Picture this: you’re wrapping up the end of a very successful, highly motivating tango practice session. You felt all the moves, the connection between you and your partner was amazing, and your musicality was right on target. You walk off the dance floor feeling elated, and sit down to take off your dance shoes. You undo the buckle, remove the strap, untie the laces, and then WHAM – the minute they come off, you all of a sudden feel the blood rushing back into your feet. And the tension in your toes. And the ache in your arch. Sound familiar?
The lady tangoista’s out there know what I’m talking about. Don’t take offense Gents, you have your own tango related problems to watch out for. But imagine having your feet squeezed into 3 to 4 inch heels for a span of 2-5 hours. Proves to be not very comfortable, let me assure you.
Ever since I started dancing Tango more religiously (at least once a day), my feet have rapidly declined. No longer are my arches smooth and graceful, my toes moisturized, my heel soft. My toes are so dry they’re cracked, my heels have scars on them from where my shoes (and those of other people) have scratched them up, and the balls of my feet now go numb on random occasions because I’m on my toes so much.
I started to notice this severe change in my feet about two months ago. I happened to look at my feet one day as I was walking out of the dance studio, and I literally stopped in my tracks. Whose feet were those? Where did those toes come from!? Needless to say, something had to be done about this, and fast. Not only did it bother me that my feet looked like this, what would people say if they were watching my footwork as I was dancing? The thought of their reaction was unacceptable.
Right off the bat, I started getting pedicures on a weekly basis. For those of you that don’t know the process of a pedicure, you soak, scrub, slather, and smooth every known body product onto your feet and calves, followed by a paint job in the color of your choice. These weekly pedicures held up for some time, but even then they just weren’t doing the job (and eating away quickly at my bank account).
It was at this point that I started to take action myself. I couldn’t rely on anyone else to pamper my feet the way that I needed them pampered, so I started my own foot care regimen. And let me tell you, my feet have never looked (or more importantly, felt) better since I started dancing. Not to mention the money I’m saving by not getting pedicures.
The nicest part the new foot care regimen? It’s quite possibly the easiest process ever. All you’re going to need is a big tube of shea butter and some nice, toasty socks right out of the dryer. Start by liberally applying shea butter to every nook and crannie on your feet. I’m talking everywhere: in between your toes, on your heals, and especially the tips of your toes (for me this seems to be the dryest part). If you think you’ve used too much, it’s probably just enough.
After smothering your feet in shea butter, place them immediately in warm socks out of the dryer. The heat from the cotton will allow the butter to set into your skin faster and deeper, allowing the benefits of the shea butter to increase significantly. Try and keep the socks on for a minimum of half an hour, just to make sure the shea butter has absorbed into your skin deep enough to have a lasting effect.
I perform this ritual at least once a week, if not more. It keeps my skin soft, feet happy, and a smile on my face. Foot TLC that’s easy AND cheap? What more could a tangoista want!
Yours in Tango,
Allison Pachilis
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Took your advice and gave myself quite the tango pedicure to get ready for my first night back at the milonga. Deep Steep’s Peppermint Foot Stick (shea and cocoa butter) is faboo for this btw. I’m keeping it in my shoe bag from now on.