I will never forget when I moved to New York from London to pursue my ambition of working for a Manhattan magazine, reading an article in the September 1997 issue of Vogue by Plum Sykes (whom I had interned for at British Vogue) in which she piquantly described the differences between the grooming habits of Londoners and New Yorkers: “having the right toes is actually more important in New York than having a home.”

Like Plum, I had arrived in New York with the natural, artfully rumpled English-rose look. Also like Plum, I quickly learned the high-maintenance habits of a New York professional: regular mani-pedis, waxing and eyebrow shaping – all unheard of in London in the ’90s. Becoming a beauty editor gave me a major advantage as I got to know the best in the business. My ultimate moment of having arrived as a très soignée New Yorker was being stopped on Madison Avenue by a rigidly stylish woman who asked, “Who does your brows?” Another triumphant moment? Getting a pedicure while working my way through a pile of stories I had to edit. So New York.

Fast-forward 30 years and, despite my best efforts, by this point each summer my heels are usually cracked – the horror Plum described so vividly all those years ago. Even my Diamancel foot file, embedded with fine diamond grit, is no match for the Canadian Shield. This summer, however, I have avoided the unsightly horror thanks to a birthday gift from my close friend and fellow Northern Ontario island girl, Christie Smythe, who also happens to be a fashion designer and a New Yorker back in the ’90s: the Danielle Exfoliate & Peel Foot Mask.

These plastic, sock-like booties are packed with skin-sloughing AHA fruit acids, moisturizing marine collagen, glycerin and urea, and they are mini-miracle workers. Three days after wearing them for the prescribed hour, my tired summer skin started to peel away; by day four, new, baby-soft feet were revealed, presentable once more. Maybe not New York-presentable but, at the annual fish-fry party, I wasn’t embarrassed to draw attention to my toes by donning my favourite Arizona Love leopard-and-bandana Teva-type sandals – always guaranteed to make a style splash in these parts. I’ll take Manhattan, or at least a Manhattan.