Dori Zook said:
One reason women have trouble with dry feet is hose, which leave us with
virtually no barrier from the elements.  Men get to wear shoes and socks
and, by and large, have soft feet.  ....Isn't is frustrating that the men,
who usually don't give a rip, have baby-soft heels and the women have
veritable hooves?  Now you know why.

My reply:
Even if one avoids panty hose, there is still the possibility of having very
dry skin, including very dry feet.  This can be due to EFA deficiency, or in
some cases low thyroid function, which I recall you had many symptoms of.
So hose or no hose, the problem may remain as long as the body is either not
getting what it needs, or not processing things properly due to disordered
metablism.

There is no law that women must wear panty hose.  (I've not worn them for at
least 15 years!!  I wouldn't be caught dead or alive in them.)  No you don't
have to go bare, although it's not a bad idea in warm weather.  If your
office atmosphere is not amenable to wearing open sandals and having bare
feet and legs, you can purchase 100% cotton tights (or at least 90-something
percent cotton with some lycra).  These allow your skin to breathe more than
synthetic fabrics.  You'll find them in shoe stores, some clothing stores,
and my mail.  There are many brands I've seen over the years.  They last
longer than hose and are better for your  health.  Or, you can wear slacks,
cotton socks or tights, and comfortable flat shoes.

Btw:  High heels are hell on your feet, muscles, ligaments, tendons, spine,
and posture.  There are attractive looking but functional dress shoes you
can find as well.  You just have to hunt a bit to find them.

Cheers,

Rachel