Unfortunately, you see it every year. Girls walking out of the races, after a long hard day of standing up in bad shoes, barefoot with shoes in hand.

Not only is this dangerous, with the potential for injury from standing on broken glass, it's not a good look!

Sweaty or Smelly feet (Bromhidrosis) are a really common condition. Basically when your feet sweat a lot, it allows bacteria to form on the surface of your skin. Which can cause an odour.

There are a few things you can do, that can make a really big difference to your smelly feet. Often it is not actually your feet that smell bad, but your shoes and socks, as they soak up all the sweat.

I thought it would be helpful to put together this list of things you can do to prevent smelly feet, so here it is:

Wow – it’s been a busy, busy month! It feels like I have been working every second of every day.

You see, next month I open my very first Melbourne Podiatry Clinic [more information about that soon]. After working as a Podiatrist for many years, for some really great people, I decided the timing and opportunity were right for me to open my very own clinic. I’ve agreed to rent a room, in an already established Physiotherapy Clinic, which is in close proximity to the local shops and a doctor’s surgery. This way it’s a little less scary than going completely out on my own.

So I have been busy deciding which chair to buy, comparing prices of podiatry medical suppliers, reading about the different types of sterilising equipment and looking at all the cool office furniture you can get!

Take a look at this video that the Australian Podiatry Association has put together about Podiatry as a Career. Gives a good little run down on what a podiatrist does.

Ever wondered how to avoid cracked heels?

Dry and cracking heels are a huge problem over the summer months and can lead to nasty infections. There are 3 things you can do to help minimise/improve your dry heels over the summer months:

I have recently seen Channel 7's Today Tonight replaying this episode covering the hygiene standards of nail salons. Unfortunately, I have seen a few patients come in with similar complaints to the one's shown in this episode.

If you are visiting these kinds of places, always ask what type of sterilization they perform on their equipment. Sterilization needs to occur on equipment after every single patient. This is what your Podiatrist, by law, must do. If the nail salon doesn't sterilize equipment after each patient with an Autoclave, the odds of contracting a fungal infection increase.

Summer can be a really tricky time for people who wear orthotics or arch supports. This is due to the limited summer footwear options that will accommodate orthotics. The good news is shoe companies are aware of this and more options are available than ever before.

The new year is the perfect time to set some goals for your health and fitness.

Whether it be loosing weight, training for a particular event or simply getting fit, now is the perfect time whilst the sun is shining and the weather is warm. Unfotunately I see many people with the best of intentions but have niggling, injuries or pain holding them back. The best way to avoid this is to ensure you prepare yourself correctly prior to starting a new activity or exercise.

1. Start by thinking about the type of exercise you want to do and how you can fit it into your lifestyle.

2. Set yourself small goals and don't try to increase your activity too quickly. This is how overuse injuries develop! It takes time for your body to adapt to a new activity and if you push it too hard too quickly you will undoubtly end up sore! Seek advice from a health care professional or personal trainer if you are not sure how much is too much.

156 days to go until the 2012 Oxfam Trailwalker Melbourne!

The Oxfam Trailwalker event is scheduled for 20-22 April 2012. With the trail starting in Wheelers Hill and moving through a course in the Dandenong Ranges.

By now most people have organised their teams of four. I know a few teams have even started training already! Great work guys!

The more preparation you can do for a gruelling event like this, the better. The majority of teams do not complete a single 100km walk in preparation for the event. Therefore issue's may strike during the event, that you have not experienced while training.

From your training you may start to notice pains or sore spots in your feet. This can be caused by many factors including structure of your foot, choice of shoes and socks. A podiatrist is trained to assess and treat problems with your feet.