available or that you choose, there is no reason to ignore a foot verruca. If there is one thing we believe at Uufey, it’s that no one should have to live in pain and discomfort.

Uufey 18th May 202219th May 2022

Fashion Footwear Shoes

Espadrilles: How to style them this summer

So, with summer being upon us now is the time to start getting your summer outfit inspiration and ditch the winter wardrobe, with that being said let’s take a look at Uufey’s ‘Crown Dual espadrilles’ and how to style them.

Firstly, let’s talk casual! So, I would style our ‘Crown Dual Espadrille’ in the colour ‘stone’ with a pair of white jeans a classic and endlessly chic as proven by the autumn/winter 2021 shows, and very much summer vibes would pair perfectly with a summery white top. This look is perfect for daytime outings, running errands or even just as simple as getting to the food shop in! You can also accessorise this look with a simple white handbag to add to this simple but effective look!

If you want to go for more of a dressy vibe, you could dress it up with a white summer dress, or a blue denim jacket and opt for our ‘Blue’ option in the espadrilles. This outfit is perfect for a summery day out at the beach, a summer shopping day or day drinks with the girls! As well as the white jeans white dresses are also very chic and add an elegant look to your outfit and are perfect for your spring/summer wardrobe. As well to this, denim jackets are always a great choice when choosing your summer looks, Jean Jacket pair well with just about anything, especially in the hotter months, they pair great with floral dresses, skinny jeans, and even yoga outfits, you just have to know how to style them.

Another style to pair with our ‘Blue’ option is, some denim shorts, paired with a blue blouse, this outfit would be for a casual day in the sun in the summer maybe a day out at the beach. The blue gives off super beachy vibes with the colour blue representing the sea, this outfit is super casual but the blue blouse adds a dressy feel to the look, so you could even wear it when doing daytime brunching. Although the blue blouse isn’t the exact shade of blue on the espadrilles, they complement each other and it doesn’t look too much! If you wanted to you could also add a denim jacket for the evening, as double denim is totally a look if you style it correctly!

Lastly let’s get some inspiration for our ‘Stone’ option in Uufey’s espadrilles, for a daytime shopping trip our stone espadrilles would match perfect with an all-in-one denim suit, this is perfect as it’s super casual but gives a really classy and boujee effect, it’s super summery and perfect for that time of year as it’s a super airy fabric and really soft, but perfect if it’s more a cooler day.

Uufey 10th May 2022

Fashion Footwear Shoes

Running shoes: What to look out for

We at Uufey advocate often for getting outside, for walks and runs. But the most important part of that is having the right footwear, a comfortable pair of running shoes. But why is it so important?

Well, you don’t want to trip of course. And it can increase your chances of developing foot conditions and pains such as plantar fasciitis, hammertoes, bunions and more. Or you could just be sore after every run. So, instead of trying to relieve the symptoms after the fact, how do you get the right pair of shoes in the first place?

Check your shoe size

First off, your shoe size. Are you completely certain of your current shoe size? Different shoe sizes and measurements apply across the world, and even between different shoemakers the sizes and their actual fit can vary. To make things a little easier, we have a size guide available here, for women, men and children’s sizes.

Finding the perfect pair

Now let’s get into the specifics. Specifically, you! What are the goals that you are going to be accomplishing? Where will you be accomplishing them? The places you’re running, are they flat surfaces, uphill, downhill, muddy or sandy? Keep all these in mind when you’re looking for the perfect shoes.

There are a few extra little things you might want to have, little secrets from those in the know. For example, a little extra toe length in the shoe can be useful for the swelling of the foot, as all feet tend to swell somewhat due to exercise. Also, you may notice running shoes are made from many different materials, like meshes designed for better airflow and keeping the feet cool. Also, you may want seamless shoes, or at least no seams on the upper portion of the shoe, as they can cause blisters.

Finally, a little reminder on things necessary for every shoe, like arch support. Having the right support for your foot’s unique arch is very important, as when running, the foot can be under the force of twice your body weight. You may also want to consider the flexibility and firmness of the shoe, firm enough to keep their shape under lots of use, but flexible enough to allow your foot’s natural movements.

If possible, (although it’s a little harder in the digital age) you might want to try your shoes before you commit to them. At the Uufey store, we offer a robust returns policy, because we want people to be happy with their shoes. So, if your shoes are a little big or small, you can return them and get the right size. Our returns policy is available here.

Uufey 3rd May 2022