Father’s Day is almost here and this year, many people are looking for out-of-the-box gifts that are different, unique, and show you really care about dad.
In light of everything happening in the world over the last few years, one thing that we saw many people focus on earlier this year for Mother’s Day was giving gifts that promote health and wellbeing. This year, Father’s Day is shaping up to be very similar, supporting dads who continue to put in such a large effort for their families, and often put their own health – especially their foot health – on the backburner.
Today, we’ve put together a list of Father’s Day gifts that have been ‘trending’ at our clinics over the past month – and it’s not too late to get yours too with orders and gift vouchers available in time for September 4th.
1. Comfortable, Supportive And Stylish Shoes
Whether your dad is one of those dads who seems to have worn the same pair of shoes for the past decade, struggles to find shoes that his feet feel comfortable in, or prefers ‘trendier’ shoe options that unfortunately leave his feet with corns, calluses or blisters – we have a perfect gift option for you.
Many My FootDr clinics across Australia have a retail store for footwear with trained shoe consultants and podiatrists to help dad find the best shoes for his feet. We stock top mens and womens brands such as HOKA, Saucony, Scholl, New Balance, Dr Comfort, On Men’s Cloud, Ziera, Revere, Merrell, Vioniv, Naot, Anodyne, Birkenstock, Propet and more. Just call your local My FootDr centre to confirm that they have a retail store, and if not, you have full access to our largest range from our online store. We include an online size guide to help make it easy, and have a generous returns and exchange policy, offering a full refund or exchange on all unworn purchases for 30 days from date of purchase.
The reason behind our large men’s shoe collection is that our shoes play such a crucial role in keeping our feet pain-free and feeling great, as our shoes become the new ground that we walk on. As such, the shoes we select for our stores carry a range of features to suit a range of occasions, designed with varying features that promote foot health and comfort, support the arches, improve stability, better distribute pressure at the heel and forefoot, have removable footbeds for our custom foot orthotics, and more.
2. Helping Dad Get Out Of Pain Or Feel More Comfortable On His Feet
We see many dads who have a she’ll be right attitude to foot and leg pain, putting up with pain and discomfort for weeks and months before seeking help. This makes for a thoughtful and caring opportunity to get dad seen by an experienced podiatrist by gifting him a biomechanical assessment.
Biomechanical assessments are a comprehensive 60-minute exam where a podiatrist will get to know everything about dad – from his foot posture and the range of motion available in his joints, to his medical and injury history, to what is limiting him, causing him pain, or causing him to not perform as well as he could be. This involves an extensive assessment, video gait treadmill analysis, pressure testing and more. From there, a treatment plan is created to help manage and resolve dad’s pain and discomfort, while helping prevent the problem from coming back in the future.
3. Orthotics That Optimise Function And Comfort
Orthotics are specialised insoles that replace the regular shoe liner. Unlike regular liners that simply offer some padding, orthotics are prescription devices – working for your feet in a similar way that prescription glasses work for your eyes. Gifting dad a pair of custom foot orthotics means that he will have his feet 3D scanned and thoroughly assessed to create orthotic devices that will serve the specific purpose he needs – whether that’s to help him feel more comfortable and support his performance on the golf course, give him some relief from the pain at his heel or ball of his foot, reduce that tired achy feeling in his feet and legs that he gets at the end of the day, help him stay comfortable while on his feet all day at work – or something else.
4. Socks That Promote Foot Health
While comical socks have been a long-mused Father’s Day gift, gifting long-wearing, good quality, comfortable and warm socks, especially in the winter, is a much-appreciated gift in many Australian households. Alongside our shoe range, we also stock a range of socks to suit a range of conditions – thicker, durable socks that work perfectly for tradies in work boots on their feet all day, running socks that draw moisture away from the feet and demote conditions like an Athlete’s foot fungal infection, compression socks that help with swelling – even seamless socks to reduce the risk of foot injuries in those with diabetes.
5. Gym Or Sports Club Membership
Exercise has a wide range of benefits – not only for our physical health, but for our mental health, too. While it may be hard to find time to exercise, being gifted a gym membership or access to a sports club can be highly motivating. Regular exercise is great for foot health – everything from supporting bone and muscle strength to improving circulation to keep cells and tissues functioning at their best.
6. Fungal Nail Treatment
If your dad has a fungal nail infection – even if he’s tried creams, sprays or tablets in the past with no luck, we may be able to help. Our clinics offer innovative treatments for fungal nail infections which include antifungal hot laser and cold laser treatments. Laser can be more effective for treating fungal nail infections than traditional treatments, and is performed quickly and safely in our clinics. For dad, this means he can have clearer and healthier looking nails by summer when it’s time to show off our feet.
7. Cracked Heel Treatment
Cracked heels are common in men – particularly if they spend all day on their feet and on tough surfaces like concrete. While small cracks on the heel may be unnoticable, cracks often tend to get worse over time if they’re not treated and become more and more uncomfortable for dad – especially when they’re associated with hard, thick calluses. As the cracks worsen and deepen, they can also crack the healthy skin, which can bleed, become painful, and put dad at risk for an infection.
We love treating cracked heels because of the immense difference that one appointment can make. Your podiatrist will use specialised medical instruments to debride any thick callus and reduce the cracks. We’ll also smooth over the heels so loose skin from the cracks doesn’t catch on socks and other surfaces, which can painfully pull on the skin. Overall, dad will walk out of the appointment feeling much better on his heels.
8. Nail Restoration
Finally, nail restoration is one treatment that is gaining great popularity among men in recent years. For dads that have disfigured, moth-eaten or poorly looking toenails, nail restoration repairs the appearance of dad’s nail in a single appointment. This is done through a process called Keryflex, which creates a completely natural-looking nail over the existing nail. It does not look manicured at all – it simply restores the original, natural shape of your nail.
To book an appointment for dad or purchase a gift voucher, contact your nearest My FootDr podiatry clinic or shop our shoe range online.