Pretty Toes and Feet: Pedicure Statistics

I put Sally Hansen's fuzzy coat on my toes. Over an ICE green polish. Wearing Flojos zebra print flip-flops. #nails #pedicure #nailpolish #sallyhansen #fuzzycoat #flipflops #shoes

A photo posted by Through the Sole: A Shoe Blog (@throughthesole) on Sep 22, 2013 at 10:09am PDT

I've noticed my post on the history of pedicures getting some buzz the last week, so I decided to research pedicure statistics today. After all, sandals, the perfect way to show off a pedicure, are starting to hit stores.

According to Nails Magazine, nail salons brought in $7.47 billion in 2012, with 29 percent or $2.17 billion coming from pedicures. That's a lot of manicures and pedicures!

The average price of a pedicure was $31.69 in 2012. That's up 47 percent from 1992, when the average price was $22.02. During the same period, manicures were up 80 percent, making pedicures almost seem like a bargain.

Pretty toes and feet: A history of pedicures

Ancient Egyptian art work showing what many believe is an early pedicure-like treatment. (Image from Wikipedia)

As I commute on the subway, I notice all different shades of freshly painted toe-nails ,from the bright summery pinks, to the edgy dark jewel tones and trendy pastels. Of course, some classic pale pinks and traditional reds are thrown in. As I admired the shades I see, I started to wonder about the history of pedicures. According to Mary Bellis of About.com, sandals were one of the most common type of footwear in early civilizations (Bellis, n.d.). Since sandals have been around so long and so prominently display one’s feet, when were pedicures invented?

Ancient Egypt is believed to be the birthplace of the pedicure, according to MiMi Abney of eHow.  The picture above came from the wall of a pharaoh’s tomb and is believed to show the pharaoh receiving foot and leg massages from his servants (Abney, n.d.).

The word pedicure comes from the Latin words "pes," which means foot, and "cura," which means care (Abney, n.d.).