Amidst the chaos of preparing for the summer (including planning family vacations, buying dresses for wedding season and picking vegetables to plant in a garden) there’s one task you may forget to do before it’s time to wear sandals or slip off your shoes at the beach: removing calluses from your feet. While dry patches and rough calluses can be bothersome in the winter, they can feel more noticeable and even get worse in the summertime.

Whether your calluses are caused from walking in high-heels all day, running long distances or opting to go barefoot in the summer, the best callus removers will smoothen the roughest of cracks and calluses. "Calluses develop because of the chronic friction of your skin against shoes and the outside world," explains Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at The Mount Sinai Hospital. "Think of them like nature’s bodyguard for your feet. Without calluses, feet would be at risk for daily trauma. But in some cases, if calluses become very thick, they can be uncomfortable — or even crack."