Blisters...help! - Page 1

Posted: 10/6/2015 7:03:35 AM EDT

Got a bunch of good weather lately, and I've gone from walking about 3-4 miles/day to walking 6.5+ miles a day (11 miles Sunday). I've got blisters on the top of my toes on one foot, and on the back of the other heal.

Any suggestions on how to speed up healing, and avoid blisters in the future?

My boots are almost a year old, and I should have a new pair arriving later today.

Posted: 10/6/2015 7:46:32 AM EDT

[#1]

Did you get them a little bit larger? Feet tend to swell after hiking for a while.
Also, good socks are important and can make the difference.

I keep this in my FAK and will use it if I start feeling a hot spot develop. Seems to work well.

Posted: 10/6/2015 8:12:57 AM EDT

[#2]

On the TOP of your toes? Never seen that.

Moleskin is great for preventing and protecting. At the first sign (generally the feeling of a hot spot) stop and protect. Cover the area with moleskin or even a band-aid. If it's too late, cut a blister-sized hole in some moleskin and place it around the area to keep it from receiving further friction. You may have to layer up.

Keep the feet dry through frequent sock changes if you're sweating a lot. Make sure your footwear is properly fitted and your foot isn't slipping around.

Posted: 10/6/2015 11:24:57 AM EDT

[#3]

When you get your new boots, soak them in hot water for 30 minutes. Then, dry them off and put them own and wear till they are dry. They will fit your feet like a great pair of old gloves. No more blisters.

Posted: 10/6/2015 12:13:28 PM EDT

[#4]

I would suggest ditching the boots and using trail runners, using a good sock (like Darn Tough or similar), lubing your feet prior to a hike with Trail Toes or Vaseline or other lube.

Tincture of Benzoin to help moleskin or tape stick over hotspots helps to prevent the adhesive product from rolling up, lubing the edges of the tape can help with this, too. I have the best luck with Kinesiotape type tape rather than moleskin or duct tape, but just about anything can work.

Healing just takes time.

Posted: 10/6/2015 12:18:59 PM EDT

[#5]

I wear a pair of dress socks as a liner under my normal socks and never had a blister or hot spots.

Posted: 10/7/2015 4:18:04 PM EDT

[#6]

I have used Gorilla Tape over hot spots. Need to get your feet good and dry and once it sticks, water doesn't affect it.

Doc

Posted: 10/7/2015 7:37:05 PM EDT

[#7]

I wear injin 5 toe sock liner and then a smart wool sock.....shoes that breath real well like Merrill moab ventilators..no blisters

Posted: 10/7/2015 8:48:41 PM EDT

[#8]

JMHO This worked for me in my backpacking days. Wear a thin "wicking" liner sock under a good wool hiking sock. Make sure your boots are large enough to accommodate this. Get some help choosing and trying on different shoes/boots. Don't skimp on quality.

Posted: 10/8/2015 9:06:59 PM EDT

[#9]

Are you using the crappy insoles that came with your boots? If so, go to a good sporting goods store like REI and talk with someone who really knows boots/shoes about replacement footbeds. I use SuperFeet, but Sole is another brand. Blisters on the heel are often caused by your heel being able to move up and down in the heel cup, and replacement footbeds can help lock your heels in place better and eliminate the movement.

Alternative lacing methods allow you to more securely position your heel in the cup, too. YouTube has a million videos showing a million methods.

I've gotten blisters on the tops of my toes before, they came from creases in my sock. Good quality socks in a properly fitted boot won't slip for quite some time while on the trail. Be prepared to fork over $20 or more for a good pair of socks. My favorites are Darn Tough as mentioned above, they're a very fine, dense weave that stretches to fit your foot perfectly, and the smooth exterior slips right into boots and won't bunch. They also have a no questions asked lifetime warranty. I've been wearing the same 8 or 10 pairs nearly every day for almost 2 years, and they feel just as good now as when they were brand new.

Posted: 10/9/2015 8:43:34 AM EDT

[#10]

Just some helpful info, about any pharmacy sells "Blister Bandages". These are basically regular bandages with little hard shells built into the pad to prevent further irritation.

They're a very handy thing to have breaking in new shoes or taking up new activities that involve the feet.

Also worth mentioning, besides just plain ole friction, the other cause of blisters is moisture. Now the current trend is to get you to buy shoes and socks that breathe and wick but then that's kind of like saying, you should be in sandals if you know what I mean. The one size fits all approach works most of the time but not all the time as everyone's feet actually is a little different. Powder is another good thing to have on you when doing foot adventures. Now you can get a foot powder but honestly whatever advantage it will have 95% will be covered by plain old Gold Bond which has other uses.

Not what anyone wants to hear, blisters are more often than not just the warning sign of a quick path callouses. If your feet is like a babies behind, I've seen guys go through many pairs of shoes trying to avoid getting where they're feet is going to have to be. God know mine are nowhere near where they use to be. What I'm saying here is you can get blisters from any shoe if you walk enough in it. Some are better than others but the weak link is our feet. You can do all the stuff in this thread and what I mentioned but just keep in mind the ultimate goal is to train your feet.

Tj

Posted: 10/15/2015 5:48:39 PM EDT

[#11]

injinji socks help with toe blisters. Try injinjis under and a darn tough or climacool over.
heel blisters mean your heel is slipping in the boot. Get thicker socks to fatten up your foot so that it doesnt slip. Also if you are hiking in slip on's then that would be why.

Posted: 10/16/2015 9:38:52 AM EDT

[#12]

Moleskin is great but expensive. I find that regular duct tape does 95% as good a job at preventing friction and costs only a fraction of the cost.

Posted: 10/19/2015 2:38:14 PM EDT

[#13]

Lots of good info already posted. Try this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOE28brAcEc

Never heard of it before and it helped me. Also as mentioned good socks are a must. Toss out anything cotton as it absorbs water and creates hot spots. I use silk liners (from REI) with a good wool sock (Darn Tough or Smartwool) try and go with something at least 70% wool. This combo works well for me when doing long distance with a decent pack load. Do not skimp on boots. Cheap boots will eat up your feet fast. Also just walking the miles will condition your feet and prevent issues. Also if you are running a heavy pack load make sure the boot soles are stiff. This will help with the foot bed not flexing as much and creating hot spots. A blister on the top of toes sounds like a boot too small or a small toe box.

Posted: 10/22/2015 11:31:17 PM EDT

[#14]

Smart wool socks, silk or polypro sock liners, and go to an outdoor shop, like REI, and have the sales geek ensure you get the right fit.

Posted: 10/23/2015 6:40:33 AM EDT

[#15]

foot care

I have duck feet(wide at the toes narrow at the heel) so blisters have always been a problem for me. I started using the method(leukotape and bodyglide) in the link above and have not had a problem since. Quality socks and boots/shoes would be my first investment.

Posted: 10/28/2015 8:37:05 PM EDT

[#16]

Pros wear trail runners and merino wool socks. Here is a god among hikers to tell you all about it.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/FGQTcQhL08A[/youtube]

Posted: 11/11/2015 9:56:36 PM EDT

[#17]

Desitin diaper rash paste....stops the sting , seems to speed up healing

Posted: 11/12/2015 6:28:42 AM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
Also worth mentioning, besides just plain ole friction, the other cause of blisters is moisture. Now the current trend is to get you to buy shoes and socks that breathe and wick but then that's kind of like saying, you should be in sandals if you know what I mean. The one size fits all approach works most of the time but not all the time as everyone's feet actually is a little different. Powder is another good thing to have on you when doing foot adventures. Now you can get a foot powder but honestly whatever advantage it will have 95% will be covered by plain old Gold Bond which has other uses.

Not what anyone wants to hear, blisters are more often than not just the warning sign of a quick path callouses. If your feet is like a babies behind, I've seen guys go through many pairs of shoes trying to avoid getting where they're feet is going to have to be. God know mine are nowhere near where they use to be. What I'm saying here is you can get blisters from any shoe if you walk enough in it. Some are better than others but the weak link is our feet. You can do all the stuff in this thread and what I mentioned but just keep in mind the ultimate goal is to train your feet.

Tj

View Quote

TJ is spot on with very sage advice. I could only add that the challenge will be to keep conditioning your feet. I never get blisters (unless hiking in wet boots/shoes), but when I do start to feel a hotspot, I cover it and replace my socks. The only time blisters can't be avoided is if you continue to hike with wet feet and footwear...something that should be avoided if possible.

My only concern is that as TJ mentioned, everybody's feet are different and if your toes are getting blisters along the top, it sounds like your foot box is too small or you boots in general are too small; something to consider. I've done the sock liner in the past and it works when you begin conditioning, but I know longer wear the liner (unless it's real cold); however, I do get pretty religious about changing socks, keeping my feet as clean and dry as possible and going barefoot to allow my feet to "breathe" as often as I can.

ROCK6

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