It was 6:33 am. From my DAB radio sitting on the bedside table, raindrops splattered through the windows while REM's "Everybody Hurts" was being played softly. The sound of Magic FM was a signal to start the day.

"What an irony," I thought. It was the perfect song for the last three years, which I felt almost every morning.

This was no exception about this morning; my toes were stiff and achy, and I knew it would only get worse as the day progressed.

Thankfully, it was a Friday morning and the weekend was approaching. This meant I could put my feet up and relax a bit, and if my feet felt fine, I could perhaps muster up the energy to take my lively 3-year-old grandson to the local park.

But first, there's the tedious process of getting ready for work.

A while ago, it used to take only 45 minutes to take a shower, get dressed, have breakfast, and leave the house. Now, It takes more than an hour, especially on bad days. Fortunately, it wasn't one at the time.

Despite getting ready relatively quickly, I had to mentally prepare myself for the journey ahead, which is something I do on a daily basis these days.

My Skechers shoes have taken the place of my high heels, and sports socks have taken the place of tights; at this point in my life, comfort takes precedence over everything else.

I was as relaxed as I could be, and with one foot out the door, I was ready to face the day.

Most people take 10 minutes to walk from my house to the train station.

For me, however, that time has increased to 15 minutes, which is quite impressive given the constant aches and discomfort in my feet.

My feet will be tired by the time I get to the station. If I'm lucky, I'll be left standing with some breathing room and a handle to grab; if I'm even luckier, the train will be empty... I found myself standing near the doors, sandwiched between two other commuters.

The 25-minute train ride into the city felt much longer, and the constant body shuffling and occasional shoving wore on my patience.

Nonetheless, I made it to my stop without launching into an explosive tirade.

I made it through the morning rush hour at the station and then had to walk another 300 meters or so to the office.

Though I never used to be grateful, I am now very grateful that my commute is quite short in comparison to some of my fellow city workers.

"Right, Phil has a client meeting at 10 a.m., and I need to do the meeting minutes at 10:45."

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a sharp pain in my big toe.

I came to a halt and tried to spread my toes as wide as I could to alleviate the pain.

It took about 10 seconds for the pain to go away and I was ready to walk again. I was only a few minutes away from my office.

As I approached the office building, I felt relieved because I knew the most difficult part of my day was finally over...or so I thought.

My toes started hurting again about 10 minutes into the senior management meeting, which I was taking notes on. I spread my toes and held them there for as long as I could, which was not unusual.

My toes ached as they rubbed against each other. It was probably karma from years of wearing tight high heels.

I fantasized about visiting the Lake District.

"I think I'll look at Sally's Cottages' website during my lunch break," I reasoned.

For as long as I can remember, my husband and I have discussed taking a short vacation.

The senior accountant brought up an important point that quickly brought me back to reality, while my constant foot ache kept my mind from wandering too much throughout the meeting.

Every day for the past three years, I've struggled with discomfort, aches, and pains in my feet, particularly the toes. The day's gradual deterioration took its toll. Not just physically, but also emotionally.

Needless to say, I was irritated and annoyed.

I left for lunch shortly after 1pm. It was obvious where and what to eat for lunch. I wanted something light, healthy, and not too far to walk; M&S it was!

I was searching for solutions to my foot problems rather than teasing myself with a trip to the Lake District as I sat at my work desk eating my avocado crush wrap with some Lindt chocolate in the waiting.

Surprisingly, despite having suffered from arthritis in my feet for the previous three years, I had never sought treatment. I simply dealt with it.

After 20 minutes of Googling, I came across a product that claimed to relieve arthritis pain in the feet by keeping the toes separated.

Excellent! It sounded exactly like what I was looking for.

Where I would normally have put off making a purchase, I did not this time because it would (or at least I hoped) improve my condition.

Even though I needed my order right away, I chose standard delivery because I was willing to wait a few days until the product arrived. Besides, the weekend was approaching!

I finished my lunch and returned to work with a renewed sense of zeal after placing my online order.

Was it the healthy avocado wrap?

Nope. It was the anticipation of something that could potentially restore my lifestyle...and, of course, the decadent Lindt chocolate!

It was a Monday evening, and I had just returned home from work. My feet were aching again, but I was still buzzing from my wonderful weekend.

I had the opportunity to spend time with my daughter and grandson. We did go to the park, but my feet couldn't keep up with the little wild one. I was just happy to see him running around and doing his thing.

On the coffee table was a small packet with my name on it. I recognized it right away, as did my husband, whom I excitedly informed the day I ordered the product.

I ripped the packet open quickly, reaching inside to pull out a sleek square white box with the logo "Feet&Feet" printed in matt silver in the center of the lid.

The product was more important than how elegant it appeared.

It was there when I opened the box. I had been looking forward to these toe separators for several days. They sat on black foam bedding, which contrasted with their white appearance.

I squished and stretched them after taking them out of their protective bag. They were soft and flexible due to their gel construction.

It was time to put them to the test, no more fooling around.

I sat down on the sofa and placed one over the toes of my left foot first, then the right. They were a little fidgety and felt strange, which was not surprising given that I don't usually keep things in between my toes.

I recall giggling to myself at the prospect of wearing them to work.

I wore them around the house, passing by my husband several times, who gave me a puzzled look. I didn't mind because they were truly satisfying, and I didn't have to stop every now and then to spread out my toes to relieve the pain.

I was initially concerned that wearing shoes would compress my toes. Those concerns vanished as soon as I put them on and took a stroll around the back garden.

The recommended minimum wear time was 60 minutes; I wore them all evening and even to bed. I only took them off when I took a shower.

The time was 6:30 a.m. The sunlight filtered through the curtain gap as Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" played softly from my DAB radio on the bedside table. The sounds of Magic FM signaled the start of the day.

It was a Tuesday, and it should have felt like any other weekday.

I awoke to find a pair of soft gel toe separators encasing my toes, and the stiffness and aches had vanished.

Suddenly, a wave of comfort washed over me.

I would have cried at that moment if I wasn't such an emotional person. I jumped out of bed, removed my gel shoes, and went straight to the shower.

My feet felt revitalized for the first time in three years.

After showering, I reapplied the gel toe separators much more quickly and easily than the first time and then ate breakfast.

When it was time to leave for work, I put on my socks and looked over at my small collection of high heels, thinking to myself, "Never again."

I jumped into my Skechers with a boost of confidence and the goal of getting to the station in 10 minutes.