Summer may be one of the more enjoyable times of the year; however, it can be a really harsh time on your feet if you don't take proper care of them. Without proper foot care, you can find short walks to be difficult and painful. With all the sun and outside time your feet are going to get this summer, make sure you take good care of them.

#1 Put On Sunscreen

The number one thing that you can do to protect your feet in the summertime is to put sunscreen on them. Be sure to put sunscreen on the tops of your feet, near your ankles, and be sure to apply it around your toenails as well.

Wearing sunscreen will prevent you from getting a painful sunburn on your feet when you spend a day outside. Sunscreen will also protect your cuticles and ensure that they don't dry out. When your cuticles dry out, the growth of your toe nails will be impacted.

Be sure to put sunscreen on before you go outside and reapply it every couple of hours throughout the day, especially if you are going barefoot or if your feet are exposed to the sun based on the shoes that you are wearing.

#2 Keep Your Toe Nails Bare

Lots of people take the opportunity in the summertime to show off their killer nail polish painting abilities and pedicures. However, when you put nail polish on your toe nails, you are preventing your toes from being able to properly breathe, grow at a healthy rate and get rid of chemical residue.

Take a break from nail polish this summer, even if it is only for one week each month. Taking a break from nail polish will help keep your nails healthy and it will help prevent discoloration on your nails.

#3 Avoid Salts

If you feel like your feet are swelling up a little too much this summer, it is most likely because of all the salts in your diet. Salt is the most common reason food-related reasons that people's feet swell up. Keep your feet at the right size by reducing salt and processed foods in your diet. Also, be sure to get lots of water to stay hydrated. You'll want to be drinking a lot of water anyway because of the heat.

#4 Moisturize Often

Heat and sun, as well as exposure to things such as sand and dirt, can really dry out your feet during the summertime. In order to protect your feet, you need to moisturize them. Right when you get out of the shower or path, you should apply moisturizer or oils to your feet. You should also apply moisturizer and oils to your feet before you go to bed; this will help keep your feet soft.

When you apply moisturizer, focus on your heels. The skin around your heels tends to be thicker than the rest of your foot and tends to get dry at a faster rate than the rest of the skin on your feet.