Best Foot Forward: The At-Home Pedis You Need For Sandal-Ready Feet

There’s something wonderfully satisfying about an at-home pedi done properly; the kind that leaves your feet silky, polished and sandal-ready, with none of the rushed-in-and-out feel of a salon appointment. And in summer, when toes are out and cracked heels are all too common, a regular DIY pedicure becomes less of a luxury and more of a seasonal essential.



The good news? With the right tools and a bit of know-how, it’s surprisingly easy to recreate that salon-smooth feeling at home. It’s not just about painting your nails - it’s about the full ritual: the soak, the scrub, the nail care. Here’s how:

Start with the soak, a step often overlooked at home. Fill a bowl with warm water (add Epsom salts or a few drops of lavender oil if you’re feeling fancy), cue up a podcast or playlist you love and zone out for twenty minutes of R&R. Then, go in with a proper foot file; not the flimsy kind, but a sturdy, salon-grade buffer to gently file away dry skin on the heels, toes and pads of your feet.



Next up, exfoliation. A good foot scrub does more than just soften, it boosts circulation and preps skin for moisture. Follow with a rich, nourishing foot cream or butter - we love anything with urea, shea butter or almond oil - and really work it in. Next up it’s time to file, shape and tidy your nails, ready for colour.

When it comes to polish, a good base coat makes all the difference. It prevents staining and gives your colour staying power. Go for something summery at this time of year - a sheer pink, poppy red or glossy coral - and finish with a glassy topcoat to seal everything in.

Investing in a few hero tools - a proper cuticle pusher, glass nail file and long-lasting polish - will elevate your at-home pedi from basic to blissful. And the real joy? Once you’ve got your ritual down, it becomes something to look forward to - a little weekly moment of calm that leaves you soft-footed, polished and ready to slip into sandals at a moment’s notice.

Here’s the at-home pedi kit we rate highly.