X Feet

You've probably heard about the trend for fish pedicures by now. Submerge your feet in a tank of little Garra Rufa fish, who suck off the dead skin on your feet.

If you dry heaved at that last sentence, this might not be for you. But it really just feels like a bubbly bath, rather than anything particularly gross.

X Feet is a mini version of the salons springing up around London, although there are plans to open up a standalone salon somewhere in the Reading area. Sitting just outside House of Fraser and H&M, X Feet is very much a talking point for anyone that walks by. In fact, several people stopped to ask us how he felt.

We popped along first thing on a Saturday to beat the queues (there are only eight tanks, so there's often a line of tired shoppers). The lady who prepped us was friendly and explained the process before we dunked our feet in. I'd have preferred a slightly better prep (we only received a quick spray from a bottle). but I understand the time implications can make that difficult.

Afterwards, my feet felt fairly soft and smooth, if not amazingly so. However, I think it's more about the relaxing, fun experience rather than giving you stunning feet.

Our visit was paid for using a Groupon we'd purchased a few months earlier, which means we got 20 minutes for £9, rather than the usual £20. £9 was a great deal, but £20 would perhaps be a little too expensive. You can pay by the minute (min 5 mins) though, so you could just book a 5-10 min slot for £5-£10.