Thanks for that. It leaves me incredibly confused.
It seems there are two ( perhaps more) distinct schools of thought on footcare. Those who want to soften them, and those who want to toughen them up. I am in the 'leave them alone except for rigorous toenail cutting' and ensure that you have the best quality and most comfortable socks and footwear, that suit you best. This is particularly important for me as an Australian living in a beachside suburb in a wonderful climate so I am barefoot MOST of the time. I also can't imagine having any form of cream or 'goo' in my shoes and socks, let alone collecting dirt if I am barefoot or in sandals. Horses for courses I guess! Kanga was telling me about some silicon spray that she uses for lack of friction and I would prefer something lighter than a Vaseline or cream base if I get a friction point. I am also experimenting the thin sock (or stocking) thick sock scenario and alternating walking in Merrell shoes and my wonderful Teva water sandals. BTW there was a very interesting talk at the recent Camino festival about the benefits of bare feet.