Foot Blister Prevention!?

[G-G]

Hey everyone,

I've been getting into hiking recently and my crappy feet have started giving me blisters as usual.. :( As soon as I go past 3 miles it starts.. Now i've started doing 6-10 mile walks, and more in the future it's becoming a problem.

I've got special blister socks, but I still get them.

Tried two different pairs of walking boots.

Tried 2 pairs of socks.

I'm debating whether to stick some sports tape all over the back of my heel to prevent it, but not sure whether this is a good idea or not?

People have said Compeed, but with walking that distance i'm worried they won't work or they will get pulled off.

I always put plasters on my heels, but eventually they rub off, especially if I get wet feet, and then they add to the blister forming.

Anyone got any hints or tips?

I thought tape would be cheaper than compeed plasters.. :confused:

[Bargain Rzl]

There's a spray you can get to toughen the skin on the problem areas - but I can't for the life of me think what it's called or who told me about it :o :confused:

[G-G]

Thanks! :) I'm sure someone else might be able to tell me.. I didn't know anything like that existed.. Sounds good to me :)

[splishsplash]

If your boots are continually causing you problems, you need new boots!

If that's not an option, Compeed are great - they're far better than plasters, and shouldn't move too much at all in the boot.

[Alikay]

Compeeds stick very well and don't wrinkle or rub off like ordinary plasters - I think they work very well. You can also get some special double-layer technical type socks from Milletts or Blacks which help prevent blisters- don't know if they're the type you've used before, though!

[G-G]

Well, i've tried my old boots which are well worn in from dog walking, but after a while they start rubbing. I also have some nearly new North Face Goretex trainer hiking shoes but they also start rubbing at about 3 miles, they cost £80 about 3 months ago..

Hmmm.. I may have to reconsider the compeed then..

I did get some Powermax socks from Mountain Warehouse on saturday, wore them for my walk on sunday but the dreaded 3 miles came and they started rubbing, I put on a 2nd layer at that point (should have done that at the beginning), and it helped, but still left a hole in the back of my left foot. :( The socks say that they are specially designed to help prevent blisters.

Thanks for the replies.. :)

[melancholly]

compeed are really amazing! they are actually very difficult to remove so i doubt that they would fall off. they also don't end up all nasty and stuck to your socks like normal plasters. i know they're pricey, but they have come up on BOGOF at boots in the past which makes them more reasonable.

[susan1]

cover the hot spots wih duct tape, it reduces the friction and prevents blisters. if you already have a blister cover with blister plaster and then duct tape!

[G-G]

I was thinking of duct tape - would it work ok?

[G-G]

Well, spent £4 on compeed and they came off within a mile of a 12 milek hike yesterday :(

So, I have fresh blisters, and back to square one on what to do..

Would a sports tape wrapped around my feet be any good?

[lauranurse]

I have heard that rubbing surgical spirit over your feet/heels every day hardens the skin and helps prevent blisters. I havnt tried it myself though, but it might be worth a try!

[G-G]

Thanks Laura! I might give that a go when my blisters have healed :)

[Alikay]

Oh dear, GG sorry to hear you're still suffering with your feet! We all like a good walk, and my 3 teens have all been in scouts and done long D of E hikes and the compeeds and techie sox have worked fine. I guess taping over a compeed wold be worth a try...or maybe there's a little too much movement on the heel of your boots? DH is a martyr to his feet too, and tends to opt for the lower backed walking shoe type of footwear rather than boots which he says make his ankles very painful.

Hope you find a solution soon, it must be a real pain (literally) getting blisters just a few miles into a walk, and will take a lot of pleasure away from the outing.

[G-G]

Thanks Alikay :)

I agree, ankle boots are worse.. I tend to stick with trainer type boots.. I even wore my really lightweight trainers goretex shoes yesterday and still had the problem.. :(

I found that the compeeds were being pushed about and then they seems to just slide off.. :undecided - so maybe my feet sweat a lot in my boots?

I think I am going to let them heal, and then next time just wrap a load of surgical sports tape around my feet and hope for the best.

I even put on new compeeds and duct tape ontop (taken from my lunchbox! :laugh: ) but even the duct tape seemed to 'sweat' off...

I don't have particularly sweaty feet normally?!

The good thing was, after a while I just got used to it, and they don't hurt downhill, which was handy!

[frivolous_fay]

I'm inclined to go for the boots as the culprit... combined perhaps with feet with a tendency to dampness (I know the feeling!) Friction causes the blisters; dampness causes the friction. A boot that traps the moisture will not help.

Another spin on things: My O/H swears by two pairs of socks - he likes Coolmax - thin inner sock with thicker sock on top. The theory is that the socks rub against each other rather than against your feet. This is coming from a man who gets blisters as soon as he even looks at anything other than canvas trainers!

Yet another: I believe this was from one of the Spike Milligan war diaries - 'P*ss in your boots, lads, p*ss in your boots!' While I wouldn't suggest that with an £80 pair, urea is supposed to be beneficial to your feet for hiking (or marching!)

However, my gut feeling is that if the boots are wrong, it's going to be very hard to eliminate the blisters, especially if they're starting so early. If you're anywhere near Herts, there's a fab guy who does boot fittings - his reputation has really spread, and people have been known to come to him from Russia! I'd always go to him for boots now, in fact I'm due to invest in a pair soon which will set me back over £100 (gulp) - due to the expensive requirements of big womens' feet + osteoarthritis :/

[sealady]

Now this sounds bizare but it really does work! Try rubbing Vaseline onto the area of your boot that is causing the blisters. If you intend using the boots in the morning put it on the night before and then again just before you wear the boots.

[belfastgirl23]

I've always assumed that blisters are the path to toughened skin - okay it rubs and blisters at first but when it heals over its okay. How long has this been happening GG? And has the skin toughened at all?

[G-G]

Hey guys....

Well, i've just got into walking every weekend, so it's been more noticeable recently.. but generally speaking I always seem to get blisters.. :(

I think I have thin skin.. if that's possible?

I will try the vaseline idea aswell.. ;)

Oh god.. i'm gonna be a right oily mess by the time I get walking :laugh:

[treliac]

Surgical spirit is the best way of making (unbroken) skin 'rub-resistant.' I've been using it between my first two toes to make toe post shoes more comfortable.

[melancholly]

Surgical spirit is the best way of making (unbroken) skin 'rub-resistant.' I've been using it between my first two toes to make toe post shoes more comfortable.
i used to try that to prevent blisters on my hands when rowing..... took a while for my hands to get back to normal again when i stopped!! it definitely worked for me!

[Penny Watcher]

Whatya need is a pair of these. They're not cheap - we were on bread and jam for weeks :o but they were worth every penny after the blisters I got from my old boots

Meindl Borneo Boots (http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/news/article/mps/uan/378)

I've had two pairs over the last 4 years (first pair died - leaked - because I didn't oil them properly and they cracked, otherwise they would still be going strong).

I walk miles every day with my dogs and I have never, ever had a blister from them. The ankle 'cuff' [for want of a better word] is made from that magic memory foam mattress stuff so the boots fit snuggly to your shape but never rub. I wear regular wooly type socks for walking.

For running I was recommended Coolmax Monoskin hilly that could also be worn in a boot. They have been excellent so far at preventing blisters in my running shoes.