My feet ached from an epic six-mile beach walk the day beforehand. So I was especially excited to arrive at Bao Foot Spa, in Beverly Hills, and be greeted by plush massage beds, soothing bamboo screens and a trickling fountain.
My practitioner, Vincent Taing, brought me a wooden bucket filled with sloshing warm water and instructed me to lay back on the bed, my legs dangling off the edge, and soak my feet. He then administered long, slow strokes with his thumbs along the underside of my arch, draining tension from my feet.
I expected the experience to bring temporary pain relief. But to my surprise, my feet felt light and springy for several days afterward.
“Foot spas aren’t a replacement for medical attention if your feet hurt,” says David G. Armstrong, a podiatric surgeon with Keck Medicine of USC. “But they can feel great and offer real relaxation benefits.”
There’s no shortage of places to get your feet pampered in Los Angeles, from high-end nail salons and massage chains such as the Now Massage, to lavish hotel spas such as at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (where foot massages are administered with vegan, organic, paraben-free, nut-oil-free, gluten-free and cruelty-free oil). For this piece, we sought out small, independent businesses specializing in foot massage treatments. Our list shows off the sheer variety of experiences you can treat your feet to here in L.A.
So what to expect? Most foot massages start off with a relaxing five- to 10-minute soak, followed by a massage. The soaking stage is as much for utilitarian purposes — to ensure practitioners have clean, softened feet to work with — as for relaxing ones. Often, spas will perform brief massages on other parts of your body, such as the head and neck, while your feet soak.
I stuck to 60-minute foot treatments at most places. They were all relaxing and rejuvenating in different ways. Tibetan Herbal Feet Soak, in San Gabriel, offered a sublime foot steaming followed by a soak and lengthy massage; MD Foot Massage, in Westwood, released tension in areas of my feet I didn’t even know I had; and Willow Spa’s “foot bath ritual” in Santa Monica included an indulgent soak in moisturizing coconut milk, Epsom salt, ruby red grapefruit juice and fragrant rose petals.
Many of the establishments I visited practice reflexology, a traditional Chinese massage modality. According to the ancient practice, pressure points on the feet correspond to different organs or areas of the body; gently stimulating these points is said to release blocked energy and aid corresponding body parts.
“You’re treating the entire body in some shape or form by massaging the foot,” says Malcolm B. Taw, director of UCLA’s Center for East-West Medicine in Westlake Village. “It’s beneficial for relaxation but also pain relief, sleep conditions, anxiety and even nausea related to chemotherapy.”
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Whether or not you believe in the efficacy of reflexology, it feels really, really good — there are more nerve endings in the feet and hands than almost any other body part, UCLA Health podiatrist Robert K. Lee told me. So those appendages are especially responsive to massage.
Regardless of the technique, there are some unifying benefits to having your feet rubbed for an extended period of time.
“It can help promote blood circulation,” Lee says. “And of the parts of the body that are most likely to have compromised circulation, the feet are probably the area of greatest concern because they’re the furthest from the core of your body, your heart.”
Foot massages are especially helpful for those with sedentary jobs, he adds, because extensive sitting can lead to weakened, tight muscles in the feet that can, in turn, lead to injuries when walking and running.
“Massage helps to stretch out the muscles, ligaments and tendons, so they’re less tight and prone to injury,” Lee says. “We often recommend massage to treat tendonitis and plantar fasciitis in the foot. It’s both therapeutic and can also be preventative.”
About This Guide
Our journalists independently visited every spot recommended in this guide. We do not accept free meals or experiences. What should we check out next? Send ideas to guides@latimes.com.
USC’s Armstrong says the stress-relieving benefits of a foot massage can, for some, lower blood pressure. Manipulating the feet, he adds, also can help with range of motion around the joints of the ankle and toes. But he advises to proceed with caution, ensuring a foot soak isn’t burning hot and that your feet are dried well afterward. Also, he says those with diabetes or circulation issues should talk to their foot doctor before booking an appointment.
No matter why you go, expect deep relaxation at a foot spa. The feet bear the brunt of most of our physical activity and pampering them — even just for a few minutes — goes a long way toward overall restoration. All of the foot spas on this list proved to be truly good for the soul — and the sole.
