Three Do-it-Yourself Strategies

1. Exfoliate and Moisturize
Filing your feet a little each day can keep calluses and hard heels from ever appearing. "Once a month won't do it. You have to do it every other day, if not daily," says Erika Kirkland, president of Pretty Inside and the Polish Nail Emporium, in Brooklyn. Use a foot file or a pumice stone on your soles while you're in the shower and a liberal dose of hydrating lotion afterward.

2. Gently Shape Nails and Condition Cuticles
Avoid trimming toenails too closely and cutting cuticles, which can cause ingrown toenails and lead to infection. Cut toenails straight across with nail clippers. Then shape nails and push back cuticles with nonmetal tools — an emery board, a nail buffer, and an orangewood stick.

3. Polish and Protect
A pedicure should last at least two weeks, but nail lacquer can show signs of wear sooner. "Reds hold on better than any other color because they're more heavily pigmented," says Los Angeles manicurist Kristi Marie Jones. To make your polish last longer, paint a horizontal strip along the top edge of your toenails before applying two full coats.