While we smooth on the facial and body moisturiser, our poor old feet are much neglected. So now we're letting them out for summer, it's time they had a treat.

OUR poor feet! They spend most of the winter tucked up cosily in thick tights and sensible shoes, then come summer we leave them naked to the world with only a thin sole and a few straps between them and the pavements.

Hot sticky feet get sore and uncomfortable. They slide around on unsupportive sandals and mules. They are also not a pretty sight. Just when they're on show the most, they look their least lovely.

So we've been looking at some first aid for feet. Leisurely treatments at home to make them feel pampered and quick fixes that will keep you going on a tiring day.

Your feet carry you everywhere through this life. Time they had a treat.

ARISTOC PEDICURE SET

£7.99

A neat little set containing pumice stone, foot scrub, cream massage oil, buffer, little wooden roller and socks. This was quite fun but not for serious feet problems - the pretty pink foot shaped pumice fell apart after one use. But it all smelt nice and felt nice. The pink-socks were described as "moisturising". Don't know about that - but they were blissfully soft and comfy,

BODY SHOP STAND UP FOR FEET KIT

£15

A neat little kit combining Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray, Lemongrass Deodorising Foot Polish, Peppermint Cooling Foot Soak, little wooden massager, and a file.

This was a bit curate's egg-ish - good in parts. The peppermint cooling foot soak was a bit of a waste of time. Didn't add much to an un-pepperminty soak. But the Lemongrass Foot Polish was very good - toned up the feet a treat and made them feel very nice and fresh.

The massager was a bit little to be much use, but the Peppermint Foot Spray is pleasant to use and easy to carry round with you on hot, pavement-pounding days.

BOOTS FOOT FIZZ, FOOT SCRUB, FOOT BUTTER

All £4.55, but currently three for the price of two

These looked lovely - nice deep sea blues and greens - but were a bit of a disappointment. The foot fizz - a soak - smelt nice, but little more. The foot scrub wasn't scrubby enough. The cream was quite nice, but all in all, this set was not going to put a spring in your step.

EFASIT SILKY LIQUID FOOT POWDER

£1.90

Deodorises, refreshes, and soothes. A gel that dries to a sort of powder. Leaves your feet covered in white streaks, but it is very neat and easy to use. You could carry it around with you for a fairly quick fix if need be and it is very soothing for hot feet.

MARKS & SPENCER BODY RESPONSE ULTRA COOLING FOOT AND LEG SERUM

£3

This is a bizarre product that reminded us of those self heating cans of survivor soup. It's one one-off treatment - which makes it pricey - and comes in a pouch which you have to attack with your fist. Once you've done that, granules inside dissolve and you have a lotion which "promotes a feeling of lightness in swollen and weary legs".

Well, yes. It smells strongly of menthol and glycerine but it's absorbed quickly by your skin and leaves it feeling a bit tight. But it is indeed wonderfully cooling. Most odd, as if your legs have been taken over by aliens but strangely pleasant. If you're on your feet a lot in the heat, and certainly if you're sight-seeing in a hot foreign city, this could be just the pick-you-up you need, especially if you could combine it with a nice lie down on a park bench. Don't forget to take a pair of scissors to get it open.

MONTAGNE JEUNESSE FOOT COOLER

99p

These are the ones that come in little foot-shaped squidgy packages. It's a gel, actually described as cream foot talc. We tried Iced Blueberry and Balm Mint - and the perfume was so strong it cleared our sinuses as well as soothing our feet.

This was very messy to use and when the gel dried, it wasn't so much a creamy silk finish, as white streaks everywhere. But it was quite fun and effective.

REMINGTON SPORT FOOT MASSAGE

£24.99 (special offer)

"Revives your feet with heat and an invigorating massage."

This is an electrical gadget. You place your feet on two enormous foot-shaped platforms, press the buttons and get comforting warmth and a massage. Well, you're supposed to get comforting warmth and a massage...

After five minutes, there's a bit of a tepid feeling and the massage is neither here not there. But there is a wicked set of ball bearings which you can also switch on and which rotate rapidly and noisily.

If your feet are ticklish, it's an absolute killer.

It was horrible while it lasted but our feet felt quite nice after it was all over. But the effect was pretty much the same with a wooden roller for a fraction of the price.

SUPERDRUG RELAX SOAK and EXFOLIATING SCRUB

Both £2.75.

The foot soak was perfectly pleasant and the exfoliating scrub was nice and gritty, made with lemon and tea tree, it left feet feeling nicely woken up.

TISSERAND AROMATHERAPY FOOT BAR

£3.50

"Cleanse and refresh exhausted feet with stimulating peppermint and antibacterial kanuka oils with added peppermint leaf exfoliant."

This smelt very nice and was a seriously interesting product but was somehow the wrong shape to rub directly onto feet and legs. Once diluted, it seemed entirely ineffective. Great on theory. Poor on performance.