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The best products for foot calluses in 2026, according to experts
If you don’t address the cause of the callus, it will keep coming back.
Best foot file
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What are calluses?
Simply put, a callus is a patch of hard, thickened skin. Friction or repeated pressure typically cause them, so while you can get calluses anywhere, they’re most common in places where your skin is constantly rubbing against something — like your feet.
How I picked the best products for foot calluses
To help you free yourself from the persistent nuisance caused by these hard lumps of tissue, I asked foot experts about the best way to treat stubborn foot calluses and what products they recommend to prevent them. The secret, according to experts I spoke with, is a combination of physical exfoliation, chemical exfoliation, topical hydration, and adjustments to your footwear. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Physical exfoliation: When looking to remove a callus quickly, many people reach for a physical exfoliator like a foot file or pumice stone. These work, but our experts recommend being choosy and proceeding with caution. “The only physical exfoliation that I recommend is a gentle pumice stone in the shower — nothing like a cheese grater,” says Priya Parthasarathy, DPM, is a podiatrist for the U.S. Foot and Ankle Association based in Silver Spring, Maryland and a spokesperson for the American Podiatric Medical Association. “Some people get blades and try to remove the dead skin themselves. Those are all very dangerous.” Harsh files damage the skin, creating the risk of injury and infection and the potential to make the callus worse, according to Parthasarathy. “Causing that area to be traumatized, one can cause the calluses to come back worse because your body’s trying to keep protecting itself,” she says. I looked for products that are both gentle and easily sanitizable to prevent the buildup of bacteria.
- Topical ingredients: To keep skin soft, experts recommend foot creams with moisturizing ingredients like shea butter and jojoba oil. To break down hardened tissue at a cellular level, Kiran Mian, D.O,, a board-certified dermatologist at Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery in New York City, recommends looking for creams that have exfoliating acids called lytics, which help break down the keratin buildup behind rough and bumpy skin. Our list includes formulas with urea, lactic acid, and salicylic acid.
- Inserts: Calluses are caused by repeated friction in a certain area. When it comes to foot calluses, ill-fitting shoes or quirks of your individual foot physiology are often the culprit. Custom orthotic inserts are the most effective way to address the cause of a recurrent callus, but over-the-counter inserts can also be helpful. “I definitely don’t start with saying every patient needs an orthotic,” says Parthasarathy. She recommends starting with an over-the-counter pad designed to fit your area of concern (i.e. a metatarsal pad or cushion for your pinky toe), ideally reusable and made of gel. You may still want to consult a podiatrist. “It’s really important to know where to place this pad to take pressure off the ball of your foot to take pressure off that callus,” Parthasarathy says. “It’s a great test to see if an orthotic would be helpful.”
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The best products for calluses in 2026
Best file
Cleanliness is a big concern when it comes to finding the right physical exfoliator or foot file, according to Mian. Bacteria and fungus can build up on pumice stones you keep in the shower and introduce the risk of infection, foot fungus, or warts. Mian recommends using a professional-grade foot file with disposable exfoliating pads like the ForPro Professional Collection Stainless Steel Pedi File Kit. Simply remove the sticky, sandpaper-like exfoliating pad and discard after each use. This kit comes with coarse and fine grit exfoliating pads.
Best bar
Both experts I spoke to emphasize the need for gentle exfoliation over harsh foot files. Parthasarathy finds the Mr. Pumice Pumi bar to be just the right amount of abrasive. “It’s very gentle — use it with mild pressure,” she says.
Best budget foot cream
AmLactin’s Foot Repair Cream uses 15% lactic acid to break down the tough keratin buildup behind stubborn foot calluses. It’s gentle, but effective, says Parthasarathy, who recommends using an exfoliating lotion, like this one, twice a day. The results are noticeable, according to reviewers, which is also why it’s included in our guide to the best foot creams.
Best splurge foot cream
As a multitasking product, Mian likes Cerave’s SA Cream for Rough and Bumpy Skin to treat calluses. The full body cream is technically formulated for psoriasis and has salicylic acid and lactic acid to help gently exfoliate. She particularly likes that this creme also has hydrating barrier building ingredients, specifically ceramides and hyaluronic acid, to help draw moisture into dry foot skin and prevent calluses from coming back.
Best repairing cream
While technically not a callus cream, Eucerin’s multitasking Advanced Repair Cream is great for treating calluses, says Mian. In addition to hydrating ingredients including shea butter and ceramides, it also has lactic acid and urea, a keratolytic that helps soften and break down the build up of rough skin.
Best spot treatment
Mian also likes Eucerin’s Roughness Relief Spot Treatment. Like the brand’s Advanced Repair Cream, it has moisturizers (ceramides and sunflower seed oil) as well as lactic acid and urea to help break down thick patches of callused tissue and soften skin. For stubborn calluses, this formula packs more of a punch: it has three times the concentration of urea than the brand’s Roughness Relief Body Lotion. The targeted spot treatment tip also makes for easier application.
Best multipurpose cream
For something a little fancier than what you’ll find at the drugstore, Mian likes The Inkey List’s SuperSolutions Dry and Rough Skin Solution, a full body treatment with 10% urea that works wonders on foot calluses. It’s particularly good for morning application — the fast-absorbing formula won’t linger, leaving your feet slippery for hours or requiring you to wear socks.
Best cushion
As a first line over-the-counter treatment for foot calluses, Parthasarathy recommends Dr. Jill’s foot pads. The brand has a variety of orthotics in various shapes and sizes for a range of callus locations that come in pads made of gel, foam, and felt. The variety is helpful, given finding the right insert can be “very patient dependent,” she says. Parthasarathy particularly likes Dr. Jill’s Gel Ball of Foot cushions, which are reusable and slim enough to work with most shoes.
Best balm
Healing dry, cracked skin is a key component of treating a foot callus. Parthasarathy recommends looking for a moisturizer like the Cracked Heel Repair stick from Pedestrian Project. What makes this a favorite of Parthasarathy’s beyond its formula is the applicator. The stick-based formula glides over rough skin on the bottom of your feet and absorbs quickly, making it easy to use in the morning before going about your day.
Best gel
If you have thick calluses, consider this gel, which has a 4.4-star average rating from over 4,600 reviews on Amazon. It removes dead skin and softens the callus — all you have to do is leave the gel on your callus for three to five minutes, wipe it off and go in with your favorite pumice stone/bar or file. Many reviewers say it helps them effectively treat their callus, but recommend following the exact instructions and ensuring you only apply it to these thickened areas since it can sting if you aren’t careful.
Best peel
This Baby Foot peel is an NBC Select editor favorite because it’s both effective and easy to use. The single-use foot treatment gently peels away dead skin using fruit extracts, for smoother, softer feet, according to the brand. After putting your feet into the plastic booties, leave them on for an hour and then rinse; over the next three to seven days, your feet will begin to peel (this can last up to two weeks), according to the brand. When five NBC Select editors tested the peel, they found that it gave them smoother feet and removed rough, dry patches and calluses for several weeks afterward.
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How to shop for the best products for foot calluses
The best way to treat and prevent foot calluses involves at least three steps, according to our experts: physically exfoliate to remove dead skin, use a topical cream to further exfoliate and moisturize, and address the root cause of the callus by adjusting your footwear. Here’s how to approach each step, including key product features to consider.
Physical exfoliators
There are two main factors to consider when searching for a callus remover: gentleness and cleanliness.
When you physically exfoliate a callus with a metal foot file, pumice stone, or other type of abrasive pad, “you’re creating trauma to the skin — you can actually damage that layer of skin that’s supposed to be moisturized and protecting you,” says Parthasarathy. A gentle exfoliator is key, according to our experts, who both recommended avoiding metal foot files. “Traumatizing that skin can cause the calluses to come back worse because your body’s trying to protect itself,” says Parthasarathy. “And two, you can create areas for infection.”
This is where cleanliness becomes really important. Like any area of your body, cuts or abrasions can literally open you up to bacterial infections. “When it comes to feet, we also worry about fungus and virus,” says Mian. Grubby pumice stones or foot files collecting mold in the shower can lead to athletes’ foot or warts, she says. For this reason, she recommends only using foot files with disposable exfoliator pads “or ones where you can sanitize it by soaking it in alcohol or a bleach solution,” Mian says.
Creams, lotions, and chemical exfoliators
“Some people will just go to the spa, get a pedicure and have them kind of shave off their calluses,” says Mian. “If you’re only going to do that, they’re going to inevitably come back.” To keep feet smooth, our experts recommend pairing mechanical callus removers with a twice daily topical treatment that exfoliates and moisturizes.
Look for callus removal creams or full body creams designed for dry skin, which have a potent mix of hydrators — ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter or cocoa butter are all effective — and exfoliating acids. “I really like urea, which is a keratolytic, meaning it breaks apart keratin, which is the material that our skin is made of,” says Mian. Lactic acid (or ammonium lactate) and salicylic acid are also effective for treating calluses, says Parthasarathy.
Orthotics and inserts
“Calluses are thickened skin, and they form when there’s constant friction in a certain area,” says Mian. You can prevent certain calluses — like a recurring one on the ball of your foot for example — with orthotic inserts, which can help redistribute your weight, taking pressure off of the problem spot and preventing the problematic friction. You can prevent other types of calluses — say, one on the outside of your pinky toe — by switching to a wider shoe.
Parthasarathy recommends starting with over-the-counter foot pads designed specifically for the area where you have the callus (the back of your heel, your pinky toe, the ball of your foot, etc.) but stresses these typically aren’t a long-term solution or as effective as a custom orthotic. Parthasarathy typically has patients try a foot pad and if they like them then the next step would be to create custom orthotics so they do not have to keep sticking a pad on their foot. “Usually, over-the-counter orthotics don’t take enough pressure off the area in question — they’re going to provide you cushioning, but not enough offloading to prevent the callus.”
Since everyone’s foot anatomy is different, general orthotics might even cause more callus-causing friction in your shoe. The best course of action for a persistent callus that keeps coming back is to consult a podiatrist. They can recommend a specific over-the-counter insert tailored to your problem area to start and then get you fitted for custom orthotics if that’s the best solution.
Frequently asked questions
“The skin on our feet is thicker than anywhere else in the body — it’s designed to be protective,” says Mian. Calluses form when there is repeated friction or pressure on a certain area, which causes skin to thicken to protect the area from damage. “A callus will form if that force is constant,” Mian says.
Friction is most commonly caused by ill-fitting shoes (a narrow toe box can cause calluses on the big toe or pinky toe, high heels putting pressure on the ball of your foot can cause a callus to form there, shoes that rub your feet can cause calluses on the back of the heel, etc.) but sometimes anatomical issues are at play. “The last patient I saw for a callus had a bone spur that was rubbing against her shoes,” says Parthasarathy. The buildup of dry skin can also cause foot calluses, which is often the reason behind callused, cracked heels, she says.
“It’s really important to find out why you’re having the calluses,” says Parthasarathy. “Some patients think that they can go to the podiatrist or pedicurist and have that shaved down and it will never come back again. But it’s going to keep coming back unless we take care of why it’s happening.”
In most cases, foot calluses are simply annoying. But in some circumstances, they can cause bigger problems. “Foot pain is not normal,” Parthasarathy says. “If the calluses are causing you pain, there’s likely a solution that a podiatrist can help you with.”
If it gets big enough, a callus can actually change the way you walk, our experts explain, leading to a chain reaction of musculoskeletal issues. If you’re a runner, this can be particularly problematic.
The second cause of concern is infection. “Deep calluses can end up cracking,” says Parthasarathy. “We see that a lot in the feet, especially that callus that’s on the inside of the foot under your big toe joint.” This is also common in runners, she adds. “If it cracks open, that’s the perfect area for an infection to start.”
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Kiran Mian, D.O, is a board-certified dermatologist at Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery in New York City.
- Dr. Priya Parthasarathy, DPM, is a podiatrist based in Silver Spring, Maryland. She is a spokesperson for the American Podiatric Medical Association and practices with the U.S. Foot and Ankle Specialists, specializing in general foot and ankle care, foot pain, and sports medicine.
Why trust NBC Select?
I am a journalist and former Glamour editor who has covered beauty and wellness treatments for over a decade. For this article, I spoke to a dermatologist and a podiatrist about the best ways to prevent and treat foot calluses and highlighted the products they find to be most effective for achieving smooth feet.
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