Your feet carry you through thousands of steps every day, but it’s surprisingly easy to ignore them until something starts to hurt.
An ingrown toenail that makes every pair of shoes uncomfortable. A painful corn that keeps coming back. A verruca you’ve been trying to treat for months. Heel pain that is beginning to affect your walking. Changes to your nails or skin that you’re not sure are normal.
These are all reasons you might start searching for an experienced foot specialist in London.
But how do you know when you need a podiatrist, what should you expect from an appointment, and how can you choose a foot specialist you can trust?
At Feet By Pody, we’ve been providing professional chiropody and podiatry care in London since 2006. Our team of HCPC-registered podiatrists works across five London clinics, providing everything from routine foot care through to specialist treatments for persistent nail, skin and musculoskeletal problems.
This guide explains what to look for when choosing a London foot specialist, and what experienced podiatry care should involve.
What does a foot specialist do?
“Foot specialist” is a broad term. In the UK, the regulated professionals you are likely to see for foot problems are podiatrists and chiropodists.
Despite the two different names, there is no difference between the service provided by a podiatrist and a chiropodist. Podiatry is a degree-level healthcare profession, and both “podiatrist” and “chiropodist” are protected titles that can only be used by professionals registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
A podiatrist can assess and treat problems affecting the feet and, depending on their training and area of practice, the lower limb too.
That can include:
- Corns and calluses
- Ingrown toenails
- Fungal nail problems
- Athlete’s foot and other skin conditions
- Verrucae
- Heel and foot pain
- Biomechanical and gait problems
- Sports-related foot problems
- Diabetic foot concerns
- Nail and skin conditions requiring more advanced treatment
Some podiatrists also undertake additional training in areas such as nail surgery, musculoskeletal podiatry or other specialist treatments.
So when you’re looking for an experienced foot specialist in London, it’s worth looking beyond the job title and finding out what that particular practitioner is qualified and experienced to treat.
When should you see a foot specialist?
You don’t have to wait until a foot problem becomes unbearable before seeking help.
A useful rule is that if a problem isn’t settling with normal foot care, keeps coming back, is affecting the way you walk, or is starting to interfere with your everyday life, it’s worth having it assessed.
The Royal College of Podiatry recommends seeking professional advice when foot problems don’t resolve naturally or through routine foot care.
You might benefit from seeing a podiatrist if you have:
Persistent pain
Foot pain can have many different causes, and treating the painful area without understanding the cause isn’t always enough.
A podiatrist can assess how your feet function and look at factors such as footwear, movement, pressure and loading to help determine what may be contributing to the problem.
A recurring corn or callus
A corn can be removed, but if the pressure that caused it remains, it may simply come back.
That’s why experienced foot care isn’t necessarily about repeatedly removing the same corn. It is also about asking why is this happening here?
Your footwear, foot shape, walking pattern and the way pressure is distributed through your foot can all play a part.
An ingrown toenail
Ingrown toenails can range from a mildly irritating problem to a very painful and infected one.
If the nail repeatedly grows into the surrounding skin, simply cutting it back may provide temporary relief without solving the underlying problem. Depending on the severity and history of the problem, a podiatrist may recommend conservative treatment or nail surgery.
NHS guidance recommends seeking professional advice if an ingrown toenail is not improving, is painful and swollen with pus, or if you have diabetes.
A verruca that won’t go away
Some verrucae disappear without treatment, while others can be stubborn and remain for months or longer.
There isn’t one treatment that works for every verruca. Treatment may depend on its size, location, how long you’ve had it, whether previous treatments have worked and how it is affecting you.
At Feet By Pody, treatments can include options such as cryotherapy, needling and Swift microwave therapy, depending on the individual case.
Changes to your toenails or skin
Thickened, discoloured, damaged or unusual-looking nails aren’t necessarily caused by a fungal infection.
Trauma, pressure, skin conditions and other nail disorders can produce similar changes.
This is one reason why diagnosing the problem before treating it can be important. At Feet By Pody, biopsy testing is available where clinically appropriate for suspected fungal nail infections, helping to establish what is actually causing the problem before treatment is recommended.
Problems affecting the way you walk or exercise
If your feet hurt when running, walking, standing or exercising, the problem may not be isolated to the painful spot.
A biomechanical assessment can look at how the feet and lower limbs move and how forces are distributed during movement. This can help identify factors that may be contributing to symptoms and whether treatments such as exercises, footwear changes or orthotics may be appropriate.
What should happen during your first appointment?
One of the biggest differences between good podiatry and simply “having your feet done” is the assessment.
An experienced podiatrist shouldn’t automatically start treating the first thing they see.
Your appointment should begin with understanding why you’ve come in.
Depending on your problem, your podiatrist may ask about:
- When your symptoms started
- What makes them better or worse
- Whether the problem has happened before
- Previous treatment you’ve tried
- Your general health and any relevant medical conditions
- Your footwear
- Your work and lifestyle
- Your activity or sporting routine
- Any medication that may be relevant
They will then examine your feet and, where appropriate, assess movement, pressure, skin, nails, circulation or sensation.
The aim isn’t simply to identify what looks wrong.
It’s to understand the problem well enough to decide what treatment, if any, is appropriate.
Sometimes the best advice may be straightforward self-care or a change in footwear. Sometimes treatment in the clinic is appropriate. And sometimes further investigation or referral to another healthcare professional is the safest option.
That clinical judgement is an important part of experienced podiatry.
Why experience matters when choosing a London foot specialist
Podiatry covers a surprisingly broad range of conditions.
Someone looking for help with a routine corn, for example, may need a very different assessment from someone with a recurrent ingrown toenail, persistent verruca, diabetic foot concern or chronic heel pain.
Experience matters because it gives a practitioner a wider range of situations to draw on.
At Feet By Pody, founder and Clinical Director Nicolas Ivanoff qualified in podiatry in 2005 and has worked in private practice since then. He established Feet By Pody in London in 2006 and has subsequently developed the practice across several London locations. His areas of particular interest include nail surgery, verrucae needling, shockwave therapy and biomechanics.
That experience also extends into more complex nail and skin problems. Advanced nail and skin surgery at Feet By Pody is carried out by Nicolas, including procedures such as partial or total nail avulsion and, where clinically appropriate, more advanced surgical techniques for persistent conditions.
Don’t just look for a “foot specialist” – check their credentials
Anyone choosing a healthcare professional should be able to find out who is treating them and what qualifications they hold.
In the UK, podiatrist and chiropodist are protected titles. The professional must be registered with the HCPC to use them. You can check a practitioner’s registration on the HCPC Register.
It is also worth looking at:
- How long they have been practising
- Their specific areas of experience
- Whether they offer the treatment you actually need
- Whether they explain your options rather than automatically recommending one treatment
- Whether they have appropriate clinical facilities
- What aftercare is provided
- Whether they are willing to refer you elsewhere if your problem falls outside their scope of practice
At Feet By Pody, our podiatrists are HCPC registered and the practices are accredited by the Royal College of Podiatry.
What makes London foot care different?
Living and working in London creates some very specific demands on your feet.
You might spend an hour commuting on the Tube, walk several miles between meetings, stand for long periods at work, run to catch a train, or walk much further than you realise simply getting around the city.
Then there are London’s pavements, stairs, changing surfaces and the shoes that often go with working life.
For some people, the issue isn’t simply “bad feet”. It’s the combination of how much you walk, what you’re wearing and how your feet respond to that load.
For example, if you have developed a painful corn underneath the forefoot, repeatedly removing the hard skin may help temporarily. But if the pressure continues every time you walk, the corn is likely to return.
Similarly, if your heel becomes painful every time you increase your running distance, simply resting until it settles may not answer the question of why it keeps happening.
This is where assessment becomes valuable.
What treatments are available at Feet By Pody?
Feet By Pody provides a broad range of podiatry and chiropody services, allowing your treatment to be matched to the problem rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
General chiropody and foot care: Routine treatment can help with problems such as corns, callus, thickened nails and other common skin and nail concerns.
For many people, regular professional foot care can make a significant difference to comfort, particularly when thickened nails or hard skin make walking or wearing shoes uncomfortable.
Ingrown toenail and nail surgery: Some ingrown toenails can be managed conservatively. Others are recurrent, infected or particularly painful and may require nail surgery.
Feet By Pody offers nail surgery using local anaesthetic, with treatment selected according to the individual condition and clinical assessment. More complex nail surgery is carried out by Nicolas Ivanoff.
Verruca treatment: Persistent verrucae can be frustrating, particularly when you’ve already tried treatments from the pharmacy or online.
Feet By Pody offers several treatment approaches, including cryotherapy, acid treatments, needling and Swift microwave therapy. The appropriate option depends on the individual verruca rather than there being one universally “best” treatment.
Fungal nail assessment and treatment: A nail that looks fungal isn’t necessarily fungal.
Where appropriate, testing can help establish whether a fungal infection is present. Feet By Pody offers biopsy testing alongside treatment for fungal nail problems.
Diabetic foot assessment: Foot care deserves particular attention if you have diabetes because some complications can increase the risk of serious foot problems.
A diabetic foot assessment can include examination of the skin, circulation and sensation, alongside advice about ongoing foot care and risk management.
If you have diabetes and notice a new foot wound, significant change in colour or temperature, swelling, infection or loss of sensation, don’t rely on routine self-care. Seek appropriate medical advice promptly.
Biomechanical assessment and orthotics: Not every foot problem requires an orthotic.
A biomechanical assessment can help determine whether there are movement or loading factors contributing to your symptoms and whether an orthotic or another intervention is appropriate.
This is particularly relevant for people experiencing recurring problems while walking, running or taking part in sport.
Shockwave therapy: Feet By Pody also offers shockwave therapy for appropriate musculoskeletal conditions. The treatment uses mechanical pressure waves and is a non-surgical approach used for certain soft-tissue problems.
Your podiatrist should first establish whether the treatment is suitable for your particular condition rather than assuming that every painful foot problem requires shockwave therapy.
Can you treat a foot problem yourself?
For some minor problems, sensible home foot care can help.
Keeping your feet clean and dry, wearing well-fitting shoes and avoiding cutting nails too short can all help prevent common problems.
But there are situations where self-treatment isn’t appropriate.
For example, the Royal College of Podiatry advises people with diabetes, poor circulation or reduced immunity not to self-treat corns and calluses.
Similarly, repeatedly cutting into an ingrown toenail or trying to remove a persistent lesion yourself can make the problem worse.
If you’re unsure what you’re dealing with, getting the problem assessed is often safer than trying increasingly aggressive treatments at home.
When should you seek urgent medical advice?
A podiatry appointment isn’t a substitute for emergency medical care.
Seek urgent medical help if you have a serious foot injury, severe pain, significant loss of sensation, signs of a serious infection, or a wound that is deteriorating.
If you have diabetes, foot problems can be more serious and should be assessed promptly. NHS guidance specifically advises people with diabetes to seek medical advice for foot pain and for an ingrown toenail.
Your podiatrist can also tell you when a problem needs to be managed by another healthcare professional.
Five London clinics, one approach to patient care
Feet By Pody was established in 2006 and now provides care from five London locations:
- Canary Wharf E14: Our first clinic, located in The London Wellness Centre near West India Quay DLR Station and Canary Wharf Tube Station.
- The City EC2: Situated in the Light Centre Moorgate, close to Moorgate Tube Station.
- Woolwich Royal Arsenal SE18: Based in the Royal Arsenal Medical Centre, a short walk from Woolwich Arsenal DLR/Train Station.
- London Bridge SE1: Located in The London Wellness Centre on Weston Street, near London Bridge Tube Station.
- South Kensington SW7: Our newest clinic, sharing premises with The Physio Box.
The locations make it easier to fit an appointment around work, commuting and everyday life, while the clinical approach remains focused on individual assessment and treatment.
What our patients say about their care
Clinical qualifications and experience matter, but so does the experience of actually being treated.
Feet By Pody’s patients frequently mention the combination of professional care, thorough assessment and the difference treatment makes to their everyday comfort.
One patient described finally having an ingrown toenail resolved after 15 months of unsuccessful advice elsewhere, while another praised the thorough and professional approach of the team.
These experiences reflect something we believe is important: foot treatment shouldn’t feel rushed or impersonal.
The aim is to understand the person as well as the problem.
Frequently asked questions about foot specialists in London
Is a podiatrist the same as a chiropodist?
Yes. In the UK, the terms podiatrist and chiropodist refer to the same regulated profession. Both titles are protected and professionals using them must be registered with the HCPC.
How do I find a good foot specialist in London?
Look for an HCPC-registered podiatrist or chiropodist and check their experience in treating the problem you have. It is also worth looking at their qualifications, areas of specialist interest, clinic facilities and patient reviews.
Do I need a GP referral to see a podiatrist?
Not necessarily. Private podiatry can generally be accessed directly, without a GP referral. NHS access and eligibility can vary depending on where you live and your clinical circumstances.
How often should I see a podiatrist?
There is no universal schedule that applies to everyone.
Some people only need an appointment when a problem develops. Others, particularly people with certain medical conditions or ongoing foot problems, may benefit from regular monitoring.
Your podiatrist can advise you based on your individual needs.
Can a podiatrist help with heel pain?
Yes. Podiatrists assess and treat a range of foot and lower-limb problems, and may assess factors such as movement, footwear and biomechanics when investigating heel pain. The right treatment depends on the underlying cause.
Can a podiatrist remove a corn?
Yes. A podiatrist can safely debride and remove painful corns and callus. However, if the pressure causing the corn isn’t addressed, it may return. That’s why identifying the underlying cause is often an important part of treatment.
Can a podiatrist treat an ingrown toenail?
Yes. Depending on the severity, an ingrown toenail may be treated conservatively or with nail surgery. Persistent or severe cases may require removal of part or all of the nail.
Can I see a podiatrist about a fungal toenail?
Yes. A podiatrist can assess changes to your toenail and determine whether fungal infection is likely. In some cases, testing may be recommended before treatment.
Can a podiatrist help if I have diabetes?
Yes. Podiatrists play an important role in diabetic foot assessment and ongoing foot care. If you have diabetes, don’t ignore changes such as wounds, swelling, colour changes, pain or loss of sensation.
What should I bring to my first appointment?
If relevant, bring a list of your medications, details of previous treatment, and any information about your medical history that may affect your feet.
It can also be useful to bring the shoes you regularly wear if you are attending because of pain, pressure or a recurring problem.
Experienced foot care in London, without the guesswork
Your feet don’t always need the most complicated treatment. They need the right assessment and the right treatment for the problem in front of you.
That’s the approach we take at Feet By Pody.
With more than 20 years of clinical experience behind the practice, HCPC-registered podiatrists, Royal College of Podiatry-accredited practices and five London locations, we provide care for everything from everyday chiropody problems to more complex nail, skin and biomechanical conditions.
If something has been bothering you for a while, keeps coming back, or is starting to affect the way you walk, work, exercise or enjoy everyday life, it may be time to get it properly assessed.
Feet By Pody has clinics in Canary Wharf, the City, Woolwich Royal Arsenal, London Bridge and South Kensington.
Book an appointment or call 0207 099 6657 to discuss your foot care needs.
Clinically reviewed by Nicolas Ivanoff, Podiatrist & Clinical Director
Nicolas qualified in podiatry in 2005 and has worked in private practice ever since. He founded Feet By Pody in 2006 and has particular clinical interests in nail surgery, verrucae needling, shockwave therapy and biomechanics.