Missy Franklin says her huge feet are a big topic in London

Missy Franklin is getting lots of attention in London and it has nothing to do with her historic medal haul at the Aquatics Centre. Well, it has something to do with it.

The 17-year-old rising high school senior told NBC on Monday that her size 13 feet have been drawing attention from athletes around the Olympics. Host Michele Beadle joked that she'd put a stop to those having fun at the expense of Missy's trotters, but Missy, in her typical bubbly demeanor, said she doesn't mind. In fact, she's proud of her big feet.

And why wouldn't she be? Those feet helped her win four gold medals in London and played a part in her becoming America's Olympic sweetheart. Her dad says they're Missy's "built-in flippers."

Sometimes you see young female athletes with abnormal size become uncomfortable in their bodies. Missy has none of that. Given how gracefully she moves in and out of the pool with her 6-foot-1 frame (remember that "Call Me Maybe" clip?), it's no wonder.

"I think it's helped me so much," she told ThePostGame last year. "God has blessed me with an excellent swimmer's body."

Foot Anatomy: Your Amazing Feet

Despite delicate foot anatomy, your feet are able to take a pounding every day. Help them go the distance by identifying and correcting common foot problems, from corns and calluses to Athlete's foot and hammertoes.

The human foot has 42 muscles, 26 bones, 33 joints, and at least 50 ligaments and tendons made of strong fibrous tissues to keep all the moving parts together … plus 250,000 sweat glands. The foot is an evolutionary marvel, capable of handling hundreds of tons of force — your weight in motion — every day. The foot’s myriad parts, including the toes, heel, and ball, work in harmony to get you from one place to another. But the stress of carrying you around puts your feet at high risk of injury, more so than other parts of your body.

Many foot problems, including hammertoes, blisters, bunions, corns and calluses, heel spurs, claw and mallet toes, ingrown toenails, toenail fungus, and athlete’s foot, can develop due to neglect, ill-fitting shoes, and simple wear and tear. Your feet also can indicate if your body is under threat from a serious disease. Gout, for instance, will attack the foot joints first.

Foot Problems: Athlete's Foot
Caused by a fungus that likes warm, dark, and moist environments like the areas between the toes or on the bottoms of the feet, athlete’s foot can inflame the skin and cause a white, scaly rash with a red base. The athlete’s foot fungus also causes itching, burning, peeling, and sometimes a slight odor; the infection can also migrate to other body parts. You can avoid athlete’s foot (also called tinea pedis) by keeping your feet and toes clean and dry and by changing your shoes and socks regularly. Over-the-counter antifungal creams or sprays can be used to treat athlete’s foot. If these remedies do not work, however, you may need to see a podiatrist and ask about prescription-strength medication.

Foot Problems: Hammertoes
If your second, third, or fourth toe is crossed, bent in the middle of the toe joint, or just pointing at an odd angle, you may have what’s called a hammertoe. Hammertoes are often caused by ill-fitting shoes. Early on, wearing inserts or foot pads can help reposition your toe, but later it becomes fixed in the bent position. Pain then sets in and you may need surgery. Because hammertoes are bent, corns and calluses often form on them.

Foot Problems: Blisters
It’s this simple: If your shoes fit well, you won't have blisters. Soft pockets of raised skin filled with clear fluid, blisters are often painful and can make walking difficult. It’s important not to pick at them. Clean the area thoroughly, then sterilize a sewing needle and use it to open the part of the blister located nearest to the foot’s underside. Drain the blister, slather with antibiotic ointment, and cover with a bandage. Follow these same care steps if a blister breaks on its own.

Foot Problems: Bunions
A bunion is a crooked big-toe joint that sticks out at the base of the toe, forcing the big toe to turn in. Bunions have various causes, including congenital deformities, arthritis, trauma, and heredity. A bunion can be painful when confined in a shoe, and for many people, shoes that are too narrow in the toe may be to blame for the formation of bunions. Surgery is often recommended to treat bunions, after conservative treatment methods like over-the-counter pain relievers and footwear changes fail.

Foot Problems: Corns and Calluses
Corns and calluses form after repeated rubbing against a bony area of the foot or against a shoe. Corns appear on the tops and sides of your toes as well as between your toes. Calluses form on the bottom of the foot, especially under the heels or balls, and on the sides of toes. These compressed patches of dead skin cells can be hard and painful. To relieve the pain, you may want to try placing moleskin or padding around corns and calluses. Don’t try to cut or remove corns and calluses yourself — see a podiatrist for care.

Foot Problems: Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Spurs
It’s common for doctors to confuse heel spurs and plantar fasciitis when a patient comes to them with heel pain. Heel spurs are found in 70 percent of patients with plantar fasciitis, but these are two different conditions. Plantar fasciitis is a painful disorder in which the tissue that connects the ball of the foot to the heel – the fascia – becomes inflamed. Heel spurs are pieces of bone that grow at the heel bone base and often develop after you’ve had plantar fasciitis. The heel spurs themselves are not painful; it’s the inflammation and irritation caused by plantar fasciitis that can hurt. Heel spurs are often seen on X-rays of patients who do not have heel pain or plantar fasciitis.

Foot Problems: Claw Toes and Mallet Toes
Claw toe causes all toes except the big toe to curl downward at the middle of the joints and curl up at the joints where the toes and the foot meet. Calluses and corns may often form when someone has claw toes. While tight shoes can be blamed for claw toes, so can nerve damage to the feet (from diabetes or other conditions), which weakens foot muscles.

With mallet toes, the last joint of the toe bulges, and a painful corn will grow near the toenail. Generally the second toe is affected because it’s the longest. Injuries and arthritis are among the causes of mallet toe.

Foot Problems: Gout
Gout is a type of arthritis caused by a build-up of uric acid in joint tissues and joint fluid, which happens when the body is unable to keep uric acid levels in check. One of the first places for this build-up to occur is in the big toe joint — temperature-wise, the toes are the body’s coolest parts, and uric acid crystallizes with temperature changes. You’ll know a gout attack when it happens: The toe will get warm, red, and swollen and will be painful to even the slightest touch. The best way to prevent a gout attack is to learn to identify triggers, including high-purine foods, red meat, seafood, and alcohol. Applying ice, keeping hydrated, and staying bed may help, too.

Foot Problems: Ingrown Toenails
The right way to clip toenails — straight across — is key to foot health. If you don’t cut them properly, the corners or sides of the nail can dig into skin and become ingrown. Other causes of ingrown toenails include shoe pressure, a fungus infection, and even poor foot structure. When you cut your toenails, use larger toenail clippers and avoid cutting nails to short, as this can also cause ingrown toenails or infection.

Foot Problems: Toenail Fungus
Toenail fungus can give nails an unattractive, deformed appearance. It can alter the nail’s color and spread to other nails, even fingernails. Avoiding toenail fungus is difficult, especially if you walk through wet areas where people tend to go barefoot, such as locker rooms and swimming pools. People with chronic conditions, such as diabetes or immune deficiency diseases like HIV, are especially vulnerable and may want to keep their shoes on.

Ugg Boots Achilles Heel? They May Cause Foot Pain

Podiatrists say popular slipper-like boot can be shear agony on the feet.

The wildly popular Australian boots are everywhere these days--even worthy of "how to wear them" videos on Youtube.

Forest Park Medical Center podiatrist Rachel Verville said that's probably a good idea because if not worn properly the super-comfy boots can be a real pain in the feet.

"The main thing is moderation," Dr. Verville said. "If you only wear them for a few hours every day you should be fine but if you wear them for an extended period of time or multiple days on end you can develop pain."

Dr. Verville sees a growing number of young women experiencing foot pain--she asks them all the same question: What shoes are you wearing?

"Often times its UGG's," Dr. Verville added that UGG's and knockoff-boots like them are comfortable but with their slipper-like feel they offer no support. "Basically there is a large tendon that runs down the inside of your foot called the posterior tibial tendon and if you wear non-supportive shoes for a long period of time you can develop posterior tibial tendonitis which is tendonitis of that tendon."

Which is painful enough for people to seek medical help.

Katie Taylor wears high heels at work and then slips out of them and into her UGG's on her way home. She wears them with caution and hasn't had any problems.

"They're warm, my feet get cold a lot so I really wanted to have a warm shoe," Katie said. "But also whenever I'm at work I wear really uncomfortable shoes and I change into my UGG's when I can't take the pain from my other shoes."

Dr. Verville also owns a pair of UGG's and says many women wear theirs without socks which can turn the sheepskin lined boots into bacteria traps.

"I suggest one should wear socks," Dr. Verville said. "Just a thin layer of sock inside the boots because if you sweat, moisture develops and athlete's foot and that kind of thing can develop."

So with UGG's and other sensible shoes like them--use a little common sense.

Oudin will need a lot of what her U.S. Open shoe says

Last year, Melanie Oudin "believed" her way into the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. This year, the 18-year-old will try to break out of her recent slump with some "courage."

Oudin will take to the court at this year's Open with personalized adidas shoes emblazoned with the word "COURAGE." Last year, her "BELIEVE" shoes became one of the major stories of the tournament, thanks to their folksy orgin, bright colors and Oudin's magical run to the quarters. This year, she and adidas opted for less mantra and more fortitude:
"The reason I chose the word COURAGE is because in order to believe you have to have the courage to do so. Courage to me means playing with no fear and going for it no matter what. You can believe in yourself so much but unless you have the courage to go on the court and put yourself on the line every time you won't make it. You need courage and belief to make it to the top."

Oudin is going to need all the courage she can get in Flushing Meadows. She's just 18-23 since last year's Open run and a first-round loss could drop her as far as No. 90 in the rankings. Barring a deep run at Flushing Meadows, Oudin's ranking will drop far enough where she'll be forced to play qualifiers at most major tourneys.
Maybe the shoe should have said "MIRACLE" instead.

Runners: Fit Feet Finish Faster

Both long-distance runners and casual joggers can improve their performance by keeping their feet in top condition and taking steps to control foot problems common in runners.

The human foot is a biological masterpiece that amazingly endures the stresses of daily activity. For runners, the feet are more vulnerable to injury than any other part of the body, and these athletes should be on the alert for signs of foot problems that can slow them down if not treated promptly.

The most common complaint from runners is heel pain caused by inflammation of the ligament that holds up the arch, a condition known as plantar fasciitis. In athletes, heel pain can result from faulty mechanics and overpronation in which pressure is unequally applied to the inside of the foot. It also can be caused by wearing running shoes that are worn out or too soft.

At the first sign of heel pain, runners are advised to do stretching exercises, wear sturdier shoes and use arch supports. In some cases, icing and anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, are helpful. Should heel pain continue, custom orthotics, injections and physical therapy might be required? Surgery normally isn’t considered unless heel pain persists for more than a year and conservative treatment has failed to bring relief.

Neuromas and tendonitis are other common foot problems that affect runners. A neuroma is a pinched nerve between the toes that can cause pain, numbness and a burning sensation in the ball of the foot. Overly flexible shoes often are the cause and padding, orthotics or injections usually are effective. Sometimes surgery is the answer if pain between the toes continues for more than six months.

Serious runners can be sidelined with tendonitis if they ignore the warning signs of this overuse-related condition. There are several forms of tendonitis that affect the Achilles and other areas, and all are treated with rest, icing, stretching and anti-inflammatory medications, and sometimes with orthotics and physical therapy. Over-zealous training usually causes tendonitis, especially among beginners who try to do too much too soon.

A common myth among athletes is that it’s not possible to walk or run if a bone in the foot is fractured. Surprised patients often say “It can’t be broken, I can walk on it." That’s dead wrong, especially with stress fractures when pain and swelling might not occur for a few days. If a fracture or sprain is suspected, runners should remember the word RICE as an abbreviation for Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation. Should pain and swelling continue after following this procedure for three or four days, you should see a foot and ankle specialist for an x-ray and proper diagnosis.

Other common foot ailments runners should watch for are:
Athlete’s Foot: This fungal skin disorder causes dry, cracking skin between the toes, itching, inflammation and blisters. It can be prevented and controlled by washing the feet regularly and carefully drying between the toes; switching running shoes every other day to allow them to dry; wearing socks made with synthetic material instead of cotton; and applying over-the-counter ointments.

Toenail Problems: Ingrown nails can cause inflammation and possible infection and usually are treated by cutting the corner of the nail with sterile clippers. Black toenails happen when a blood blister forms under the nail from trauma, and it’s best to let the nail fall off by itself. Fungal toenails are yellow, brown or black and sometimes are irregularly shaped and thick. They are best treated with oral anti-fungal medications.

Foot Odor: There are more than 250,000 sweat glands in the foot and daily hygiene plus regular changing of shoes and socks are best for controlling sweat and odor. Runners should avoid wearing cotton socks and running without socks. Foot powders, aerosols antiperspirants and vinegar soaks also are helpful.

Blisters, corns and calluses: Never pop blisters unless they are larger than a quarter or are painful or swollen. Use a sterile instrument to lance the corner, leave the top as a biological dressing, wash, apply antibiotic ointment, and cover with a Band-aid. Corns and calluses are caused by repeated friction, and should be treated by aseptically trimming the dead skin and eliminating the underlying cause.

A Major Cause of Amputation in Diabetics

A major cause for leg amputation in diabetics is an infection in the foot or ankle. Because many diabetics do not recognize the signs of a foot or ankle infection, the condition often goes untreated and can rapidly lead to amputation.

Early signs of an infection to the foot or ankle include any area that is red, hot, & swollen. A diabetic may also notice an unexplained elevation of their blood sugar. As the infection progresses, the person may experience nausea, vomiting, fever & chills.

Infection in diabetics needs to be treated early and aggressively. Diabetes can decrease the body’s ability to fight infection. When this happens, a simple foot infection can lead to leg amputation in a matter of days.

Open wounds, blisters, athlete’s foot, and cracks in the skin can leave a diabetic susceptible to a foot or ankle infection. If you are diabetic and you notice any area of your foot or ankle that is red, hot & swollen, or you have an open wound or a blister, call your foot and ankle specialist immediately! Remember, aggressive & early treatment of infection in diabetics can greatly reduce the need for amputation.