Open toe, i.e. The FINAL FRONTIER

[bambam]

So I have been wearing heels for years at this point, including the sexiest pumps I could find, but haven't worked up the gut to wear my favorite pair of open toe Pleasers, or any of my open toe shoes. It's not that I have big manly feet, quite the opposite I find, I just haven't been able to give myself a proper pedicure, and I refuse to wear those shoes if I don't at least have well kept toes. Any advice on doing this at home? I know going to a salon is a decent idea, but I really want to do it myself, and for some reason, coloring in the lines is still a problem for me. However, I love these shoes too much not to keep trying.

Edited January 25, 2022 by bambam

[SF]

My strict rule....  If you (me) are going to wear sandals - guys or gals - your feet should look nice, and that include some type of a pedicure, professional or do it yourself.  I do both, depends on my schedule and situation.  I give my wife pedicures on a regular basis and sometimes we "splurge" and both go to a salon, it's fun.  

Doing your own pedicure is not that difficult, just takes time.  I use cuticle softener and trim then file my nails.  The last step is a buffer file to smooth the surface of the nails it gives a nice shiny - glossy base for either a clear coat or color.  I started with a clear coat long ago, but for the past few years have been using color exclusively.  It looks nice.  

As for "coloring in the lines" it just takes practice.  When I paint my or the wife nails I always have a cotton ball and paper towel with polish remover handy for mistakes.  Some nail salons use a small artists paint brush that is dipped in acetone for final corrections and touch up's when even they get out of the lines.  I have not tried that but it works well.  Again, practice, practice...

Nice sandals BTW, but not for me, the heel is way to high, but if I were to wear them, as with my other sandals,  I would have a nice pedicure....  

Have fun...   Enjoy your shoes and sandals...   sf

 

[Cali]

If you going to wear open toe sandals you need to have nice nails.  If they look at your feet, and they will, nasty looking toes will distract.

Most of the time I have my toes done at a salon, in fact tomorrow is my next appointment. I get a leg and foot massage with it.  Its not easy for me to do a pedicure and takes me hours to do it right.

I would suggest you go to a salon at least once and watch how they do things.  This will help you to learn how to do it yourself.

Nice Gladiator sandals.

Edited January 26, 2022 by Cali

[chesterx]

6 hours ago, SF said:

...I always have a cotton ball and paper towel with polish remover handy for mistakes.  Some nail salons use a small artists paint brush that is dipped in acetone for final corrections and touch up's when even they get out of the lines...

 

Best tool I have found for self polishing, a box of cotton swabs, in particular, the ones that come to a sharp point. They are made for polish work. One end for dipping into polish remover & the other end for cleanup. Works great for getting into the crevices on the sides of your nails...

[mlroseplant]

All right, I'm going to throw this in here, as sandals are my preferred footwear, and I appear to be in the minority. It is not necessary to paint your toenails to have nice looking feet. I personally prefer unpolished nails on both men and women. Howeveah.  .  . It IS necessary to do some maintenance, and I would advise a professional pedicure if you truly don't know what to do, and while you're there, don't completely bask in the indulgence, pay a little attention to what they're doing, then you can decided later on which route you'd rather go.

Couple of caveats: 1) I realize that many can't go bare for whatever reason, be it fungus, injury, or some other problem, like being a ballerina, that causes the unpainted nails to be unattractive. This segues rather neatly into number 2) Just because you've had a professional pedicure doesn't guarantee you'll have attractive feet. Unfortunately, genetics is unkind to some, kinder to others. Good luck!

Edited January 26, 2022 by mlroseplant

[Gige]

On 1/26/2022 at 4:26 AM, mlroseplant said:

All right, I'm going to throw this in here, as sandals are my preferred footwear, and I appear to be in the minority. It is not necessary to paint your toenails to have nice looking feet. I personally prefer unpolished nails on both men and women. Howeveah.  .  . It IS necessary to do some maintenance, and I would advise a professional pedicure if you truly don't know what to do, and while you're there, don't completely bask in the indulgence, pay a little attention to what they're doing, then you can decided later on which route you'd rather go.

Couple of caveats: 1) I realize that many can't go bare for whatever reason, be it fungus, injury, or some other problem, like being a ballerina, that causes the unpainted nails to be unattractive. This segues rather neatly into number 2) Just because you've had a professional pedicure doesn't guarantee you'll have attractive feet. Unfortunately, genetics is unkind to some, kinder to others. Good luck!

First of "Howeveah" took me a moment to figure it out....(reminiscent of Mr. Ronald James Dio - sooooo showing my age!).

I had always believed that open shoes, regardless of heel height and style, SHOULD (not could or can) not be worn with either tights (nylons, hose, etc) or unpainted toenails.  Likewise, I automatically assumed that toenails should be painted with open toe shoes, especially with pumps worn for a "dressy" occasion or event. Well, yesterday, I noted that my immediate supervisor was wearing a pair of Toms - "Monica" slingback wedges and her toenails was not polished/painted. Thus, this gave me the inspiration I needed to try it for myself. As, I will pick-up some open toe sandals and see how it looks! 

[Cali]

I wear open toe sandals all the time. And almost always the toes are painted. I get my toes (and fingers) done every 3 - 4 weeks. I know how to do it myself, but I don't have all the tools. My thumb is artifically supported, so it is very hard to work on my toes. Besides, I also enjoy the foot and leg massage.

[mlroseplant]

18 hours ago, Gige said:

First of "Howeveah" took me a moment to figure it out....(reminiscent of Mr. Ronald James Dio - sooooo showing my age!).

I had always believed that open shoes, regardless of heel height and style, SHOULD (not could or can) not be worn with either tights (nylons, hose, etc) or unpainted toenails.  Likewise, I automatically assumed that toenails should be painted with open toe shoes, especially with pumps worn for a "dressy" occasion or event. Well, yesterday, I noted that my immediate supervisor was wearing a pair of Toms - "Monica" slingback wedges and her toenails was not polished/painted. Thus, this gave me the inspiration I needed to try it for myself. As, I will pick-up some open toe sandals and see how it looks! 

Neighbor to the east, you know what the weather has been like lately, and it doesn't show any sign of letting up. You won't catch me wearing enclosed shoes (outside of the workplace and when safety requires it) until September. As I said before, I have never used nail polish or varnish of any sort, ever. I also do my own pedicures ever since my favorite nail tech left the biz. No one else is touching my feet. One trick I have discovered is to rub just a tiny amount of petroleum jelly on your toenails before heading out. It gives them a little bit of shine without the hassle of painting them. Also, have you tried a buffing block? That will give your nails shine that will last quite a long time, especially on your toenails.