Trend alert: Pedicures... for male athletes?

Several sports stars — including Tim Tebow, the New York Jets' polarizing backup quarterback, and Dwyane Wade, LeBron James' partner on the Miami Heat — have discovered something that many women have known for a long, long time: Pedicures are great. But for high-profile pros, the lavish foot treatment isn't just a luxury — it's a necessity to enhance athletic performance. Here, a brief guide to why so many manly men are finally warming up to pedicures:

How can we be sure that athletes are getting pedicures?

There's plenty of evidence. On a recent trip out west, newly-minted New Yorker Tim Tebow was spotted by TMZ at a West Hollywood salon, tipping "generously" after his $23 mani-pedi. Wade is even more open about his "sports pedicures." "You need to take care of your feet," he told The Wall Street Journal. "My feet aren't going to look any prettier from a pedi, but they feel better from the massaging."

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Why do athletes need pedicures?

Pedicures improve foot health and ultimately lower a player's risk of injury. The procedure "improves blood flow and reduces inflammation and pain, while removing areas of hardened skin reduces pressure points," says NBC's Today. Plus, "cutting nails correctly can prevent ingrown toenails."

And male athletes like it?

"They're not the least bit embarrassed, and they see it as part of their training program," Washington Wizards podiatrist Dr. Howard Osterman tells Today. "It's as much medical as it is cosmetic." And really, says Cassie Murdoch at Jezebel, is it so unmanly "to want feet that don't look like mangled callous monsters?"

Sources: Everyday Health, Jezebel, Opposing Views, SB Nation, TMZ, Today, Wall Street Journal