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Somewhere between the pointed-toe stilettos, block-heel boots, and chunky wedges, we forget to take care of the feet that wear them. Trends come and go, but healthy feet never go out of style. Welcome to Feet Week, our series on what to wear and how to care for everything from your ankles to your toes.
On the list of jobs requiring your feet to be in tip-top shape, “prima ballerina” is at the top. Swelling, inflammation, corns, blisters, even permanent changes like bone spurs—professional dancers see and feel it all.
Who better, then, to ask for foot care tips for our Feet Week series than one of the stars at the world-renowned New York City Ballet?
Tiler Peck, 37, is an Emmy-winning ballerina who most recently choreographed and starred in the hit music video for Olivia Rodrigo’s “Stupid Song.”
She is also the author of books like XO Ballerina Big Sis and has an array of A-list celebrities gushing over her on Instagram—and for a good reason. In May, the New York Times described her as “a star ballerina, still in her performing prime, creating major ballets for her own company.”
Peck gave The Looker a rundown on her inflammation remedies, daily practices, and secret weapons for foot pain.
Footcare, Ballerina-Style
Some daily practices are non-negotiable for Peck, especially during practice and performances.
“I always wear a clear stretch tip over my big toe with my pointe shoes,” she told The Looker. “That’s to prevent bruised toenails.”
And, to prevent corns, she wears lamb’s wool between her fourth and fifth toes.
“We’re really prone to corns. If you get an infected or a bad corn, it can feel like a broken foot, and you almost can’t dance,” she explained.
After practice, Peck switches her pointe shoes to New Balance sneakers with orthotics from her podiatrist, and in the evenings, she soaks her feet in Epsom salt.
For a professional ballet dancer, taking care of toenails is also crucial.
“I try to get a pedicure every two weeks,” Peck said. “I ask for the toenails to be cut square; I feel like it helps to avoid ingrown toenails.”
Her Secret Fixes for Foot Pain & Swelling
The California-born dancer and choreographer, who began training at age two, has learned many tricks for treating foot pain throughout her career. But there is one above the others.
“If there’s something that is hurting, there’s this remedy that I sleep with overnight. It’s called Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay,” she revealed.
Peck said she and some of her fellow dancers mix the clay with apple cider vinegar.
“It’s like a secret recipe that the ones of us who use it really live by,” she said.
Adding, “If you put that on whatever part is inflamed, and then you wrap it with Saran Wrap, and sleep with it, that can make all of the difference the next day.”
Peck has simple at-home remedies for swollen feet: an ice bath and elevation.
“Before sleep, if I’m watching TV or something, I’ll lie on my back and put my feet up on a chair at a 90-degree angle. It lets my back decompress at the same time that it helps reduce swelling [on my feet],” she said.
Quick Yet Effective Foot Rubs
There’s one more tip Peck gave, and although not easily attainable for most, it is a crucial part of her maintenance: three to four days a week, she gets a 15-minute foot massage.
“We’re so lucky because we get massage and physical therapy every single day at the New York City Ballet,” she said.
Adding, “I get a massage under the bottoms of my feet because our muscles are working so much to get us on pointe and off pointe that they get very, very tight.”
But even for this, she had a more affordable option: “We always also have little balls with us, and if you roll your foot out on a little ball, that also helps.”
