While I agree that soaking can cause lifting, you must remember that toenails are not as porous as fingernails, they are harder, and grow more slowly, and feet are not subjected to the daily use/abuse of hands. Further, feet generally need a good deal more cleaning, exfoliating, and cuticle work than hands in order to have a clean surface to apply gel polish. I know some disagree, but, I find it undermines the whole spa experience to apply polish to feet that have not been completely done; polish should be the last step. So you can soak feet, do the prep work, clean, exfoliate, let them dry and then do the gel polish. I leave the massage for last. My pedis last indefinitely without lifting even when we soak.