0:00 to 3:00: Soak

Soften skin by soaking feet in warm water. Add a handful of salts to help soothe tired feet.
RS Pick: Pañpuri A Path Less Ordinary Foot Herbal Salt Bath, $26.50, www.amazon.com.

3:00 to 6:00: Exfoliate

Pat your feet dry, then slough off dead skin cells with a dry foot file, says Sarah Chambers, a nail technician at Brownes Beauty Lounge, in Miami. Choose a file with a medium grit.
RS Pick: Tweezerman Spa Callus Smoother, $20, www.tweezerman.com.

6:00 to 10:00: Trim and File

Trim nails straight across using a straight-edge clipper. Use three cuts on each nail, as clipping the whole nail at once can cut it too close to the skin. Smooth the edges with a fine-grit emery board.

10:00 to 11:00: Moisturize

Rub a rich cream on your feet, top and bottom. Don’t forget your heels and cuticles.
RS Pick: Curél Deep-Penetrating Foot Cream, $5 at drugstores.

11:00 to 20:00: Polish

Clean leftover cream from nails with a cotton pad soaked in polish remover. Apply a base coat, two coats of nail color, and a topcoat. (See Pretty Summer Nail Polish.)

20:00 to 35:00: Dry

Give nails at least 15 minutes to dry before slipping on open-toed shoes (it can take up to two hours for them to dry fully). To speed things up, apply quick-dry drops after the topcoat.
RS Pick: O.P.I. Drip Dry Lacquer Drying Drops, $7, www.opi.com for locations.